💅 The USDGC nail-biter

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If you missed the USDGC primer, then I got you: The Best Tournament of the Year

Let’s get into it.

United States Disc Golf Championship

RESULTS - 🏆GANNON BUHR & CATRINA ALLEN

The magic was real at Winthrop Arena. There were spooky spiderwebs, caddie bibs, and contests galore. Those aside, the course tested players’ limits with some shooting low and others carding decuple-bogey.

MPO/ For the 1st two days, Ricky Wysocki & Niklas Anttila led the tournament tied. Wysocki was playing to solidify Player of the Year, while Anttila saw these holes for his 1st time.

Even with limited experience, Anttila understood the name of the game - “just don’t do anything stupid” - and continued his charge through Moving Day. Called “Every mother’s dream son-in-law” by his friends, he was joined by heavy hitters going into Championship Sunday.

It started with Calvin Heimburg 1 back while Paul McBeth & Gannon Buhr were 2 back. A battle ensued, but it wasn’t with McBeast or Heimborg. It was the youngsters who tied each other by Hole 4 and began match play.

Hitting big putt after big putt, Buhr tried to separate, but it wasn’t until an Anttila 15’ miss that he gained the momentum. Buhr birdied out from Hole 14 to just barely win his 1st Major ($25k) and become the youngest USDGC champion at 17.

FPO/ Perfect conditions made for low scores. In the 1st two days combined, 5 players shot >1000-rated rounds, and Catrina Allen was the only one to do it both days.

Converting a 3-stroke lead to 6, Allen moved into Final Round with a target on her back. While she’s known for closing out events, she’s also known to allow mistakes through the cracks.

But even with the World Champion chasing her down, Allen kept her consistency that got her here. She kept her lead to 3 strokes and tapped out to win her 1st Throw Pink title.

STANDOUT PLAYERS

From Thursday to Saturday, Jake Monn moved from 3rd to lead card with a 1069-rated round (-9). Here are some fun facts about the dad kid:

• 17 years old

• Lives 90 min from Winthrop

• 1007 rated

• 7 previous Elite/Major starts

• Earned his USDGC invite by finishing 20th at Worlds

Learning about the sport in elementary school, Monn plans to tour next year and forgo college. If it goes well, then this will be his career.

HIGHLIGHT

In a sea of aces (9 total), there were two that stood out.

Shoestrings

Last week’s Trevor Staub Show had Will Schusterick on to dive into his career and explain why his name is synonymous with the USDGC. For those not as familiar, here’s a history lesson.

Taking one look at his DG resume, you’d assume he’s a storied, Hall of Famer. Instead, he’s the current Prodigy Sales Manager and only 30 years old.

Growing up in Knoxville, TN, Schusterick started at 13 and played his 1st USDGC at 15 (2007). He turned pro the following year and quickly became known as the next prodigy.

3 months after graduating high school (2010), he won his 1st USDGC and $12k. What followed was a documentary, 2 more USDGC wins, and an injury that ended his full-time pro journey.

To cap off a Winthrop weekend, carve out 20 min of your day to watch his OG documentary - Shoestrings - filled with classic quotes like:

- Schusterick

- Nikko Locastro

Fresh Plastic

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

👉 Powergrip’s Highlight: Birdie DG Strike (7|5|0|2)Missed the Prototype Athena drop and feel left behind by the hype train? No worries, we’ve got something even better for you on Friday (10/14, 10 AM CT).

The well-known retailer turned manufacturer - Birdie Disc Golf Supply Co. - is releasing its long-awaited Strike fairway driver. This “Special Edition, First Run” is in a super swirly premium plastic that compares to Discraft ESP or Lone Star Alpha.

It’s slightly gummy and serves as a straight, stable fairway with predictable finish. It also compares to a Teebird, Cookie, or Lat64 Explorer.

Don’t get it twisted though. This is not the poor man’s Athena. It’s the “never worry about running out of stock or inconsistencies” Athena.

Get your hands on the Strike and more at Powergrip USA. Use PLYRSMTGOCT22 for 10% off your order.

Random Dubs

1️⃣ Want to experience the same feelings of March Madness in October? Use your picking talents in preparation for this season’s final Tour stop.

UDisc’s Bracket Challenge is back for your chance at winning Bushnell prizes. With the DGPT Championship starting tomorrow, click here and fill out your bracket.

Last year, Nathan Queen proved that anyone can win. This year, Chandler Kramer & Andrew Marwede are some FH dark horses for the wooded Nevin Park course.

2️⃣ There are many things that separate a pro from an am besides the extra PDGA fee. One that stands out is the ability to consistently throw an US disc and have it flip late in its flight.

On The DG Prescription podcast, Mason Ford explained that learning to spin the disc is just as important as learning to throw hard. With more spin, OS discs become more OS.

Conversely, US discs want spin to maintain their gyroscopic stability to stay in the air longer without turning and burning. Spin manipulation of slower-speed discs can level up your game.

Tweet of the Week

Thanks for reading today. Get out and be 17 again this week!

- Charlie

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