Valerie Mandujano (left) and Alexis Mandujano (right) with their caddys/parents during their incredible 18-under-par Round 4.

Of the seven divisions competing at the 2017 Amateur World Doubles Championships (AWD) in Mt. Vernon, Texas this weekend, five were won by none other than Lone Star State locals. Both teammates in the Advanced division, as well as both teammates/sisters in the Advanced Women's division, claim Texas as their home, as do the winners of the Adv. Grandmaster, Adv. Senior Grandmaster, and Intermediate divisions. This proves once again that you simply don’t mess with Texas, especially when it comes to playing doubles disc golf.

AWD serves as a true test of strength when it comes to the teamwork and partnership required to be a successful disc golf doubles team. A casual round of doubles at a local course with little to nothing on the line is wildly different than playing four of the most challenging courses in the world for three days in a row, especially when factoring in the amount of time that will be spent playing Alternate Shot Doubles and Tough Shot Doubles. For the nearly 100 doubles teams that made the trek to the middle of Texas, we can only imagine the level of exhaustion that ensued over the weekend, both physically and mentally.

In the Advanced Women's division, Texan sisters Valerie Mandujano (18 years old) & Alexis Mandujano (16 years old) appeared to be on a mission from the minute they arrived. The Mandujano name is well-known in the sport for two things: champion disc golfers, and tremendous sportsmanship. With much of their game modeled after their mentor 4X World Champion Paul McBeth, it's no surprise to see that their skill levels are as highly regarded as their positive personalities.

Coming out of the gates with the hot round early, the Mandujano sisters had already positioned themselves seven ahead of second-place contenders Lourdes Herrera & Denise Gentry. But it didn't end there. By the end of round 2 their lead had extended to 11. However, 11 strokes must not have been comfortable enough for the super-talented duo, as their ridiculous bogey-free round 3 doubled their cushion meaning they were headed into the last full round of 18 holes already 22 strokes up on the competition.

Instead of taking it easy and saving some energy for the Final 9 like some might expect, Valerie and Alexis went off the rails. For their fourth and final full round of 18 holes, they went bogey-free yet again with an astonishing 16 birdies and an eagle to finish the round at 18 under par. That round alone meant that had they shot even par every other round, they still would have finished as the overall leaders in their division.

Click to view the interactive, full-size hole-by-hole scores.

With only the Final 9 to go and a lead of 31 strokes, the trophy was all but in their hands. They finished the Final 9 at three under par to become the 2017 AWD Champions winning by an unheard-of 40 strokes. Only time will tell what they’ll do when they start competing at the professional level.

The Advanced division remained tight from the opening tee shots all the way to the last few throws of the Final 9. After four grueling rounds on the four courses housed on Selah Ranch and Trey Texas Ranch, four teams emerged as the ones with a shot at the title with only the Final 9 remaining. Bates Hopkins & Luke Humphries shared the lead with James Gauthier & Johnnie Wade, two strokes ahead of two teams locked up in a tie for 3rd place; Ricky Ovaitt & Adam Case and Dan Miller & Andrew Mahowald.

Ricky Ovaitt AKA "Ricky Bobby" jump putting during Round 4.

Much like the women’s Final 9, the layout consisted of a custom course that involved holes from both Selah Ranch Lakeside and Selah Ranch Creekside, with the following formats for each:

• Holes 1-3: Best Disc
• Holes 4-6: Worst Shot
• Holes 7-9: Best Shot

View the official PDGA Doubles Rules & Formats »

With true Worst Shot Doubles being in the mix, anything could happen. Heading into the Worst Shot Doubles holes of 4, 5, and 6, Ovaitt & Case had gained a stroke on both of the leading teams and two on Miller & Mahowald, meaning they were now sitting alone in 3rd place just one shy of tying it up for 1st. When playing Worst Shot on courses of this caliber, birdies aren’t what you’re looking for. Avoiding bogeys is the name of the game. And that’s exactly what happened.

Ovaitt & Case went par-par-par on the Worst Shot holes to tie it up with Hopkins & Humphries who managed to card just one bogey. The race was on with only three holes of Best Shot Doubles remaining. Riding the wave of positive energy after getting through Worst Shot without a scratch Ovaitt & Case followed it up with back-to-back birdies on holes 7 and 8. Not to be outdone, Hopkins & Humphries did the same.

In the end, after 80 holes of intense doubles disc golf in the books, Ovaitt & Case managed a par on the 81st to win it all with Hopkins and Humphries forced to tap in for a bogey. What an epic battle! And what a way to finish!

Click to view the interactive, full-size hole-by-hole scores.

Our thanks to the staff and volunteers at Selah Ranch and Trey Texas Ranch for once again making the event one to remember. We hope to see everyone again at the 2017 Amateur & Junior Disc Golf World Championships in July!

View the full 2017 Amateur World Doubles Championships Results »