More than 600 amateur disc golfers visited the Quad Cities last month to participate in the 2017 PDGA Amateur and Junior Disc Golf World Championships. This event is generally one of the most exciting tournaments of the year, mainly because it is such …
The pinnacle of disc golf. The best players in disc golf descend upon Rock Hill, SC and the famed Winthrop Gold course every October, to compete in one division, and crown one champion. It’s a spectator’s dream.
We’re giving one winner and up to thr…
The 2017 Pro Disc Golf World Championships are here! Watch Disc Golf’s best to compete in Augusta, GA for the title of 2017 World Champion.
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We would like to thank the many customers and fans who support Innova Star Team members each year, through purchases of the Tour Series line of discs at the Innova Factory Store. Your generosity has enabled some of the game’s top athletes to help evolv…
Summer is near, time for disc golf! To really heat things up, we invited Innova Star Team member, Philo Brathwaite, to hand-pick enough of discs and accessories to fill a “Thriller Red” Super HeroPack H20. The disc selection features some of Philo’s fa…
It has been a fantastic start to the 2016 disc golf tournament season! Many competitors and fans will likely argue that this year looks to be one of the most exciting in disc golf history. Team Innova is already rolling, racking up tournament wins around the world. None have been larger than Paul McBeth’s back-to-back victories; which have earned him the top spots on both the PDGA National Tour and Disc Golf World Tour.
McBeth was feeling right at home in southern California as he dialed up his game for the La Mirada Open. La Mirada played host to the season’s first Disc Golf World Tour event, which felt every bit like an early season, Major championship. The world’s top disc golfers were on hand to tackle one of the most revered courses in America – La Mirada Regional Park. McBeth grew up less than hour from La Mirada so he was even more prepared for this historic event.
The win did not come as easily as the final leaderboard might suggest. While McBeth won by a total of six throws, things were considerably tighter than that early in the final round. McBeth struggled with the putter, which is unusual for him. Paul’s struggles behind the mini, combined with some hard-charging veterans narrowed the gap and added some drama down the stretch.
For this win McBeth needed to rely on solid driving which was tracked in detail via the DGWT Disc Golf Metrix system. While Paul ranked 1st in greens hit, he ranked 19th in putts made inside the circle. McBeth fared better on putts outside the circle (ranked 10th) but clearly he relied on his other strengths and pure mental toughness to capture the win.
Team Innova brought home four wins in Kansas. Justin McLuen and Duane CD Steiner swept the Masters and Grandmasters divisions on Saturday at the Kan-U-Wyco in Bonner Springs, and then again on Sunday at the Rosedale Cup in Kansas City. McLuen has gotten off to a particularly good start this year with a 6th place finish at Innova’s Gentlemen’s Club Challenge, followed by a 5th place finish at the Memorial Championship.
Team members brought home another four wins in South Carolina, all at the same event! Barry Schultz led the charge with an Open win at the Earlewood Classic in Columbia. Innova went on to sweep the other divisions as Jessica Hill grabbed Pro Women, Matt Peckham finished tops in Masters, and Hall of Famer Alan Beaver smoked the field in Grandmasters to complete the sweep.
Jay “Yeti” Reading and Lisa Fajkus snagged a pair of wins in Texas. Jay blistered it early shooting 49 (-15) in round one, and continued to ride his Yeti Pro Aviar to an Open victory at the Circular Skies Over Llano. “I was bogey free and my putter never touched the ground inside the circle”, said Reading. Fajkus was over in Red Rock, TX, where she won Pro Women at the 18th Annual Red Rock Show. Casey Wright also had a strong showing at Red Rocks, taking home 2nd place in the Open Division.
J.D. Ramirez added a win in Texas as well. J.D. squeaked out a 1-shot victory in Open at the 2nd Annual Disc Shop Open in Fort Worth. J.D. is having a great season so far. This marked his 4th win already in 2016.
Last but not least, Virginia Ambassador Bob Cannon captured a Masters win at the Winchester IFO in Winchester, VA. This was Bob’s second win of the year. Congratulations to Bob and all of our team members on an excellent weekend on the tournament scene.
We now head into a bit of a lull in high-level tournament action. While there are many PDGA A-tier events during the next few weeks, the next National Tour stop is not until April 28-30 when the Glass Blown Open returns to Emporia. The very next weekend the National Tour scoots over to Kansas City for the 34th Annual Kansas City Wide Open on May 6-8, 2016. That same weekend, Event #2 on the Disc Golf World Tour – the Konopiste Open – will be held in Benesov, Czech Republic.
The Disc Golf World Tour kicks off today at one of the legendary disc golf locations, La Mirada, CA. The La Mirada Open will begin Thursday morning and continue on through Saturday night. View the Complete Event Schedule.
For those in the SoCal area, the La Mirada Disc Golf Course is located at 13701 Adelfa Drive, La Mirada, CA 90638. The park itself is family friendly. Both the park and the tournament are free to the general public. There will also be a variety of disc golf vendors on site showcasing the best in disc golf discs, apparel, and accessories.
Plenty of tournament coverage will be available online for those who are unable to make it to the course. Subsrcibe to SpinTV for notifications of new DGWT videos. The hub for all of that information is the official Disc Golf World Tour web site located at discgolfworldtour.com.
One of the first things we recommend that everyone do is sign up to “Follow” the event at the DGWT web site. There is no cost to sign up, and followers will have access to exclusive content throughout the entire DGWT season. If you have not yet registered as a follower, better go ahead and do that now.
From La Mirada the DGWT will continue on to Czechoslovakia, Sweden, and Finland, before returning to the US for the tour finale at the United States Disc Golf Championship. The US Championship will return to Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC for the 18th consecutive year and is sure to be a fitting stage for the DGWT main event. For more information on the US Championship visit usdgc.com.
Paul McBeth and Nate Sexton kicked off their 2016 “McSexy Tour” in style by capturing the top two spots at this year’s Memorial Championship. McBeth’s opening round of 43 put him into a tie for the lead right away. Sexton trailed the leaders by only two, so Paul and Nate were in perfect position to push each other throughout the week. McBeth once again proved to be too much to handle. He was able to get past Nate by a single throw to capture his 4th Memorial Championship crown.
The two were joined atop the leaderboard by last week’s GCC Champion, Philo Brathwaite, and the 2015 Advanced World Champion, Anthony Barela. “AB” was on the showcase card for round one; which included Paul McBeth, Nate Doss, and last year’s Memorial winner Jeremy Koling. The 16-year old Barela held his own carding an impressive 48 which helped keep him in contention during the week. Brathwaite and Barela would eventually finish in a tie for 7th place.
Ken Climo opened his season strong with a dominant performance in Masters. Climo took a commanding lead in round one and cruised to a seven shot win. Teammates George Smith and Justin McLuen got off to slower starts, however rallied down the stretch to pick up the 4th and 5th spots respectively.
Joe Mela and Tom Carrillo battled hard all week in the Grandmasters division. Mela was able to build a 4-shot lead heading into the final round, however Carrillo chipped away at Joe’s lead to finish in 2nd place just one shot back. Jim Oates and Glenn Patterson also had a strong showing in Grandmasters, both finishing in the top five.
The Innova Women’s Team had a strong showing in Memorial as well. Eight of the 20-person Pro Women’s field were Innova sponsored athletes! Jennifer Allen lead the ladies with a solid, 3rd place finish. Valarie Jenkins was right behind her in 4th. Jessica Weese had to rally back after a difficult opening round. Weese clawed her way back to what wound up being a very impressive 6th place finish. Rounding out the top 10 were Zoe Andyke and Madison Walker.
Two of Innova’s younger stars were in action on the Memorial’s Amateur side this weekend. Kona “Star” Panis and Kaylee Campbell earned the 4th and 11th place spots among a strong, 28-person Advanced Women’s field. Kona also pulled double duty as McBeth’s caddy throughout the week.
In Melbourne, Florida another young phenom was making his name known as well. Calvin Heimburg battled his way to his first career PDGA A-tier win at the Melbourne Open. Calvin was in contention from the onset and then a hot, third round 49, propelled him into the lead. Calvin finished strong on Sunday and took home the Melbourne crown by two.
Sandy Gast and Pam Reineke matched one other shot for shot in Pro Women. The two were deadlocked after 72 holes but it was Sandy who ultimately prevailed. Women’s Amateur World Champion, Jess Hill, finished in 4th place.
All of the game’s elite now hustle out to sunny, Southern California for the kickoff of the inaugural Disc Golf World Tour. The tour’s first stop is in La Mirada and while only carrying A-tier sanctioning with the Professional Disc Golf Association, this event is likely to feel like a Major. There will be plenty of talent on hand. And with only five DGWT events in 2016, tour points are going to be a precious commodity. Players will be definitely be looking to get out of the gates strong this weekend.
For coverage and information on the Disc Golf World Tour visit www.discgolfworldtour.com.
More than 400 competitors made the trek to Las Vegas this past weekend for the 2016 Gentlemen’s Club Challenge presented by Innova. The Las Vegas Disc Golf Club had a vision to make the GCC something special and they hit the jackpot with this years event. The GCC was moved from the usual location at Sunset Park to the Wildhorse Golf Club in Henderson, NV. Wildhorse featured three championship level courses for competitors to test their skills.
Philo Brathwaite and Jessica Weese lead the charge for Team Innova from the opening bell. Philo blistered the track in round one, throwing down a 49 which put him three shots clear of the field. Philo maintained his steady play throughout the weekend to capture his first big win of the 2016 season. Up by five strokes with the last hole to play, Philo was able to lay up the last shot and cruise into the clubhouse with a comfortable three stroke victory.
Jessica Weese grabbed the lead early among Pro Women. She was joined atop the leaderboard by teammates Juliana Korver, Melodie Bailey, and Danielle Vargas, each of whom had their eyes set squarely on the women’s top spot. Weese however, pulled away from the field in round three and cruised to victory. Jessica also won by three.
George Smith helped to complete a team sweep with a fantastic performance in Masters. Smith got off to a bit of a slower start that left him five shots off the lead after round one. A smoking hot round of 48 in round 2 however, put George right back into contention. He finished off the weekend with steady rounds of 54 and 52 which were sufficient to earn Smith his first win of the year. And you guessed it, George won by three.
Barry Schultz and Debbie Scott earned a sweep of their own in North Carolina at Stumpy’s Fling and Ching. Barry took home first place in Open, while Debbie handled business in Pro Women.
We now turn our sights to the season’s first PDGA National Tour event, The Memorial Championship in Scottsdale, AZ. Be sure to check out coverage of the event at www.pdga.com.
Congratulations to Team Innova on a strong start to the 2016 season. While the year’s first National Tour event is still two weeks away, this weekend featured a few sizeable B-tier events loaded with competitors ready to get their games into springtime form.
One of those players is Florida’s Calvin Heimburg. Calvin was in action at the Barnett Park Championships in Orlando, FL. Calvin was in a tight battle all weekend with Sarasota’s Cameron Lincoln. Ultimately it took extra holes, but on the second sudden death hole Calvin was able to capture his second win of the year. Innova Junior Team member, Randon Latta, had a great weekend in Orlando as well. Randon finished in an impressive 5th place in the Open Division! Madison Walker and Pam Reineke were tops among the Pro Women. Madison grabbed second place, while Pam finished in 3rd place just 4-shots back.
Paul McBeth was in action at the 38th Annual Wintertime Open in Pasadena, CA. Paul was not completely satisfied with his performance, however it was good enough for his first win of 2016 and his sixth consecutive Wintertime crown. The world’s #1 ranked player will now take a little down time, drop a few thousand putts, hook up with touring partner Nate Sexton, and begin the journey to Arizona for the 2016 Memorial Championship.
A field of 160 and change teed it up in Texas for a Lone Star State gem, the Victoria Open. Jay Reading picked up his first win of the year in convincing fashion. Jay won Masters by a cool 9 throws. Casey Wright and Lisa Fajkus both grabbed second place spots in the Open and Pro Women’s divisions. A fun battle also took place among the Advanced Women, where Alexis Mandujano was able to sneak past her sister Val to claim a 2-shot win.
Team Innova swept the pro divisions back in the Carolinas at the Charlotte’s Ballantyne Hotel Open. Barry Schultz won his second tournament of the year, both of which were in the Open Division. Debbie Scott was victorious twice during the weekend. She won Mooky’s Cup on Saturday in High Point, NC, then took down the Pro Women’s division at Ballantyne on Sunday. Completing the sweep was Hall of Famer Stan McDaniel, who won Masters to get his first win of the season.
Things heat up even more this coming weekend in Vegas as Innova presents the 2016 Gentlemen’s Club Challenge. We look forward to seeing you there!
Innova fans are now able to enjoy two new Signature Series discs from two of our most successful and influential team members. Avery Jenkins has been a member of the Innova family since 2001. During that time Avery has toured the world extensively, racking up more than 55 career wins as a professional. His most significant win was the 2009 Pro World Championships in Kansas City. Along with that win came Avery’s Signature Series Star Destroyer, which made its debut in the spring of 2010.
Since its release, the Destroyer has remained an extremely popular distance driver for top pros, as well as many advanced and amateur players. The Destroyer provides a consistent combination of speed, stability, glide, and accuracy. It is a dependable distance driver for any serious golfer looking to elevate their game. One player who holds the Destroyer in particularly high regard is current World Champion, Paul McBeth.
McBeth has been on a tear in recent years. In 2015 alone, Paul completed disc golf’s first ever, in-season Grand Slam. This historic accomplishment was achieved by Paul’s sweep of all five Major Championships as sanctioned by the Professional Disc Golf Association. Those events were the Aussie Open, Scandinavian Open, European Open, PDGA Pro World Championships, and the United States Disc Golf Championship. Over the course of the 2015 season Paul earned 19 wins in all, finished 2nd place four times, and finished in 3rd place twice.
Paul began throwing the Destroyer in 2007 as soon as they became available to Innova team members for testing. “They became a staple in my bag on day one, and I honestly don’t remember ever having fewer than three Destroyers in my bag at a time,” said McBeth. Fast forward to 2016, McBeth is preparing to build on his success and the Destroyer is as prominent in his bag as it ever was. “I love the Destroyer’s consistency. The distance and control is unmatched in my opinion. I typically carry 5-7 at a time on a regular basis,” said McBeth recently.
Discussions with Paul and Avery over the future of the Signature Series Destroyer began in the summer of 2015. There is no doubt that the model’s success was due, in part, to the massive fan base that Avery has established over the course of his career. The one player who could continue to propel the Destroyer’s legacy to the extent that Avery has, is Paul McBeth. So, the transition began.
“I only dreamed of having the Destroyer as my signature disc until after I won my third World Championship title. I had heard that Avery might start taking more of an Ambassador role in disc golf. When I heard there was a chance, I immediately began to do everything in my power to prove I had what it takes. If claiming a fourth title was what I needed to seal the deal, I was not going to let anything keep me from accomplishing that,” Paul said.
Avery agreed that only one player’s name should replace his on the Destroyer. “He (McBeth) personally asked me about the possibility of working something out for signature rights to the disc,” Jenkins said. “From my stance, I truly couldn’t think of another player that I would rather have representing the Star Destroyer. Paul is an incredible individual and a constant, worldwide ambassador for our sport,” said Jenkins. “I am very happy for the new addition to his current line of discs and I know that he will continue to make us all proud.”
The first Paul McBeth stamped Destroyers hit shelves in late September of 2015. Paul was on his march towards disc golf’s first ever Grand Slam. Also at that time, Jussi Meresmaa announced his plan for the inaugural Disc Golf World Tour. Shortly after the DGWT announcement, the news broke that Jenkins had agreed to become a co-commentator for the 2016 Disc Golf World Tour. In an official interview with All Things Disc Golf, Jenkins described the upcoming transition like this:
I have played disc golf for the past 30-years of my life and I’ve competed as an elite touring player for the past 16-years. It’s been a great run, but things will be slowing down a bit as I plan on dialing back the tournament schedule. I still plan on playing a few sentimental events and other extraordinary tournaments including the World Championships to keep my streak of 18 consecutive appearances. I will continue to be present at many of the Major Championships and the Disc Golf World Tour events as I want to see those become more professional.
– Avery Jenkins
We are excited to see Avery expanding his role this year to include even more promotional activity for the game. This should be one of the most exciting years in disc golf history and Avery is stepping up in an extremely visible and significant way. Part of Innova’s support for Avery in this new season will be a Signature Series Star TeeBird. Like the Destroyer, the TeeBird has been an influential disc for countless players of nearly all skill levels.
“I am honored to have the Star TeeBird as my new Signature Series disc, as it’s a model that I have been personally throwing for over a decade. I really look forward to seeing new players come to appreciate the need for accuracy over distance, which is crucial to scoring success,” said Jenkins.
Since the TeeBird made its debut in 2004, it has been a prominent disc in Avery’s bag. “I absolutely love the consistency of the Star TeeBird. I believe it is easiest to control and the most accurate driver in the game. It goes exactly where you throw it. For years the TeeBird has been my go-to fairway driver for accurate, shorter drives that must be center cut.”
Both Signature Series models should be in full distribution by early spring. If you have not yet thrown one of these models be sure to test one out. We also encourage you to visit the Disc Golf World Tour website. The DGWT promises to be one of the brightest new additions to the landscape of professional disc golf. See you on tour!
Barry Schultz and Brian Schweberger have been dominant forces throughout the season, particularly in the Carolinas. This weekend the two slugged it out once again at the Spike Hyzer Invitational Championship Series Finale in Rocky Mount, NC. Schultz grabbed the lead at the end of day one with solid rounds of 48 and 50. Schweberger found himself in second place on Saturday night, five shots back.
Schultz is one of the more accomplished, professional disc golfers. He is a 2-time PDGA World Champion, a 3-time United States Champion, and winner of nearly 200 PDGA events around the world. You do not reach that level of success without learning how to finish events strong. That is precisely what he did on Sunday. Barry closed with rounds of 51 and 47 to preserve his five shot lead and his 20th win of the season. The win also makes Schultz the Spike Hyzer Tour Champion for 2015.
We would like to acknowledge Innova Ambassador, Chuck Connelly. The Spike Hyzer Season Finale was Connelly’s 27th outing as a PDGA tournament director this year. That is more events than most people play in a season, much less run. Chuck received the Tournament Director of the Year award in 2014, when he directed a total of 40 sanctioned events. If you would like more information on the Spike Hyzer Tour Series be sure to visit www.spikehyzer.com.
Sara Lamberson, The Open at Callaway Gardens – 1st Place Open Women
Madison Walker, 5th Annual Valdosta Open – 1st Place Open Women
Gregg Hosfeld, Kastaplast Coachman Classic – 1st Place Masters
Matt Peckham, Spike Hyzer Invitational Championship – 1st Place Masters
JD Ramirez, Piney Woods Open – 1st Place Masters
Jim Oates, Turkey Toss at Lizard Peak – 1st Place Masters
10.30.15
In 1984, Innova featured the first ’Christmas Golf Disc’ on Patent Pending Aeros. Every December since then, Innova presents a new Christmas design to celebrate the Holidays. This season, we’re extending our holiday cheer to Disc Golf fans….
Team Innova was busy making the grade at a-tiers across the country this weekend. Congratulations to Drew Gibson on his weekend win at the 30th Shelly Sharpe Memorial in Scottsdale, Arizona. A hot, second round propelled him into a lead Drew refused to surrender down the stretch. Gibson is wrapping up an extensive touring season during which he played more than 30 events around the world.
The win in Arizona was especially sweet as it marked the first PDGA A-tier sanctioned victory of his career. “It feels great to grind all season and end it with a solid win! I plan to take this momentum into the offseason and come back better than ever”, Gibson said.
Two other players have racked up their first career A-tier wins lately as well. Sara Lamberson and Logan Bowers were victorious at the Kentucky State Championships earlier this month. Both player have continued to finish the season strong. This weekend Sara picked up her second A-tier win at the Harmon Hills Highland Fling in Tennessee. While she was busy there, Bowers was in Huntsville, AL where he added the Alabama State Championship title to his season’s resume as well.
Only two more PDGA A-tier events remain this season. The Veteran’s Park Open will take place in Arlington, TX for the 25th year. That action begins on November 7th. Then the Spike Hyzer Invitational Championship Season Finale will wrap things up in Rocky Mount, NC the very next weekend. Good luck to all, and we will see you on the course!
Jennifer Allen, Oklahoma Open – 1st Place Open Women
Hannah Leatherman, South Jersey Open – 1st Place Open Women
Matt LaCourte, South Jersey Open – 1st Place Grandmasters
Tom Carrillo, Pendaries Fall Classic – 1st Place Masters
Max Nichols, Shelly Sharpe Memorial – T-3rd Place Open
Steve Brinster is a rock-solid PDGA Tour veteran whose pro career dates back to 1997. He now has 80 Open Division wins including the 2013 United States Disc Golf Championship, a PDGA Major. Brinster is fan-favorite for many, not just because of his success and demeanor on the course, but too because he holds down time a full-time job and is a dedicated family man.
In addition to his other responsibilities, Brinster found time to be the tournament director of this weekend’s Warwick Disc Golf Championships. It is not easy to organize and compete in an event simultaneously. However, Brinster managed to do both extremely well. Steve finished at -16 for the tournament which was enough to outlast teammates Bobby Cowperthwait and Andrew Fish who finished tied for second at -13. “Being the TD added to the challenge, so I am pretty psyched to come out on top” said Brinster.
Brinster quickly gave credit to a team of people who made the tournament a success. He pointed first and foremost to teammate and good friend, Craig Cutler. Cutler has run the fall tournament at Warwick since 2009 and was heavily involved again this year. “I wanted to relieve some of the responsibility from Craig this year so he could enjoy the experience even more as a competitor” Brinster said. “Craig has without a doubt been a primary influence for this tournament and for disc golf throughout the region” added Brinster. Cutler would wind up finishing in a tie for 10th in Men’s Open.
Team Innova found success in the Open Women and Masters Divisions as well. Hannah Leatherman was in attendance, still flying high from her recent win at the US Women’s Championship. Leatherman grabbed the lead in round one and cruised to her tenth win of the season. Joe Mela edged out Bobby Jones for a one throw victory in Masters. Glenn Patterson also played well in Masters, taking home the third spot.
Innova also notched wins in three separate divisions at the Norcal Series Championship in Lakeport, CA. Jessica Weese turned in a dominant performance to win Open Women, while Patrick Brown rallied in the final round to capture the Master’s crown. Jim Oates lead wire-to-wire in Grandmasters and went on to win by two.
In Lula, GA Sarah Cunningham picked up an impressive, late season win at the Zip Line Open Invitational. Sarah was able to hold off the top rated player in the world, Paige Pierce, as well as 5-time Women’s World Champion, Elaine King. Sarah had plenty of teammates to help encourage her along including Sara Lamberson, Debbie Scott, and Madison Walker who finished in the 4th, 7th, and 8th places respectively.
Lacey Brugler, Matt Lovasko “Homie” Fall Celebration – 1st Junior Girls U16
Colleen Thompson, Matt Lovasko “Homie” Fall Celebration – 2nd Open Women
Kyle Eckmann, Sun Valley Open – 1st Place Open
Dustin Keegan, Norcal Series Championships – 3rd Place Open
J.D. Ramirez, Fritz Park Open – 1st Place Masters
Patrick Todd, Fritz Park Open – 2nd Place Masters
George Smith, Jefferson City Open – 2nd Place Open
Jay Reading, Waterloo Disc Golf Classic – 1st Place Open
Des Reading, Waterloo Golf Classic – 1st Place Open Women
Thank you to all the photographers that submitted photos to the 2016 INNOVA Calendar contest. This year we reviewed nearly 1000 photo submissions from around the world. The final photos have been selected. The winner of the drawing for the DISCatcher Sport Target is Lauren Lakeberg, who submitted a photo of O’Brien Disc Golf Course in Downers Grove, Illinois.
Avery Jenkins, Lauren Lakeberg, Craig Wrenn, Scott Markquart, Hemi Te Awhitu, John Apsey, Heather Brown, Tim Seward, Chris Thomas, Bobb Lockwood and Lina Cox.
The 2016 INNOVA Calendar will be available at retailers in November. As a reminder, calendar submissions are accepted year round. It’s never too early to submit your photos to calendar@innovadiscgolf.com for next year.
After winning the USDGC on Saturday and completing disc golf’s Grand Slam, it’s safe to say that 2015 was Paul McBeth’s best season ever. And maybe the best season ever by anyone. Looking at his tournament results for the year, it’s amazing, all you see in the ‘place’ column are a bunch of 1’s and only a few 2’s and 3’s.
Of his 22 events he played this year, he won 16 of them. The worst he did all year was third place, which happened only twice (The Aussie Open Warm Up and the Maple Hill Open).
“Just to have third place as my worst event was a huge success for the year,” said McBeth after the USDGC.
And when it came to winning major events, no one does it like McBeth. This year McBeth took down one major tournament after the other and often having to come from behind to do it.
Following McBeth during the Pro World Championships this year was mind blowing for many disc golf fans. Trailing Will Schusterick by eight strokes after Round 3, McBeth flipped the switch to beast mode and eventually left everyone in the dust to where the Final 9 was basically a victory lap. “The Worlds was just a never say never event,” said McBeth, later adding “…It was a never say never moment because you don’t know what can happen in one round.”
When it came time for the season’s final major, the USDGC, some wondered if McBeth could live up to all of the hype and capture the event that has remained elusive to him.
However, McBeth definitely came through. He shot (-26) for the Championship and submitted eight birdies and only made two bogeys on a soggy final day that made the challenging Winthrop Gold Course even harder. McBeth and Ricky Wysocki, who had a similar battle at the European Open, gave the sizable USDGC crowd something to cheer about even in the rain.
The show that Ricky and I put on for the European Open as well as the USDGC was an experience in itself. The pressure that we had, the lead swings, just the entertainment value that we had in those two events was incredible. Those are moments that I will relive probably for the rest of my life.
-Paul McBeth
McBeth says his route to success has been fairly straight forward. “It’s all dedication and hard work … And that’s mainly what I think I’ve done more than anyone else in the sport right now is that I’ve made it my life basically to get better as a player …,” said McBeth, adding that there’s still room for improvement for him.
So what’s next for McBeth as disc golf’s first Grand Slam Champion? We’ll see, he’s certainly proved he can fulfill even the toughest expectations.
The 2015 USDGC has begun! Not everyone can make it out to Rock Hill, SC for the United States Disc Golf Championship, but it’s easy to get in on the action. Check out the following viewer’s guide for tips and links to satisfy your USDGC coverage cravings.
We’re proud to bring you the Friday and Saturday open flight rounds live from Winthrop Gold.
Friday, Oct 9th
Open flight lead card live coverage
starts at: 2PM (ET), 11 AM (PT), 21:00 (GMT+3)
Saturday, Oct 10th
Open flight lead card live coverage
starts at: 2PM (ET), 11 AM (PT), 21:00 (GMT+3)
The Insider Show is The SpinTV’s recap show, containing player interviews, analysis and footage from the field.
Wednesday, Oct 7th
The Insider Show – First Round Recap
starts at: 10PM (ET), 7 PM (PT), Oct 8th 05:00 (GMT+3)
Thursday, Oct 8th
The Insider Show – 2nd Round Recap
starts at: 10PM (ET), 7 PM (PT), Oct 8th 05:00 (GMT+3)
Friday, Oct 9th
The Insider Show – Moving Day Recap
starts at: 10PM (ET), 7 PM (PT), Oct 8th 05:00 (GMT+3)
Saturday, Oct 10th
The Insider Show – Final Round Recap
starts at: 10PM (ET), 7 PM (PT), Oct 8th 05:00 (GMT+3)
The SpinTV crew has teamed up with Jomez Productions & The Disc Eye to bring every shot from every hole of the tournament by Grand Slam chaser Paul McBeth & the defending USDGC champion Will Schusterick, spiced up with data by Disc Golf Metrix.
First round coverage – Will Schusterick’s card
Video release: Thursday, Oct 8th
First round coverage – Paul McBeth’s card
Video release: Thursday, Oct 8th
2nd round coverage – Will Schusterick’s card
Video release: Friday, Oct 9th
2nd round coverage – Paul McBeth’s card
Video release: Friday, Oct 9th
3rd round coverage – Will Schusterick’s card
Video release: Saturday, Oct 10th
3rd round coverage – Paul McBeth’s card
Video release: Saturday, Oct 10th
Final round coverage – Will Schusterick’s card
Video release: Sunday, Oct 11th
Final round coverage – Paul McBeth’s card
Video release: Sunday, Oct 11th
The SpinTV in association with Hatchet Harry will also post some bonus videos in addition to the coverage posted above. Subscribe to SpinTV to get notified about new videos.
Follow the tournament live scoring at usdgclive.com
See PDGA result pages: Open flight | Performance flight
USDGC on Facebook
USDGC on Twitter
USDGC on Instgram
Use the official hashtag #USDGC2015 for your social media posts from and about the event.
See all official Photo Galleries here
Daily recaps and stories from the field are updated on the tournament website throughout the tournament week. See archives here.