⚔️ The Legendary McBattle

Stare Down, Finnish Exclusive, and Frosted Tips

July 26, 2022

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If you missed the EO primer, then I got you: The European Open is Back

Let’s get into it.

European Open (Major)

RESULTS - 🏆 EAGLE MCMAHON & PAIGE PIERCE

MPO/ Wipe the sleep from your eyes and fix your schedule… Middle of the night coverage is over and with it the European Open.

From the start, it was clear who was on another level - Eagle McMahon & Paul McBeth. In Round 1, the pair attempted perfect pace, barely made mistakes, and demonstrated top talent with double digits.

McMahon’s 1090-rated 1st round was astonishing, while McBeth’s 1083 round was expected. Coming into the event, there was zero expectation that an injured player would perform.

But McMahon surprised everyone including himself by duplicating his course record (-12) in Round 2. And with McBeth right there beside him, the pair widened their distance from the field to 13 strokes. Both ending Round 3 tied at -32.

Then on Championship Sunday the record crowd grew to 10k, and they saw some of the best disc golf ever played. McBeth tried tapping into McBeast mode but made one too many mistakes.

Meanwhile, McMahon didn’t throw a single FH all week and gave himself a 20’ tap in for “the best win of [his] career.” Who needs a FH when you have rollers, lefty tee shots, and a putt on fire?

McMahon won his 2nd Major title ever and ended McBeth’s 5-time streak at The Beast. His biggest win to date happened in a year considered to be a wash.

Endure, and eventually you’ll succeed. - Eagle McMahon

Even if you have to wait 30 days for post-produced, this entire event is an instant classic. It was the “greatest moment of 2022.”

FPO/ Halfway through, it looked like 2019’s runaway victory but with Eveliina Salonen in place of Paige Pierce. Salonen shot a -4 round (1028 rated) and ended day 2 with an 8-stroke lead over Pierce.

It looked like everything was clicking. She was putting well while keeping it mostly clean. But with 2 rounds to go, the cream always rises to the top.

After a wet Round 3, Pierce closed Salonen’s lead to only 2. Then final round brought on the nerves for both, and they went back and forth with rainbow scoresheets. But the putter was working for only Pierce and helped win her 3rd EO.

She’s now the all-time leader in FPO Major wins with 17, and to those who think Pierce is having an off year… She’s one step closer to beating McBeth in their race to 19 Majors and the all-time leader over Ken Climo at 18.

STANDOUT PLAYERS

MPO/ Chandler “Iron Elbow” Kramer has been making a splash across the pond. With elite distance, he’s a FH specialist currently rated at 1017.

From Lorena, TX, he started playing in June 2020 and immediately dove into pro play. This season he’s had 3 top-10 finishes at DGPTs including last week’s PCS Sula Open.

This weekend he had his highest finish at a Major at 5th place. While some switch to lefty, others rely on their “rotator cuff of steel.”

FPO/ Kona Panis showed up in Finland. While battling big contract nerves and poor finishes, Panis is getting good results at the Majors.

On Sunday, she ended with a +1 round (973 rated) to finish in 6th. Beating her 8th at Champ cup, this was her top 2022 finish at an Elite Series or better.

HIGHLIGHT

Breaking his ace witness trend again, Big Jerm aces Hole 14 during the final round.

Deeply Sorry

Not to be outdone, Nikko Locastro ended his 2nd round with a tantrum when issued a time violation by a rules official. It’s unclear if he was warned before the violation, but regardless he didn’t react well.

His “threatening” outburst resulted in a DQ, dropped sponsors, an apology, and a potential suspension from PDGA events. Now, this wouldn’t be the first time a big name landed themselves in rocky water with the PDGA.

Bradley Williams - winner of The Preserve - was suspended for 18 months back in 2016. During The Ledgestone Open, he “shoulder bumped” Matt Dollar as he was getting off the tee.

A heated exchange followed, and Dollar later filed a complaint against Williams. It resulted in Williams being suspended even after submitting an appeal.

A list of all current disciplinary actions can be found here. It may be another month before we see Locastro’s name on it. So whether you believe he deserves a suspension, it’ll be decided by the PDGA Disciplinary Committee or Locastro himself.

Fresh Plastic

Sponsored by Powergrip USA… A PRETTY GOOD disc golf shop. Europe’s largest store now in the US.

👉 Powergrip’s Highlight: Exel Discs Havu (4|4|0|0) & Kanto (5|5|0|2)Introducing the new, Finnish version of Kastaplast… Exel Sports has perfected all major Finnish sports equipment from ski poles, floorball, and padel (pickleball’s cousin).

Now, they’ve put their talents towards becoming a powerhouse in disc manufacturing. Exel Discs released their 1st two molds, and they’re ONLY available at Powergrip USA.

The Havu - translates to Needle - is a straight-flying putter with some glide. It could be used as an accurate approach and compares to the Innova Mako.

The Kanto - translates to Stump - is a straight midrange that finishes with soft fade. Being a touch faster than the Havu, it compares to the Gateway Prophecy or Innova RocX.

Both discs are available in soft, premium plastic that would pass the blind test when put against Kastaplast K1. Already partnered with the European Pro Tour, Exel Discs are the real deal and won’t be a short-lasting fad.

So start threading gaps and avoiding trees with the Needle & Stump today. For 10% off your Powergrip order, use code PLYRSMTGJULY22.

Random Dubs

1️⃣ A Redditor concluded that discs are 20% more overstable in hot, humid weather. Air density decreases in the summer and acts like high altitude - throwing at sea level vs. Colorado.

More dense air creates resistance, like a headwind flipping over your beat-in Destroyer. And less dense air allows for a faster flight like a tailwind.

So no your arm hasn’t gotten soft this summer… instead blame the weather.

2️⃣ Brian Earhart & Nate Doss believe that Kristian Kuoksa is the farthest throwing Finn. He finished 8th this weekend and has a popular YouTube channel. Up your game with Kuoksa [5 min].

Tweet of the Week

Thanks for reading today. Get out and make moves this week!

- Charlie

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