🎓 Full rides for frisbees

Lunch Money, ATVs, and Spring has Sprung

April 07, 2022

Hello and welcome, this is The Players Meeting. I tell you things about disc golf that you tell your friends, and they think you’re McBeth’s best friend.Email Read Time: 4 Minutes & 32 Seconds

If you missed the MCO recap, then I got you: Nashville Hot Robot Chicken

Let’s get into it.

Disc Golf Scholarships

This week’s PDGA Radio podcast interviewed Tim Barr for insight into the current state of collegiate disc golf programs. He is the Director of DG at Milligan University.

Even at a small private school, he’s one of the many individuals out there coaching the next generation. And this week is his version of the Final Four.

The 2022 College Disc Golf National Championship goes from Wednesday through Saturday (4/6-9) in Marion, NC. There are 75 colleges sending teams of 4 students to throw down in team formats and singles. Some have multiple teams playing.

These aren’t just small schools. Even the NCAA Champions have several teams representing the Jayhawks. I know you’re wondering, “that’s cool and all but what about the full rides?”

Barr could only speak to Milligan University’s program, but they offer at least $8k yearly to be on the team. That means there are kids out there on “D1” scholarships to throw circles at chains.

The Open at Tallahassee (Silver Series)

PREVIEW (4/8-10)

Another Silver Series this weekend but further south in Tallahassee, FL. With the Champions Cup next week, lots of players are opting out of driving a few extra hundred miles.

Many top contenders want to rest and prep before the 1st important tournament. And the WR Jackson course is no joke for first-timers, but we’ll get more into that next week.

Those actually making it to FL will play 3 rounds at Tom Brown Park. Originally, this event was to debut on DGPT’s Silver Series in 2020, but we all know what happened that year.

The course is known for its mixed variety of hole types, but mainly for its technical shots in the woods. And its new DGPT layout will prove challenging for all players.

But to sweeten the pot, there will be an Ace Challenge on Hole 1 in the final round. Anyone who slams chains will win a 2022 Polaris RZR XP 1000 High Lifter ($25k value).

If that’s not worth driving 400 extra miles, then I don’t know what is.

LAST YEAR RECAP

There was no pro event in Tallahassee last year. We’d have to go back to 2019 for any results, where Calvin Heimburg & Ellen Widboom took the W’s.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

MPO/ Matty O frequents this event with his home being 1 state away. In 2019, he snagged a podium finish behind Heimburg & McBeth.

He’s yet to grab a big win this year and had a quick absence from touring due to appendicitis. But since the surgery, he’s won a local B-Tier and took 15th at TX States.

Look for Matty O to be signaling 1st downs throughout the woods this weekend.

FPO/ Sarah Hokum isn’t getting her usual results so far this season.

That has to mean she’s due, right? With the smaller field, Hokum might be able to use her accuracy to her advantage in FL.

You’ll be able to watch the coverage live for the final round on DGN. Or on next-day coverage at the DGPT YouTube channel.

Stat That

Cutting edge analytics by StatMando. THE disc golf stats platform.

With another Silver Series this week, the StatElites in the community dug this up:

Does this mean the field is more or less competitive at those events? The secret ratings algorithm is the final judge of that.

But we do know that the average round rating of DGPT event winners has increased over time. If you look closely, you can see 2019 McBeast carrying the field in his Grip bag.

Random Dubs

1️⃣ Fun fact: If you spent Sunday watching MCO’s final round live, then Nikko Locastro cost you about 20 minutes.

That day Locastro threw 55 shots with an average of 20s more than allowed. That’s over 18 minutes spent watching his pre-shot routine.

2️⃣ Eveliina Salonen came into this season with a lot of hype, and with 5 events over that hype has fizzled. In her own words, “My putting game is still [a] disaster and that’s the biggest reason why I can’t score.”

If her putting improved slightly, then she’d be the headline every week. All DG media would be hamming her up as the new GOAT.

But that’s not the case for now…

Meme of the Week

Thanks for reading today. Get out and suffer through allergies this weekend!

- Charlie

Soo hit me with it… What'd you think of this today’s edition?