Catrina Allen tees off during round three of the Las Vegas Challenge. Photo: Alyssa Van Lanen
HENDERSON, Nev – An inconsistent day of scoring here at the Adidas Terrex course led to a familiar scenario for the final round of the Las Vegas Challenge: Like so many times before, Paige Pierce and Catrina Allen are tied atop the leaderboard and headed for a Sunday showdown.
Paige Pierce shot up the leaderboard Friday morning. Photo: Alyssa Van Lanen
HENDERSON, Nev. – Though we’re mere miles from the famed Strip here at the Las Vegas Challenge, seven is rarely a lucky number on the course. In racking up that many out-of-bounds throws during her 938-rated opening round Thursday, Paige Pierce didn’t look like the high roller she normally is and instead found herself in an eight-shot hole.
It didn’t take long, though, for the natural order to be restored.
Washington native Sai Ananda surprised with her 2-under par 56. Photo: PDGA Media
HENDERSON, Nev. – What’s in a name?
For 21-year-old Sai Ananda, who started off the PDGA National Tour season with a 2-under par 56 opening round here at the Las Vegas Challenge, it’s everything.
“I think my parents did a pretty good job in naming me, the first name being a martial arts weapon and the second name being an East Indian word for bliss,” the Washington state native said. “I’ve kind of taken that into a disc golf philosophy in trying to be aggressive with my pleasant demeanor.”
MAE NAM, Thailand – Paige Pierce’s 2018 season started with a bang, as the Texas native shot a 1021-rated 10-under par 48 here Thursday during the opening round of the Samui Swine Classic V. Playing on the feature card with defending champion Philo Brathwaite, who also tossed a 48, Pierce’s well-rounded game was on display with crisp backhand and forehand drives; accurate midranges and putters on almost all the short, must-get birdie holes; and consistency inside the circle.
Paul McBeth #27523 sweeps every ranking metric in 2015 to retain his PDGA World #1 rank after sweeping the PDGA Majors: Pro Worlds, USDGC, Aussie Open, Scandinavian Open, and European Open. McBeth also finished with the best record for the PDGA National Tour events and retained the highest player rating, setting new records along the way. Ricky Wysocki #38008 moved up into 2nd place on the strength of his runner-up finish at the 2015 USDGC, forcing Will Schusterick #29064 and Nikko Locastro #11534 down to 3rd and 4th, respectively.
“The National Tour started with a playoff and ended with a playoff”, said Paul McBeth #27523 as we walked up to the tee pad of Hole 2 with the gallery just behind us. At that moment, the reality of the 2015 National Tour coming to an end finally hit me. Has it really been six months since The Memorial Championships where Mcbeth faced another North Carolinian in a playoff?
It’s rare, but sometimes not making the cut can end up being a blessing in a weird way. They didn’t cash, but at least they can say they went to an amazing event and played one of the best courses in the world during back-to-back-to-back days of incredible weather. It’s been more than 15 hours since the first card teed off this morning at a cold, windy, and rain-plagued Maple Hill, and it’s STILL RAINING.
Over the past week, 175 men and women made their way to Leicester, MA for the 2015 Maple Hill Open to compete for one of the most coveted victories in disc golf. All in all, the 175 competitors at this PDGA National Tour event represent 33 states, Finland, and Sweden. Unfortunately, for nearly half of those 175, the 18th hole of Round 3 this afternoon was the last they would play at the Maple Hill Open.
Paul McBeth #27523 and Paige Pierce #29190 top the PDGA Year-end 2014 World Rankings. McBeth has completed the most dominant year ever since World Rankings were started in 2005 (Ken Climo #4297 likely has had as dominant of a year before World Rankings started). McBeth averaged just slightly under first place in the tournament and ratings elements used to calculate World Rankings. Nathan Doss #11794 ranked second, averaging around fourth place for the year. RIchard Wysocki #38008 ranked sixth may have had the second best season if you eliminate his finish at the 2014 USDGC.
The 2014 United States Disc Golf Championship had it all. Will Schusterick #29064 became a 3X USDGC Champion after winning a sudden death playoff against the world’s #1 ranked player, Paul McBeth #27523. 2X Women’s World Champion, Paige Pierce #29190, became the first woman to take the gold in Performance Flight. And last but not least, an awesome distance showcase over-the-lake wrapped it all up with Jeremy Koling #33705 becoming the first to ever slam a driver into the chains.
After the fourth long and exhausting day of competition at the Maple Hill Open, two players emerged as first time winners of this prestigious event: Paige Pierce #29190 and Jeremy Koling #33705. Pierce is no stranger to victory on the 2014 PDGA National Tour. She has now won four out of the five NT events this year, giving her a significant advantage in the overall points standings for the series. Koling isn't new to victory either but this is arguably the biggest win of his professional career.
The 32nd Kansas City Wide Open (KCWO) officially came to end on Sunday evening as Paul McBeth and Paige Pierce tapped in for their third PDGA National Tour victories of the year. After three days of walking some of the largest courses on the tour, often more than once, it was a long weekend to say the least. The 90+ degree weather certainly didn’t make the weekend any less demanding for the competitors and staff, but we all made it out alive and well.
Anyone that checked the weather forecast last night was probably not looking forward to the final round of the Texas State Championships today at Old Settlers' Park. The wind was somehow forecasted to be even stronger than the first round on Friday, but with the added punishment of colder temperatures and potential precipitation. Thankfully the rain never showed up, but the continuous 25mph-30mph wind ensured that even the most seasoned competitors would never have an easy drive, approach, or putt.
When we arrived at Old Settlers' Park this morning for the second round of the 2014 Texas State Championships, we knew we'd be in for an interesting morning to say the least. Typically when we get to the park in the morning to set up the tents, PA system, and feather banners, the only people around are the tournament staff and the grandmasters warming up on the course. What we saw instead as we winded around the park heading towards tournament central was an absurd amount of pedestrians walking the paths that meander through the fairways of the course.
Upon arrival at Fountain Hills Park early in the morning on Saturday, we knew we’d be in for an interesting final day of The Memorial Championship presented by Discraft. The greater area of Phoenix had gone nearly 11 weeks without a drop of rain and on Friday night, as most of the population slept, the much needed rainfall finally arrived. What better time to end the drought than the final round of one of the biggest events in disc golf?
Another great day in Arizona as day two of The Memorial Championship started off with a bang. I had the pleasure of live tweeting both the womens and mens lead cards and the story of the day (and the tournament) has to be Paige Pierce. She is now in the lead by 10 strokes after a stellar 1036 rated round on Wednesday and a 1015 rated round today.
The 2011 PDGA National Tour Elite Series, presented by Vibram Disc Golf got underway today in Scottsdale Arizona at the Memorial Championship, presented by Discraft.
Coming from nearby Hinckley, Ohio, Valarie Jenkins has some early memories of the Brent Hambrick Memorial, but not necessarily from the course.
“Living in Ohio, these are the tournaments my parents would go to all the time,” Jenkins remembered. “And I would just sit in the car reading magazines. I didn’t even care.”
Valarie Jenkins used finesse in the woods and power on the open holes to capture her first Brent Hambrick Memorial Open Title
Nate Doss and Valarie Jenkins Take Leads into Final Day at Brent Hambrick Memorial in Columbus, Ohio, as players find two extremely different experiences on the two courses at the Hoover Dam disc golf complex.
Renowned sports psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella has written one of the seminal treatise on the sport that forces us to resign ourselves to the fact that Golf is Not a Game of Perfect.
And while the women’s lead group would surely admit that their first round efforts were far from perfect, all but Valarie Jenkins must have been begging to the disc golf gods, “Can you at least throw me a bone here?” during their second rounds at the Brent Hambrick Memorial National Tour event in Columbus, Ohio.
Carr Captures Crown at Beaver State Fling; Paige Pierce Finds Favor at Milo McIver to Finish Second
When Liz Carr came off the 16th green at the Milo McIver East Course during Sunday's final round at the 2010 Beaver State Fling, she was not going to let the six she just carded deter her from giving it her all during the last two holes. She was still pursuing Des Reading, who had a one throw advantage, as well as trying to hold off the over-achieving teenager from Texas, Paige Pierce, whose 911 rating belies her true disc golf talent.
