Pro Worlds Begins with Biggest Payouts in History Up For Grabs
Pro Worlds Begins with Biggest Payouts in History Up For Grabs
It's our favorite time of the year and we can only assume that many of you following along at home would say the same. The PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships presented by Dynamic Discs begins here in sunny Emporia, Kansas this morning as 400+ players from 12 different countries take to the tees. There is no bigger stage in the sport of disc golf, and there is no title more important than the one the players are seeking this week.
After battling in the heat of summer for the next week, only a very talented few will walk away as a PDGA World Champion. And when we say the heat of summer, we mean it. Temperatures will be in the 90s most of the week and the humidity will be extreme.
There are so many questions that will be answered this week. Will reigning 4X World Champion Paul McBeth #27523 pull off his 5th in a row? Will Sarah Hokom #34563 continue her recent winning streak to add another world title to her resume? Will Ken Climo #4297 be named World Champion for an incredible 16th time? The list goes on and on. Only time will tell!
Record Payouts Announced
Last night’s players meeting at the beautiful Granada Theatre downtown kicked off with a big announcement. Thanks to big donations from both the PDGA and Dynamic Discs, the payout this year will be the largest ever. For the first time in Pro Worlds history the Open division winner will walk away with a prize of $10,000 and the Open Women’s division will take home $5,000! The total purse is now sitting at roughly $130,000.
Schedule
The schedule for this year's Pro Worlds is far less complex than many of the years prior. The Open division for example will play only two different courses, allowing for the players to spend more time fine-tuning their game for each and every hole instead of spending a week trying to learn the basics of four or five different courses. This schedule is of course subject to change, hence the word "Draft" that remains in the header, always. In the Midwest, the weather can take a turn at any moment. For that reason and for many others, the schedule is technically never considered 100% set in stone.
Courses
Singles competition begins this morning at 8:00am CDT with the 400+ competitors spread out across four Emporia-area courses. 72 holes will be played by every player in every division before the cuts are made on Friday night for the Semi-Finals and Finals on Saturday. Let’s take a closer look at the courses.
Peter Pan Park (6650 feet, Par 57)
S Congress St & Aspen Dr.
Emporia, KS 66801
Peter Pan is a technical course. Water comes into play on several holes. The signature hole on this course is Hole 4 measuring 577 feet. Hole 4 requires an accurately placed tee shot, followed by a tricky approach shot to the pin. Peter Pan is a local favorite amongst Emporia disc golfers. This course was established in 2007 with a special thanks to the local Optimist group who funded the baskets. Several course improvements were made in early 2016, including new tee box locations and new pin positions making the track even more challenging, while rewarding excellent disc golf play.
Jones West (6637 feet, Par 58)
Jones Dr & W Pond Dr.
Emporia, KS 66801
Jones West is a lengthy course that has cedar trees and water on multiple holes. Players need to pick up as many birdies as they can on the early holes before they move on to the more difficult holes 15 through 18. The signature hole is Hole 18 measuring 465 feet. Players face a tough decision on Hole 18, having to decide whether to throw over the water or play it safe off of the tee. The pin sits on a hill that often causes shots to roll away. Jones West was established in 1992.
Jones East (8038 feet, Par 61)
Jones Dr & Hilltop Dr.
Emporia, KS 66801
Jones East is a long course with several water hazards and tight OB lines. Elevation changes add to the complexity of the holes at Jones East. The signature hole is Hole 9 measuring 726 feet. Players can attack this long par 4 with either a big anhyzer or an accurate straight shot through a tight gap off of the tee. Well-placed cedars and road OB make the hole difficult. A solid shot off the tee allows for a birdie opportunity, while any mistake can result in a double bogey or worse. Scoring even par at this course for the average player makes for a good day. Jones East was established in 2001.
Emporia Country Club (9712 feet, Par 63)
1801 Rural St.
Emporia, KS 66801
This course has been designed on the beautiful grounds at Emporia Country Club. The facility features a relaxing atmosphere and club house where food and drinks are available for purchase. This course utilizes the long downhill and uphill fairways of the ball golf course to create extremely challenging holes. The water and cart paths are used for OB. The signature hole is Hole 16 measuring 340 feet over the water to a small island green measuring only 60'x40'. Players are often tested by the wind and have to make the tough decision to go for the green or lay-up to a bailout zone short and right of the island. The course was initially designed for the 2011 Glass Blown Open by Eric McCabe and has become the centerpiece course for many tournaments held in Emporia since then.
Coverage
The PDGA and the Dynamic Discs staff have put together a tremendous lineup of both live and post-production video teams for the event this year including SmashBoxxTV, Jomez Productions, Central Coast Disc Golf, and Prodigy Disc. And that's only the beginning, as we will also be bringing you live scoring, Facebook Live videos (PDGA & Dynamic Discs), pics/vids on Twitter and Instagram, articles on PDGA.com and Ultiworld Disc Golf, and so much more.
With so many places to watch, we recommend bookmarking our Scores & Coverage page to make sure you have access to all of the content all in one place.
SmashBoxxTV will be bringing you live coverage each and every day on their YouTube channel, starting with coverage of the Open Women's division at approximately 2:45pm CDT this afternoon. Live scoring will begin on pdgalive.com as soon as the players take to the tee at 8:00am CDT. Stay tuned disc golf world! It's time for the sport's biggest show!
