⚔️ The biggest tournament in Norway's history

American Takeover, Hidden Bosses, and Slim Vinny

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The Players Meeting
July 18, 2023

Hello and welcome, this is The Players Meeting. The only newsletter you can rely on to keep up with disc golf.

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If you missed PCS’s preview, then I got you: PDGA’s Bean Boots

Let’s get into it.

TOUR COVERAGE
PCS Open

RESULTS - 🏆PAUL MCBETH & KRISTIN TATTAR

The hype was real for Europe’s 1st Elite Event, and Norway’s Mecca was the perfect host. In no particular order, here are the storylines you should remember or you may have missed:

1 - Norwegians know how to host, entertain, and give a show to remember.

At every twist and turn of the weekend, you were reminded of the PCS slogan: “Nothing is impossible.” With endless wildlife, fjord views, and the biggest basket on Earth, Øverås and its crew put on a show that almost seemed more vacation than competition.

On the west coast of Norway, the unique course forced technicality that some fell victim to. From must-get birdies to OB-ridden Par 4’s, the Øverås Diskgolfpark was hard.

One reason behind that is Hole 12. Over the 3 days, MPO averaged +1.11 to par and came in as the Tour’s hardest hole by a lot with the next being OTB Open’s Hole 16 (+0.61 avg).

2 - The door was wide open, but only Tattar walked through it.

As one of Europe’s most competitive fields, the 7 Americans were lackluster out of the 21 women. With Paige Pierce having surgery and likely out for the season, it was full steam ahead for Europeans.

It had been 2.5 months since the Finnish Friends (Salonen & Blomroos) competed on the Pro Tour. Instead, they’ve been battling athlete visa issues and were stuck practicing at home.

Unfortunately, their putting woes resurfaced once the cameras were on…

Regardless, their throwing skills were still unmatched and kept them afloat to 3rd (Salonen) and 9th (Blomroos) place. As for Tattar, her road to victory was smooth until the Final Round.

She gave the field many opportunities to take this one away, but in the end, she was consistent when it mattered. Tattar’s calmness and plan execution is the reason why she’ll continue to be an unstoppable force.

3 - It was nearly a full American takeover led by Mr. 6x himself.

With tight scoring separation, this event was set up to be a sprint to the finish. No one understood that except for one man…

2 strokes back from Proctor & Heimburg, McBeth had the final 18 holes to prove to himself and all the haters that he was back. He then treated the crowd to one of his best performances in a while.

Like a tactician, he birdied the must-gets, managed the middle stretch, and hit the gas at the end. In his 1st Elite/Major win since Worlds, McBeth lapped the field with a -13 record round (1094 rated).

In 2 days, the European Open will tell all. He may reach his final form yet with the final 3rd of the season almost here.

4 - The next generation out of Europe.

Europeans like Niklas Anttila and Anniken Steen typically pop onto the leaderboard at these Nordic events, but instead, young talent showed up. In MPO, Hjalmar Fredriksson was the only European to finish in the Top 10.

From Vetlanda, Sweden, he’s 16 years old, 1000-rated, and has been hitting the Euro Tour hard. This weekend, he averaged 1041-rated golf in his 1st DGPT event.

Over in FPO, a 15-year-old - Ida Emilie Nesse - proved she has the chops to hang. The 2022 Norwegian FJ18 Champ just came off a broken collarbone and certainly has a bright future.

The sport’s popularity amongst European youth is starting to pay off. Fredriksson & Nesse are just the start.

HIGHLIGHT

As you’re all aware, James “The Proctologist” Proctor is having the best season of his career. Even without a win, he’s currently 4th in the DGPT points standings, and it’s only a matter of time.

POWERED BY POWERGRIP USA
Fresh Plastic

👉 Powergrip’s Highlight: A cake recipe from Clash Discs
Manufactured in Finland, this latest brand has burst onto the scene in less than 2 years.

And today, we’ve got an ingredient list of new Clash. These food-themed molds have become instant classics with new fans and longtime fanatics.

TOUR CHANGES & LEGENDS
Random Dubs

1️⃣ There I was on a Friday afternoon. I was driving out of town to get away for the weekend. And then, the news hit… I instantly pulled over.

There’s little chance you’ve missed this, so let’s go quick. On Friday, the DGPT announced changes to “schedule & media plans to protect competitive fairness in FPO.”

Due to Natalie Ryan’s lawsuits, the Tour is canceling and trying to move 5 FPO events this season. The reasons are to “ensure competitive fairness” and to “limit financial burden.”

The events include 2 Silver, 1 Elite+, and 2 Playoff Events. These are some of the most prestigious of every year.

  1. Ledgestone Open (Elite+) (AUG 3-6) - Canceled & likely rescheduled in a nearby state for the same week

  2. Great Lakes Open (Playoff) (AUG 17-20) - Canceled & likely rescheduled

  3. American Flying Discs Open (Silver) (AUG 25-27) - Canceled with a possible A-tier held

  4. Discmania Open (Silver) (SEP 8-10) - Canceled with a possible A-tier held

  5. MVP Open (Playoff) (SEP 14-17) - Canceled & likely rescheduled

This situation is constantly evolving. And as the days go on hopefully more info will be released.

2️⃣ After 5 grueling rounds plus a Final 9, the PDGA Masters Worlds wrapped up on Saturday. And it came to no one’s surprise who was left standing…

In MP40, it was a battle for the ages between Cale “Dr. Smooth” Leiviska and the hidden boss of CO - Joe Rovere. Being used to the 7,000 ft of elevation, Rovere had a leg up and narrowly beat Leiviska by 1 stroke.

As for FP40, it was the Ohn Zone. Scoggins won for the 3rd year in a row.

Tweet of the Week

Thanks for reading today. Get out and be like Vinny this week!

- Charlie