🔫 Good old-fashioned TX shootout

Hello and welcome, this is The Players Meeting. The only newsletter where the 2nd day of Spring is just as good as the 1st.

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If you missed The Open’s preview, then I got you: Short Course Kings

Let’s get into it.

THE OPEN AT AUSTIN

RESULTS - 🏆GANNON BUHR & PAIGE PIERCE

A new event, a new course, and now a new recap format. Here are the event storylines you should remember or the ones you may have missed:

1 - Players shredded the course with words and scores.
With Friday’s blustery round, players couldn’t stay in bounds, get in the basket, or be positive about the course. But as the weekend cleared up so did the scores.

Those who didn’t favor the “placement golf” will be happy to hear the Tour’s potential plan. The DGPT CEO - Jeff Spring - hopes to include the beloved Roy G course, likely in conjunction with Harvey Penick for a 4-day event.

2 - A grenade to the dome.
In Round 2, Eagle McMahon approached Hole 4’s green with an over-the-top grenade. It was off the mark and nailed Gatekeeper’s Catch Cam Dave causing a 30-min delay to get him taken care of.

For those who can’t look away, here it is. Jeff Spring reported, “He is ok. No concussion. No stitches.” 9 staples though.

3 - No lead is safe nowadays.
The 2 hardest holes didn’t have a chance to manufacture any extra drama on Sunday. From chase card, Buhr clutched up to win early and dealt the final blow with a birdie on 18 when he didn’t need it.

The back-to-back weekends of chase card winners and tight leaderboards have been great for DGN & Gatekeeper. Are deep, contentious fields now the norm or is it just the TX effect?

4 - Up and down the leaderboard.
In his season debut, Wysocki was on track for his worst finish ever. With 3 holes left, he dropped out due to 50% range of motion in his wrist. How long until he’s back to 100%?

After an ugly Vegas, Lizotte came off a short break with something to prove. It took him only 2 events to dial in his new bag and place 2nd.

5 - Her longest dry spell is over.
This was Paige Pierce’s 1st win since July 2022 at the European Open. Her accuracy and putting dominance made it clear that any off-season rust is gone.

Her mentality of having fun and enjoying disc golf is proving successful. Hopefully, this is the spark she needed and will make for the best FPO year yet.

6 - The Estonian is human.
For the 1st time, Kristin Tattar finishes off the podium at an Elite event. Whether it was the elbow surgery or travel fatigue, she couldn’t find a culprit for her worst round in 1.5 years.

HIGHLIGHT

Despite Round 1 conditions, Alden Harris rifled his Prodigy X1 straight into 15’s bucket. It’s hard to tell here but without the basket, it was going OB long on this 425ft hole.

DISC GOLF’S BEST-SELLING BOARD GAME

After just 11 days, the Birdie Pro Kickstarter has been funded twice over. Being the Boda Brothers’ 5th project, production has already started and fulfillment will come quickly after funding close.

You have about 2 more weeks to get in at Kickstarter prices. Don’t miss out on your chance to play your own Dream 18 at home! Visit here for more.

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?

Well, that de-escalated quickly… Prodigy came at Gannon Buhr with big restraining order energy but suddenly backtracked a restriction on the 17-year-old.

Last Thursday, Ultiworld reported some changes to the Prodigy Disc v. Buhr lawsuit. To maintain the “status quo” (already lost in public opinion), they withdrew their initial request but kept the primary complaint.

Prodigy maintains they haven’t breached Buhr’s contract and want him to honor it through season end. Conversely, they no longer want to prevent him from signing a new deal.

As per Chris Clark from discgolf.law, this move is unsurprising, but it seems there are 2 ways this will end.

1. Both parties will agree on a buyout option in conjunction with a competing sponsor

2. Buhr finishes out the year with Prodigy and lands a big contract for 2024

Either way, he continues to prove his sky-high ceiling by getting the Elite Event Monkey off his back. Prodigy’s & Buhr’s pockets will be getting filled someday this year.

FRESH PLASTIC

Sponsored by Powergrip USA… A PRETTY GOOD disc golf shop.

👉 Powergrip’s Highlight: The Flying Plate Company Hats
It’s officially springtime, so don’t forget to shield your eyes as you throw circles into baskets.

Straight from Finland, The Flying Plate Company has perfected the disc golf hat in design and comfort. These hats are the real deal with a few different styles - baseball cap, trucker, & flat bill trucker.

They’re currently on sale at Powergrip USA. To go with your new Finnish hat, throw some of the best Finnish plastic into your cart.

The Clash Discs Steady Pepper (11|5|0|4) is a unicorn in the OS distance driver category. According to Eric Oakley, the Finns put anti-skip technology into this mold.

He loves to FH this on island greens or ones with OB nearby. Check out this cheat code that sticks where you want every time.

RANDOM DUBS

1️⃣ In honor of Women’s History Month, the PDGA Radio podcast spoke with 2 legendary women - Sheryl Newland (#76) & Tita Ugalde (#83). Let’s step into the time machine.

Back in 1976, Newland earned the nickname “Boxcar Mama” when she jumped on a freight train in Seattle to catch a ride all the way down to Los Angeles’s IFA World Frisbee Championships.

She got there in one piece but just missed the event start. Touring pros don’t have it so hard these days… Decked-out vans win over boxcar hitchhikes any day.

2️⃣ While the Tour is in full swing so is your local scene. As you prep for your next tournament, try not to dwell on the last one where your nerves took over and cost you strokes.

If you’re going for your 1st MA2 win or just trying to play above your rating, then follow this quick advice shared by Paul Ulibarri on the Tour Life podcast.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Thanks for reading today. Get out and enjoy spring this week!

- Charlie