🔀 Road tripping vs. Pond hopping

Hello and welcome, this is The Players Meeting. The only newsletter where the fam goes out for a Mother’s Day round instead of brunch.

Let’s get into it.

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PRO COVERAGE
Not An Off-Week

It’s time for the first fork in the Tour. This weekend is both the start of DGPT Europe and the off-week bridge to the West Coast Swing.

The pros will be split across four cities and two continents. They had their pick of the A-Tier litter or an Elite event in a new country.

While some are following sponsor wishes or looking for a win, this is only the start of pond hopping. Here are the US pit stops before Stockton, CA’s OTB Open:

LAS VEGAS CHALLENGE (5/9-12)

In its 25th anniversary year, LVC was skipped as the typical DGPT season opener. As a result, the event moved dates and changed nothing else.

Everything you expect to see in Vegas will be the same: the 3 courses, the rare Firebird & Toro releases, and the pro turnout.

In the field:

• After a win last weekend, Calvin Heimburg is back to defend and add another LVC title to his two.

• Gannon Buhr & Ricky Wysocki will stand in his way. They’ve both gotten close but never won here.

• Other big names attending: Isaac Robinson, Bradley Williams, Alden Harris, & Nate Sexton.

• In FPO, Lisa Fajkus hopes to continue her recent momentum against a 7-month-pregnant Catrina Allen, defending her title.

This four-day event starts today, so be prepared to watch iconic holes with others that blend together. Post-produced will be on Gatekeeper Media.

SANTA CRUZ MASTERS CUP (5/9-12)

It’s Santa Cruzmas in May. While it’s not as big of a deal as before, this OG event continues to uphold the grassroots vibe of decades past.

Starting tomorrow, it’ll feature two 24-hole rounds at DeLaveaga and a 20-hole round at Pinto Lake. DeLa’s hollowed grounds are rich in history, from Barsby’s roller ace to Gannon Buhr’s first Tour win.

In the field:

• Ezra Robinson will go against tour buddies Robert Burridge & Chandler Kramer.

• Out of six FPO, Emily Weatherman will have to beat defending champ Ohn Scoggins to continue her breakout year.

This event was on Tour for years before changing to Silver status in 2022 and eventually back to an A-Tier last year. Post coverage will be by Top World DG and Local Route.

303 OPEN (5/9-11)

The last of the off-week events is a Colorado staple. In its 13th year, this A-Tier will debut the DGPT Q-Series.

This new set of qualifying events is what the Tour always wanted Silvers to be: a stand-alone series allowing up-and-comers to earn a Tour Card. Nowadays, this is the one thing you need to actually become a touring pro.

In the field:

• Defending his title, Aaron Gossage will have to beat two other Colorado legends, Joe Rovere & Joel Freeman.

• Besides the smattering of aspiring pros, Anthony Bodanza probably has the most eyes on him. The YouTuber has been grinding content and practice to earn a Tour spot.

For the touring pros, no points are up for grabs, as they’ll only win bragging rights and cash. For everyone else, a good finish here means a 2025 touring season or a spot in the late November Q-series finale.

TOUR COVERAGE
Copenhagen Open

PREVIEW (5/10-12)

The inaugural event of DGPT Europe kicks off in Denmark’s capital. While it’s not the actual start of the Europe Swing, it begins multi-week stretches where live coverage happens on two continents.

DGPT Europe is a unified tour that creates a platform for European pros to compete and earn equal points. This event has Elite status and will reward the same amount as any other, like DDO.

The Valbyparken course resembles Mill Ridge Park, where the Music City Open was held just weeks ago. Located on an old landfill, it makes use of some interesting triple mandos while still upholding the magic of European disc golf.

LAST YEAR RECAP

MPO/ 🥇Mauri Villmann (-21) 🥈Samuel Hänninen (-21) 🥉Daniel Davidsson (-20)

FPO/ 🥇Kaidi Allsalu (+12) 🥈Anneli Tõugjas-Männiste (+19) 🥉Heidi Laine/Jenni Karppinen (+20)

Since 2008, this event has been one of Europe’s most prestigious tournaments. It’s been a mainstay on Prodigy’s European Pro Tour.

Last year, all competitors played the same layout, and Villmann made his name known. Afterward, he continued his success in Europe with 3 more wins and other top finishes.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

The European superstars that we’ve come to know and love are making the quick trip during their break.

• MPO: Niklas Anttila, Lauri Lehtinen, Jakub Semerád, and KJ Nybo

• FPO: Eveliina Salonen, Heidi Laine, Silva Saarinen, Anniken Steen, and Rachel Turton.

Two big American names, Paul Ulibarri and Gregg Barsby, also want to test their skills. They’re only there for a quick popover before heading back to the States next weekend.

Stay up late and watch FPO live at 3 AM ET, then sip your coffee during MPO in the mornings. This is the only live coverage happening this weekend on DGN with next-day by MDG Media.

POWERED BY INFINITE DISCS
Support the Pros

Over the weekend, James Proctor opted to skip out on the infamous Champions Landing course. He got married to his wife Emily with several disc golfers present, including his touring partner, Eric Oakley.

Both are backed by Infinite Disc and have amazing Signature Series out now:

James Proctor’s Halo S-Blend Centurion (7|5|-1|2) is dead straight and workable even for slower arms. Perfect for any conditions, this plastic runs more stable than others.

Eric Oakley’s Halo S-Blend Dynasty (9|5|-1|2). These reskinned CD2’s run on the flatter and OS side of Dynasty’s.

Celebrate Mr. & Mrs. Proctologist by supporting Infinite’s pros today!

QUICK HITS
Random Dubs

1️⃣ What’s the most you’ve ever played in a day? No matter what it was, 760 players in Estonia beat it last weekend.

In a yearly tradition, the Järva-Jaani 100 marathon event played 100 unique holes, ranging from 100’ to 650’. Each player walked ~13.5 miles while playing for 10 hours.

They’re either built different over there or just love disc golf.

2️⃣ In our sport, there’s a truth that we all know but never want to hear. No, it’s not that an ace is a bad shot… It’s that your new McBeth 30-disc bag isn’t doing you any favors.

On the Fish Golf Brah-dcast, Kevin Kiefer revealed a part of Gannon Buhr’s game that makes him so successful. He only needs and carries 15 discs to tackle every course on Tour.

With a smaller bag, he knows all his discs inside and out. Instead of being surprised by how one flew, he’ll always know that a misthrow was because of his own execution.

So, if you want to improve your game, it’s not always about finding that next disc to fill a hole. Be like Gannon, and stop blaming the disc.

Meme of the Week

Thanks for reading today. Get out and make it worth it this weekend!

- Charlie