🏆 How many Elite wins equals a Major?

Hello and welcome, this is The Players Meeting. The only newsletter that thinks winter doesn’t need an extra day. Happy Leap Day!

Let’s get into it.

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NEWS
The Age-Old Question

In about 6 months, the talking heads will debate circles around who deserves the coveted Player of the Year award. Typically those conversations hinge on the values placed on Major vs. Elite wins.

Do 2 or 3 Elites equal a Major?
Do 2 Majors trump almost all?
What about a Major sweep?

Last season, we saw firsthand how opinions can be split. And now after 5 years, the PDGA has relaunched a completely revamped Official Disc Golf World Rankings.

Whether it’ll make the debate clearer or cloudier is yet to be seen, but without further ado, here’s what we know about it thanks to PDGA Radio:

• The PDGA collaborated with Mark Broadie & Dylan Bierne

• Broadie developed the formula used by the PGA Tour and came into this project barely knowing about disc golf

• Disc golf is VERY similar to ball golf when it comes to analytics

• Updating Wednesdays, the rankings are calculated over the past 104 weeks (2 years) and include only Elites/Majors

• Results will be weighted based on recency, tier level, and strength of field

• A dominating win is weighted higher than a playoff win

• Dark horse pop-offs and injury breaks will be balanced, and players can’t just sit on a good rank

• Fun facts:

  • It turns out that sweeping Majors gives you lots of points (Tattar nearly doubles 2nd)

  • Since 2019, there have been only 3 MPO at #1 (McBeth, Wysocki, & Heimburg), and 2 FPO at #1 (Pierce & Tattar)

This is a great step forward by the PDGA to create a more unified system, and it should only get better with age. With the 1st FPO Major (USWDGC) coming in 3 weeks, it’ll be exciting to see any shake-ups.

And maybe one day they’ll expand the system beyond the top 100 MPO/FPO, and I’ll be able to scroll all the way down to the 100k’s for my name.

PRO COVERAGE
Off-Week Action

Not only has the long season just started, but pros have a 17-hour drive to get to the 1st TX Swing stop. So to give everyone a quick break, the Tour has an early off-week.

Along that 1,000-mile trek, many are still playing regional events in hopes of earning extra cash while staying competitive. Here are the popular ones:

THE MEMORIAL (Scottsdale, AZ, 2/29-3/3)

After being an early-season Tour stop for years, this event is now a throwback A-Tier. But even then, it hasn’t lost its edge.

Starting today, Arizona’s most famous courses - Fountain Hills & Vista Del Camino - will be showcased with 2 rounds each. The field is stacked and excited to tackle the par-3 sprint, OB & mandos, and hyzer after hyzer.

In the field:

• With the rest of the Vlog Squad, Gannon Buhr is here to defend his 2023 title

• AB is the local and wants to continue his Chess.com high

• Aaron Gossage barely lost in last year’s playoff here and just shot the Olympus course record

• Drew Gibson & Parker Welck are getting in their last-minute prep before starting their touring seasons

• Paul Ulibarri is back at his old stomping grounds and hopes to redeem last week’s 63rd finish

Affectionately known as the Hyzer Olympics, there’s not much more you can ask for during an off-week. Terry Miller “The Disc Golf Guy” will be on the ground and putting out post-coverage as “quickly and efficiently as possible”.

THE CANCER PLAYBOOK OPEN (Terrell, TX, 3/2-3/3)

Outside of AZ, touring pros are scattered across 3 other events. Starting in TX early, GK Pro and TD Luke Humphries are taking over Dallas’s premier private course - The Hideaway.

TX’s #1 course will host Tour Skins as well as several 1020+ rated pros: Niklas Anttila, Väinö Mäkelä, Ben Callaway, Jesse Nieminen, James Conrad, & Matt Bell.

CRUSH ON THE CONCHO (San Angelo, TX, 3/1-3/3)

Farther west, the 22nd Crush will have Joel Freeman back to defend his title against Bradley Williams, Evan Smith, Chandler Kramer, & Robert Burridge. Unlike last year, there won’t be coverage of this event, but you can follow live scoring.

CITY OF MOBILE CHAMPIONSHIPS (Mobile, AL, 3/1-3/3)

Rounding it out in his hometown, Matty O will be going after his 5th title here. He’s joined by Ezra Robinson, Andrew Marwede, Jakub Semerád, & Evan Scott who are all hoping to get one of the 2 USDGC qualifier spots up for grabs.

POWERED BY INFINITE DISCS
Add Character to Your Bag

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Not only do they carry anything you’re looking for, but they have a long history of unique and exclusive stamps. From the Rampage-esque RAWR to the pixelated phenakistiscope (spinning flipbook), they’ve got it all.

Sort through their ever-growing selection today!

QUICK HITS
Random Dubs

1️⃣ It turns out that throwing nose down is easier than we thought? After hundreds of hours of coaching, Overthrow has figured out THE verbal cue to fixing this issue.

Drumroll, please…

Upon release of the disc, think about flipping the back of the disc up and over your hand. That’s it.

So now that you know the “secret”, you no longer have to wait months for your own TechDisc. Now go out there, and throw nose down for the first time thanks to Overthrow. Watch their full video for more.

2️⃣ Some days my step putt looks like AB’s and others it’s more like a baby giraffe’s. Thankfully, Holyn Handley has the perfect tip for that.

Adding in that mental cue should give me the extra pop to never hit cage again. Follow her for new Pro Tips every Tuesday.

Meme of the Week

Thanks for reading today. Get out and play for tags this weekend!

- Charlie