🥏 The next generation

Hello and welcome, this is The Players Meeting. Your way to stay on top of the game you love.Email Read Time: 5 Minutes & 10 Seconds

If you missed the SCMC primer, then I got you: Coaching for the Future

Let’s get into it.

Santa Cruz Masters Cup (Silver Series)

RESULTS - 🏆 GANNON BUHR & SARAH HOKOM

MPO/ DeLa gives and takes. The old school play style gave the “old guard” something to latch onto, but it was the new generation who took it down.

2 days of root kicks and blind drives ended with James Conrad and Gannon Buhr tied in 1st. The pair had 2 strokes over a crowd hungry to score on the municipal golf course Sunday.

With perfect conditions and an approachable layout, the title could’ve gone to anyone. But Buhr didn’t let his playoff loss at LVC rattle his nerves down the stretch.

Proving the believers right, he clutched up and shot -10 (1065 rated) to beat Conrad & Matty O by 1 stroke. The 17-year-old has only finished outside the top-10 twice this year and now has his 1st DGPT win. It’s looking like the year of Buhr.

FPO/ After managing DeLa, Ella Hansen separated herself by 4 strokes. With play moving to the long course, it seemed like Hansen had it in the bag with her unmatched distance.

Except, Sunday was anything but a walk in the park. Hansen’s game fell flat, so Catrina Allen & Sarah Hokom proved that the “old guard” isn’t going anywhere.

The pair made up 7 and 5 strokes to catch Hansen with few holes left. If you were watching live, there was a digital scoring discrepancy that seemingly swapped the scores for the 3 players at the top.

Regardless, Hokom proved that her experience with managing a course plan can succeed even with a “short arm.” Her bogey-free round of -7 (1010 rated) got her the win from the chase card.

STANDOUT PLAYER

At 16 years old, Andrew Miranda won the Amateur Masters Cup 2 weeks ago. That earned him a spot on the feature card. It was a dream come true playing with some of the greats.

But his performance that day isn’t what earned him this feature. On Saturday, Miranda shot the hot round of -9 (1080 rated) and eventually finished in 7th.

Buhr isn’t the only one from the next generation showing up. It was rumored that McBeth liked what he saw and hit up Discraft to look into Andy.

HIGHLIGHT

Andy Mirandy with a throw-in for birdie on the I-5 hole (hardest hole all weekend).

Ratings Update Day

Let’s face the facts, most people look forward to ratings update day. And those who complain about it probably do when they see that sad red number. Either way, the PDGA Ratings System isn’t going anywhere.

On The Trevor Staub Show, PDGA Board President - Nate Heinold - expressed his and the PDGA’s stance on the Player Rating:

• The process is “99% very efficient” through continuous fine-tuning.

• It accurately shows how you played against your competition.

• And it will never be fixed per course because they change way too often.

So next time you feel denial when checking your unofficial rating post-tournament, don’t blame the system cause you had a “bad” round. Blame the weather, your card mates, or your discs like we all do.

Fresh Plastic

Insights by Daddy Disc Golf. SHOP THE SHACK for the latest!

👨‍🏫 Daddy’s Highlight: Innova Polecat (1|3|0|0)The hype for the Polecat differs from person to person. If you’ve never thrown it, here’s your one-liner: It’s like throwing a frisbee you got for free at a carnival.

The disc is very touchy but can be a great tool to learn finesse. To get it to go straight, you need a smooth release, proper angle, and minimal power.

Polecat Worlds started yesterday and plays through tomorrow at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Players like Philo, Juliana Korver, and Big Jerm join locals trying to shoot the best with only the carnival lid.

Alright, enough about the Polecat and its memes… Kastaplast has their new putt & approach Reko X (3|3|0|3) dropping this week.

It’s the more overstable version of their flagship putter, the Reko. The pair share an identical top, but the “X” version’s lower profile has a concave curve.

That difference makes the Reko X more torque resistant like a further flying Berg. There’s insane demand for this, so don’t hesitate to pick one up Friday (5/20).

Random Dubs

1️⃣ Scott Stokely may have played DeLa for the last time in his career. On Sunday, he shared his plans for 2023 and beyond…

If things go accordingly, he’ll play on the European tour next year. After that, he’s unsure what will lie ahead.

But in a perfect world, Stokely wants to relive his true youth. That means competing in Colombia, Belize, South Africa, Cambodia, and any other place where disc golf is new.

If true, there’s no doubt he’ll record his every step. And we’ll be here watching.

2️⃣ When you’re throwing BH, you probably don’t think about the step before the x-step. But the guys at Overthrow DG want to make sure you do.

2 things you have to know for the step:

1. Keep it slightly open (towards the target).

2. Roll it from heel to toe like your natural walk.

If you do it correctly, then you’ll have easier access to the x-step, better balance, and your timing will allow for big bomber drives. If you’ve already seen it, watch it again.

Tweet of the Week

Thanks for reading today. Get out and appreciate nature this week!

- Charlie

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