🌟 This will soon be a premier disc golf event

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If you missed BRC’s preview, then I got you: Good Course Design?

Let’s get into it.

BLUE RIDGE CHAMPIONSHIP (SILVER)

RESULTS - 🏆GANNON BUHR & KRISTIN TATTAR

After the TX Swing’s ugly courses and MCO’s mudfest, North Cove’s beauty made you want to book your next vacation. Here are the storylines you should remember or you may have missed:

1 - “This will be a premier event.” - Big Jerm

With separate courses for MPO & FPO, the Andrew Duvall designs stirred up debate. Whether you loved it or hated it, this property has the potential to be a mainstay for years to come.

Here’s why:

• It showed what the future of FPO courses on Tour looks like. Many scoring opportunities mixed with risky greens provided scores that rivaled MPO

• “Diabolical” MPO course design for manufactured excitement and a tight finish. The hardest hole on the East Coast (Hole 18) averaged 1.37 over par with a quindecuple bogey (19 throws)

• Both courses required a spectrum of shot shapes including short-distance throws (<200ft) which brought out the putters and mids

• Future plans for this property: design refinement, more parking, glamping, music venue

2 - The year of chase card winners.

On a track similar to USDGC, Buhr claimed his 4th win in 365 days and his 2nd comeback win. With help from the late downpour, his hot -9 (1083 rated) took the momentum out of the leaders and made for an anticlimactic ending.

The 17-year-old proved he’s just getting started and is setting a new bar for young talent. Even with the ongoing lawsuit, this season is already set up for a blockbuster new contract come the off-season.

3 - Is it possible to have a better season than last?

Dominating the Silver field, Tattar had a nice “vacation” before the 1st Major of the year. She scored two bogeys, went OB 3 times, and averaged a 1010 rating for back-to-back wins.

This time last year, she didn’t have any DGPT wins through 4 events. Now, she’s won 3 out of the last 5 while seemingly getting better. Feeling refreshed, Tattar’s ready to tackle WR Jackson and redeem last year’s finish.

4 - Spokane, WA is a hotbed for FPO talent.

Sharing a hometown with Sai Ananda, Hanna Huynh had a breakout performance. She earned her 1st podium on Tour beating out her previous best finish of 12th at 2022 Masters Cup.

Huynh has been touring full-time with her partner Chris Clemons since the start of last season. Through great play and course management, she proved she can contend with the best (minus Tattar) every week.

HIGHLIGHT

On her way to 2nd place, Hokom threw in from 241ft for eagle (Round 1, Hole 14). On the Boulders course, this 612ft hole is also the site of the longest ace captured on film by Caleb Hall.

THE WAITING LIST OPEN

Typically, Monday qualifiers are a not-so-talked-about round right before the start of a big tournament. For example, invite-only USDGC is known for having big and small names battle it out for a chance to participate.

Yesterday morning, it was the Monday qualifier for the 1st Major - PDGA Champions Cup in Appling, GA. But this round was never meant to be held in the first place.

A laundry list of known names has been waitlisted for weeks due to 2 reasons - they forgot to register & the PDGA didn’t remind them. So as a result, we’ve been gifted the best Champs Cup preview we could’ve asked for.

20 pros battled it out for 8 MPO spots in the prestigious event. Here’s what happened for those of you out touching grass:

• At 8AM, Perkins set the pace and earned a spot. He won’t be on the bag for Pierce or in the booth this week

• Taking 20th at Blue Ridge, Presnell made the drive and squeaked in with a par save on the last hole

• The one name you won’t recognize is Dylan Horst. He’s a PA native who dominates the mid-Atlantic scene and already has 3 C-Tier wins this year

• Those who drove the 3 hours from Blue Ridge to WR Jackson and missed the cut: DoubleG, Jones, Marwede, Humphries, & Arlinghaus

• Those who skipped the Silver Event but still missed the cut: Aderhold & Hannum

It’s a bit insane to think KJ USA will be missing his 1st Major since the 2018 Konopiště Open… But at the same time, what does it say about his current game if he shoots a -2 (1007 rated) qualifying round?

FRESH PLASTIC

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

👉 Powergrip’s Highlight: Kastaplast K1 Stig (6|5|-2|1)
Dropping on Thursday (4/20), the 1st run Stig from Kastaplast marks their 1st release in about a year.

This minty 6-speed comes in arguably the best feeling plastic on the market and the exclusive 1st-run color. It’s meant to replace the now-retired Kaxe Z.

While it isn’t a direct copy and feels shallower, the Stig stays true to its roots and is a hyzer flip machine. With dependable turn, it’s nicely US and goes dead straight when released on a slight hyzer.

As for the retired stuff… Being the 1st time Kastaplast is discontinuing molds, they are instituting a Last Run color - deep, shimmer green.

If you’re a collector, then these discs are absolute must-haves. Secure your membership to the Kastaplaster cult group on Thursday.

• K1 Soft Kaze Z Last Run

• K1 Grym Last Run

• K1 Grym X Last Run

RANDOM DUBS

1️⃣ On the Tour Life podcast, Simon Lizotte shared one of his major pet peeves - the benefit of the doubt rule. “You can’t THINK I’m OB. If you think I’m OB, I’m in bounds.”

While it can be ambiguous, here’s the PDGA rule that he’s referencing:

A perfect example of this just happened at the Silver Event. On Round 1’s feature card, Henna Blomroos’s drive was on the painted OB line but was too close to call. It went to her benefit, and her disc was determined in bounds.

So remember unless all 3 of your card mates firmly believe your disc is OB, then you are in bounds… Innocent into proven guilty or in disc golf terms - In until proven out.

2️⃣ Do you find your jaw on the floor when pros jump putt from huge distances? There are many who use this skill to make approaches under 150ft easier and more accurate.

But for Average Joes, putting from the edge of C2 (66ft) or farther doesn’t come easy. One way to generate extra power can be taken directly from Masters World Champ - Ohn Scoggins.

When she gets outside of her comfortable jump putt range, she switches to a running jump putt. It gives her that extra momentum that transfers to the disc and gets it to the basket.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Thanks for reading today. Grind it out this week!

- Charlie