Frisbeegolf News

Team Innova Dominant in La Mirada

05.12.15

Congratulations to all of our team members at the West Coast Disc Golf Championships presented by Innova Disc Golf this weekend. It was a fantastic showing as Paul McBeth, Philo Brathwaite, and Nate Sexton swept the top three Open Division spots.

Philo came out hot and grabbed the lead with a 41 in round one, however McBeth answered in the second round with a 39. With a PDGA rating of 1095, McBeth’s round was plenty sufficient to vault him into the lead. McBeth padded his lead in the final round shooting 54, which was the best of the afternoon.

In Masters Patrick Brown got his second win in as many weeks. Patrick is still red hot after taking down the Glass Blown Open in Emporia last week. His steady play continued in La Mirada earning him a 3-shot win. Teammate Chris Brophy grabbed 4th.

McBeth’s touring trailer is sporting a new look!

Dave Dunipace took a break from his hectic schedule to compete in his fifth event of the season. Dave has logged plenty of rounds at the La Mirada course over the years, dating all the way back to 1977. Those years of experience at the venue helped propel him to victory in Senior Grandmasters.

McBeth and company are heading up to Santa Cruz for the Masters Cup.

Other top performers this weekend include KJ Nybo, victorious at Konopiste Open in Czech Republic. Brian Schweberger, who won the 7th Annual No Quarter at New Quarter in Williamsburg, VA. And Steve Brinster, who outlasted Craig Cutler at The Mighty Gaw.

No Match for McBeth in Emporia

05.04.15

Paul McBeth continued his superior tournament play this weekend as the PDGA National Tour rolled into Emporia, KS for the 2015 Glass Blown Open. Scoring conditions were ideal and McBeth carded three hot rounds in a row in route to a commanding, 7-throw win. “That was the best weather I have ever played in in Emporia”, said McBeth.

It was Jeremy Koling who held the lead after round one. Koling got the better of Paul in a sudden death playoff at the Memorial earlier this year, proving that “Big Jerm” can handle the moment. Koling is one of just three people to beat McBeth in head-to-head action this season.

That was the best weather I have ever played in in Emporia

Photo courtesy of PDGA.com

Koling would stumble in round two however, opening the door for McBeth and one of the weekend’s hottest stories, Discmania’s 17-year old phenom, Eagle Wynne McMahon. Eagle matched McBeth’s second round of 48 which vaulted the pair to the top of the leader board. Round two provided Disc Golf #SCTop10 moment when Billy Engel hit a 380 foot ace with a TeeBird that made it to the #2 spot on ESPN SportsCenter.

Unlike McBeth, Eagle lacks time on the game’s biggest stages and the inexperience showed during Saturday’s final round. Eagle posted a mediocre round of 65 to close the event, which dropped him to 9th place. McMahon did gain valuable experience however, and many believe that time is the only thing standing between Eagle and success at this level.

Photo courtesy of PDGA.com

McBeth on the other hand, blistered the course in the final round. Paul’s 53 carried a PDGA rating of 1066 and was more than sufficient to distance himself from the field. “I really wanted that one. It is a relief to get that win off my shoulders”, said McBeth after the round.

I really wanted that one. It is a relief to get that win off my shoulders

In the Masters division, Patrick Brown earned a hard fought victory against Ken Climo who held a one throw lead going into the final round. Patrick’s 55 propelled him a full 5-throw margin of victory over Climo, who was followed by JD Ramirez in 3rd place, just two shots back.

Jennifer Allen battled with the world’s best and tied for second place at the GBO. She held her ground against two World Champions. She battled on the lead card and never left the top 3, gaining 3 strokes in the final 3 holes to tie for second place. Innova Teammate Valarie (Jenkins) Doss shot the hot final round to jump into 4th place. Jessica Weese, and Hannah Leatherman took 5th and 6th, respectively.

Innova Ambassador, Ken Shepperd picked up a solid win in Men’s Grandmasters. Shepperd found himself 4 shots back after round one but would claw his way back with rounds of 55 and 62 to pull ahead and capture a 3-shot win.

The PDGA Tour now heads west for the Masters Cup in Santa Cruz. Be sure to check out PDGA.com for complete details and event coverage. We will see you in Santa Cruz!

Other team members getting wins this weekend include:

Joe Rovere, The 38th Annual Grateful Disc – 1st Place Open
Matt Peckham, Huk Central – 1st Place Masters
Kyle Crabtree, Lake and Sea Open – 1st Place Open
Melodie Bailey, Lake and Sea Open – 1st Place Open Women
Calvin Heimburg, 2015 Orlando Open – 1st Place Open
Pam Reineke, 2015 Orlando Open – 1st Place Open Women
Dustin Keegan, North Umpqua Invitational – 1st Place Open
Casey Wright, Empire Open – 1st Place Open

Winners from the previous weekend include:

Paul McBeth, The Rumble – 1st Place Open
Jay Reading, Pendaries Village Open, 1st Place Masters
Russ Burns, The 1st Airpark Open – 1st Place Masters
Ray Johnson, Creekside Open – 1st Place Open
Karina Nowels, Creekside Open – 1st Place Open Women
Kathy Hardyman, Creekside Open – 1st Place Masters Women
Dustin Keegan, Liquid Sunshine Open – 1st Place Open
Melodie Bailey, The 19th Windy River Open – 1st Place Open Women
Lacey Brugler, Capital City Challenge – 1st Place Recreational
Brian Schweberger, ECO Stop 4 – 1st Place Open
JD Ramirez, Rock Solid Open – 1st Place Masters

The McBeast Challenge – Are You Game?

04.21.15

Three time World Champion Paul McBeth and his touring partner Nathan Sexton are making periodic stops across the country on the 2015 Sexton-McBeast Tour, affectionately known as the “SexyBeast” Tour. Paul and Nate are challenging regular players to take the McBeast Challenge. What exactly is the McBeast Challenge?

The McBeast Challenge is a one round event that includes an instructional clinic with Paul and Nate afterwards. For $35, players get a Paul McBeth Champion Roc3, a Paul McBeth signature Krait or a Paul McBeth Champion Thunderbird, a round of golf, lunch (when available) and the clinic with Paul and Nate. Players are required to use only 3 discs: the two players pack Paul McBeth discs, and a putter of their choice. Trophies are awarded for the top 3 in each division (Open, Advanced, Intermediate, and Recreational). Each entry raises money for St. Judes Children’s Hospital.

This past weekend in Chapel Hill, NC, 139 players came out for the McBeast Challenge clinic at UNC Adventure Disc Golf Course. The Chapel Hill event raised $275 for St. Judes! Paul and the Innova Team have already raised over $27,000 for the charity, which is hosting a premiere disc golf event in Monterey, CA May 22-24. To donate to the St. Jude Fundraising cause visit Paul’s or Nate’s fundraising pages. The St. Jude’s Charity Invitational is currently one third of the way towards reaching the goal of $300,000 for children’s cancer research.

The next McBeast Challenge is at 5PM, Tuesday, April 21st in Milan, IL at CAMDEN II Disc Golf Course. See flyer below. To find out about upcoming McBeast Challenges, follow on Twitter. Look for more by following Paul on facebook and twitter. Paul and Nate will be playing in ”THE RUMBLE” in Quad Cities from Friday to Sunday, April 25-27.

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Collegiate Disc Golf Champions Crowned

04.20.15

Another chapter is in the books for one of disc golf’s most celebrated events, the National Collegiate Disc Golf Championships. The attendance of more than 60 teams made this year’s Collegiate the largest and most successful in its 9-year history.

Pageantry. School pride. Teamwork. These are just some of the unique elements that make the Collegiate Championships special. Team members arrive decked out in uniforms reflecting their school colors. They travel together, share meals together, strategize, and compete together. They play for something much more than themselves individually; they compete for each other and for the logo on their jersey.

This year there were several tightly contested battles across the divisions. Not everyone could go home with trophy in hand, however everyone went home a winner in that they shared an unforgettable, competitive experience with close friends who share their passion for disc golf. It is no surprise that the Collegiate Championships, and intercollegiate competition in general, continue to rapidly gain momentum.

Photo courtesy of PDGA.com

While disc golf’s most talented student athletes battled in North Augusta, many Innova team members were laying down hot rounds around the world. Here is a summary of our weekend winners:

Camilla Grunden – Copenhagen Open, 1st Place Open Women
Alexis Mandujano – Texas Women’s Championship, 1st Place Int Women
Debbie Scott – Azalea Open, 1st Place Open Women
Brian Schweberger – Azalea Open, 1st Place Masters
Steve Brinster – The Philly Open, 1st Place Open
Hannah Leatherman – The Philly Open, 1st Place Open Women
Stephen Miller – 18th Annual Spring Pro/Am, 1st Place Open
Karina Nowels – Treasure Valley Cup, 1st Place Open Women
Steve Loyd – Treasure Valley Cup, 1st Place Masters
Matt Peckham – Jacksonville Open, 1st Place Masters
Jim Oates – The Legend of Lizard Peak, 1st Place GM

The weeknd also saw two A-tier events. The 2015 Copenhagen Open was held in Denmark, marking the third stop on the EuroTour. Pasi Koivu and Karl Johan Nybo would share second place with Jalle Stoor. Seppo Paju cruised to victory after a brilliant, second round 53.

Back in the US, sixty-three ladies converged on Round Rock, TX for the Texas Women’s Championships. Des Reading blasted out of the gates with a 44 in round one; a score that carries a rating of 1039! She cooled off down the stretch but still took home an impressive 2nd place finish. Madison Walker also had a strong outing finishing in 4th place.

Two Weekends, Nineteen Wins

04.15.15

Last weekend was relatively quiet on the tournament scene due to the Easter holiday. This past weekend however, was loaded with tournament action. The most prominent event was the Nick Hyde Memorial A-tier in Rockwall, TX. Paul McBeth carded a blistering second round of 46 (1062-rated) that put him into a tie with another California native, Gregg Barsby.

Paul pulled ahead of Gregg by 4 shots in round three, added another shot to his lead in the Final 9, and went on to capture his fifth win of the season. Nate Sexton had a solid outing finishing 6th, while Steve Brinster and Drew Gibson tied for 9th to round out the top ten.

On the Open Women side of things it was Paige Pierce who once again delivered the dominant performance. Paige grabbed the lead in round one and did not look back. Des Reading and Jennifer Allen played extremely well representing Team Innova, grabbing the 3rd and 4th spots respectively. JD Ramirez and Brian Schweberger followed suit in Masters, also grabbing the 3rd and 4th positions.

Another huge field was on hand in Bend, OR for the Disc Go Ball. Valarie Jenkins lead wire-wire and picked up a nice win over teammate Melodie Bailey. In the Open division kudos goes to Dustin Keegan as the highest Innova finisher. Dustin finished tied for 3rd at -15 under par.

Other team members getting wins this weekend include:

Pasi Koivu – After Easter Open, 1st Place Open
Johnny Sias – Lexington Open, 1st Place Masters
Stephen Miller – Battle in the Blue Ridge, 1st Place Open
Jessica Weese – Auburn Open, 1st Place Open Women
Kyle Crabtree – Discing at the Depot, 1st Place Open
Mike Moser – The Breeze, 1st Place Open & The Trees, 1st Place Open
Devin Frederick – Golf Cart Classic, 1st Place Open
Maxime Tanghe – Belgium NT4, 1st Place Open

Team members finding the winners circle on Easter weekend include:

Barry Schultz – Charlotte Masters Championship, 1st Place Masters
Steve Brinster – FDR Fools Fest, 1st Place Open
Colleen Thompson – Rend Lake Open, 1st Place Open Women
Danielle Vargas – Battle in the Briars, 1st Place Open Women
Alexis Mandujano – Battle in the Briars, 1st Place Women’s Intermediate
Kevin McCoy – April Fools Gold, 1st Place Open
Mike Moser – Thompson Park Grand Opening, 1st Place Open
Mike Young – GnR Invades Aggieland, 1st Place Open

McBeth Outguns Lizotte in Texas

02.23.15

Paul McBeth and Discmania’s Simon Lizotte lead the charge in Houston, TX this weekend, as nearly 300 competitors were in town for the 20th Annual Texas State Disc Golf Championship. It was nip and tuck between the two until the final round where Lizotte slipped just a bit, which was all Paul needed to seal the deal with a 4-shot win. Nate Sexton started off slowly in round one but rallied down the stretch, including an ace in the final round, to lock up 4th place.

Jennifer Allen and Des Reading finished 3rd and 4th among Open Women. The world’s top ranked female, Paige Pierce, was just too much to handle in her home state. In Masters it was JD Ramirez grabbing 2nd place, with Jay Reading just one shot back in 3rd.

Team Innova grabbed a host of other wins around the country. Melodie Bailey was victorious at the Aloha Sushi Classic in Walla Walla, WA. In Norman, OK Mitch McClellan took home the top spot at the 16th Annual Duncan Lake HillClimber. Danielle Vargas joined Mitch in the winner’s circle, after a nice win in Open Women.

Back east it was Calvin Heimburg and Pam Reineke who pulled off a similar one-two punch. Calvin won Open at The 22nd Sizzler in Coconut Creek, FL, while Pam bested the field in Open Women. And just up the road in Winchester, VA it was Innova’s newest Ambassador, Bob Cannon, taking home the Masters title at the Winchester IFO.

The weekend’s other A-tier event was the Daniel Boe Memorial in Escondido, CA. Those in attendance were there to celebrate the life of Daniel Boe, who lost his life in a car accident in February of last year. Daniel was only 26 years old. Our hearts go out to Daniel’s family and friends. We would also like to thank those who attended this special event as their presence alone brought joy to many and was a reminder of the sense of community that makes disc golf so special for us all.

While we consider everyone who attended the Daniel Boe Memorial to be a winner, here are the individual winners in each division:

Open – Ricky Wysocki
Open Women – Ohn Scoggins
Masters – Richard Ewald
Grandmasters – Jeff Nichols
Senior Grandmasters – Frank Bochinski
Advanced – Edwin Rodriguez
Advanced Women – Kim Cottrell
Advanced Masters – Kris Kiler
Advanced Grandmasters – Kerry Gauhran
Intermediate – Anthony Moreno
Recreational – Steve Coryell
Recreational Women – Nicole Ernis

Thank you to our team members in attendance including: Philo Brathwaite, Max Nichols, Kyle Eckmann, Jake LaPutka, Vanessa Van Dyken, Juliana Korver, Chris Brophy, Steve Boylan, and Allen Risley.

Paul McBeth & Simon Lizotte (2015 Texas States Highlight Reel)

Flip the Script on Portable Tees

04.01.15

Given the success of Blizzard Champion Discs, we wanted to expand the technology to other areas of disc golf. Tee pads were the obvious answer. Generally the heaviest, most labor intensive and permanent pieces of the course, tee pads can be a headache for course designers and temporary courses. All that is history with the invention of Innova® PortaPADS™.

Innova PortaPAD™

We’ve created a proprietary blend of lightweight moisture wicking concrete by incorporating our innovative Blizzard Technology. Our PortaPADs are 14% lighter than normal concrete tees making them more movable. At 60″ wide by 96″ long, they will easily suit your needs for one day events, additional tees, or testing out new course designs. Moisture wicking, means these tees will stay dry and maintain traction in even the wettest of climates.

Don’t settle for natural tees

The next time you want to set up a temporary course, or add new tee locations, don’t settle for natural tees. Let your players tee on concrete with our new INNOVA PortaPADs! INNOVA PortaPADs are always smooth, always dry and always perfect for teeing. PortaPADS can be easily installed, moved or even removed in a just few hours. Innova PortaPADs conveniently allow multiple tee positions for every hole on the course for the cost of a single tee pad.

Easy to Relocate! Just Flip and Go!

To relocate the PortaPAD, grab a friend and simply flip the pad over *† and it’s ready to move to a new position‡! Built in easy-roll wheels†† and convenient handles make moving PortaPAD tees a breeze†††.

NO Permanent Tees!

Many park departments do not allow permanent concrete tees. The Innova PortaPAD tee with Blizzard technology provides the solution. Bring your tee to the course with you‡‡!

Innova PortaPAD™ – Always smooth, always level and always perfect for teeing.

Custom textures, colors and graphics are available. Course discounts available on the purchase of 9 or more PortaPADs. Please call for more information and for a personalized shipping quote.

• * PortaPAD™ flipping should not be attempted by those over the age of 65.
• † Do not attempt to move PortaPAD™ while pregnant, unless you’ve already had twins.
• ‡ Do not attempt to move PortaPAD™ on grades of more than 9%.
• †† Always keep PortaPAD™ tires between 85 and 100PSI.
• ‡‡ Check your vehicle payload capacity for hauling capabilities. At 1700 pounds, PortaPAD™ will void manufacturer drivetrain warranties on most ¾ ton pickups.
• ††† Innova requires liability contracts for all PortaPAD™ purchase and rentals. Innova is not liable for damage or injury for proper or improper use of PortaPAD.
• ‡‡‡ Do not taunt PortaPAD™.

McBeth Rolls in Vegas, Now Eyeing 4th Memorial Title

02.23.15

Paul McBeth has begun the 2015 tournament season with a serious bang. In February McBeth captured the season’s first Major, the Aussie Open. He followed that up with a win at the Wintertime Open in Pasadena. McBeth picked up his third consecutive win this past weekend, over a loaded field in Vegas at the Gentlemen’s Club Challenge.

McBeth trailed Paul Ulibarri by one shot heading into Sunday’s final round. A bogey on Hole 6 cost Ulibarri the lead and opened the door for McBeth to make a move. McBeth did just that, carding 2 eagles and 6 birdies through the final 12 holes which propelled him to a 4-shot margin of victory. Drew Gibson also had a nice showing in Vegas, finishing in a three-way tie for fourth place.

Melodie Bailey and Jessica Weese tied for third place in Open Women. The world’s number one ranked female player, Paige Pierce, was the only lady to shoot under par for the tournament. Consistent rounds of 64-64-66 lead Pierce to a 3-shot win. Other strong performances were turned in by Chris Brophy who finished second in Masters, and Peter Shive who earned the victory in the Legends division.

Innova Junior Team member, Randon Latta, got a nice, Men’s Advanced win in Orlando. Randon shot an incredible, Sunday morning round of 47 (1027 rated) to blast into first place and ultimately to a 7-throw win. In Men’s Open Ken Climo and Aleksey Bubis notched third and fourth place finishes. Congratulations to JohnE McCray who got the win.

Jay and Des Reading were in action at the Victoria Open in Texas, an event they know extremely well. Jay grabbed the early lead and was able to hang on for a 2-shot win. Des held the lead in Open Women after round one as well. She added to that lead in each of the remaining rounds to win comfortably. These were the 6th consecutive wins at this event for both Jay and Des.

The PDGA National Tour begins this coming weekend in Scottsdale. For many years the Memorial Championship has been the first big test of the season and it is generally action packed. Paul McBeth will look to defend his Memorial crown from 2014. He is already a back-to-back winner, having won the Memorial in 2011 and 2012.

McBeth also looks to become the first player to capture four Memorial crowns. Barry Schultz and Dave Feldberg each have three, and are the only other players to win back-to-back. Schultz won in 2003, 2005, and 2006. Feldberg won in 2007, 2008, and 2010. The only other players to claim this title since 2002 are Steve Rico, Tim Gill, Nikko Locastro, and Will Schusterick.

The Memorial Championship’s signature course, Fountain Hills, is also where McBeth carded his jaw-dropping, 1132-rated round of 39 back in 2013. McBeth’s “Beast Mode” was fully activated in the final round as he came storming back to force a sudden death playoff with Will Schusterick. Schusterick held on to win the playoff in what was one of the tournament’s most memorable finishes.

For complete coverage of the 2015 Memorial Championship visit www.pdga.com.

Nate Sexton – Poised for Success

02.12.15

Congratulations to our newest Star Team member, Nate Sexton, on his win at this weekend’s Buckhorn Open in New Hill, NC. Nate blasted out of the starting gates, firing a 1047-rated round of 43 that earned him the lead. From there, he never looked back. Nate’s final round of 48 was even stronger (1051 rated) and propelled him to a 17-throw victory, the largest winning margin of his career.

Six hundred miles south of New Hill sits a sleepy little disc golf town called Orlando, FL. This weekend 151 golfers rolled into this magical disc golf kingdom for the Barnett Park Championships presented by Orlando Disc Golf. One of them was Pensacola’s Madison Walker, who officially joined the Innova team on Friday afternoon while in route to the event.

Madison had her hands full with teammates Hannah Leatherman and Pam Reineke in the Open Women’s division. Hannah grabbed the early lead in round one and would add to it with each consecutive round. Hannah grabbed the title, while Madison and Pam locked up the second and third place spots for an Innova divisional sweep.

Innova Junior Team member, Randon Latta, got a nice, Men’s Advanced win in Orlando. Randon shot an incredible, Sunday morning round of 47 (1027 rated) to blast into first place and ultimately to a 7-throw win. In Men’s Open Ken Climo and Aleksey Bubis notched third and fourth place finishes. Congratulations to JohnE McCray who got the win.

In Seaside, CA it was Jessica Weese getting her first win of the season at the CSUMB Otter Open. Jessica also lead wire-to-wire, finishing 5 shots ahead of the 2012 Women’s World Champion, Sarah Hokum.

McBeth and Jenkins Capture Major Titles From Down Under

02.03.15

The 2015 PDGA Tour got off to an earlier start this year with the inaugural Aussie Open in Mundaring, Australia. This brand new, biennial PDGA Major drew a solid field for this time of year that featured some of the world’s highest ranked players. Among them were 3-time World Champion, Paul McBeth, and 3-time women’s World Champion, Valarie Jenkins.

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Both Paul and Val were eager to begin the season and appeared to be in excellent form. Paul was joined atop the leaderboard by Simon Lizotte and the pair blistered the course in rounds two and three. First setting the course record in Round two and then breaking the course record again in Round 3. Their back to back rounds of 53 and 52 were rated 1075 and 1084 by the PDGA ratings system.

Paul closed with a final round of 59 and was the only player to shoot all four rounds in the 50s. That consistency enabled him to pull out in front and ultimately capture a six throw margin of victory. Simon held on to second place over Ricky Wysocki. Valarie played consistently as well. She was the only female player to shoot all four rounds in the 60s. She and teammate Jennifer Allen took home the top two spots in Open Women.

The last few weeks here in the states saw most of the country bundled up and fearing polar vortex, but Florida residents and visitors were soaking up the rays at Sun King’s Throw Down the Mountain tournament in Brooksville. Gregg Hosfeld may have been the hottest of all, picking up the win in Men’s Grandmasters. Ken Climo finished second in Men’s Open, as did Hannah Leatherman in Open Women.

Jay and Des Reading wasted no time getting wins in 2015. Their season opener was in Texas at the First Offense at Shawshank. Jay Yeti-stomped the field to win by 6 strokes in Men’s Open, while Des Reading did a little stomping of her own to win Open Women by 8.

The tournament season for the rest of the country will really kick into high gear in just a few weeks. Many of the top pros will be in Las Vegas February 20-22 for the Gentlemen’s Club Challenge presented by Innova Champion. The GCC is considered THE warm-up event for the start of the PDGA National Tour, which begins the very next weekend at The Memorial in Arizona.

McBeth leads Aussie Open

01.30.15

The Aussie Open is the first Major of 2015 and McBeast mode has been activated. McBeth shot a 1075 rated -12 on day 2 to take the lead. Paul started off with a 57, leaving him in 2nd place, one stroke behind Nathan Doss. By the end of round…

VRoc Giveaway – Models Coming Soon!

01.22.15

What is the VRoc?
There seems to be a bit of confusion concerning the new VRocs we are coming out with. There are three different flavors of VRocs. VRoc 1 will be designated VRoc and is the mellowest and straightest out of the box Roc. It …

Throwers Choice Holiday Giveaway

12.22.14

Disc of the Year: Thunderbird
We’re having a holiday giveaway to celebrate the Thunderbird winning Disc of the Year in All Things Disc Golf’s Thrower’s Choice Awards! The Thunderbird led from day one and finished with 23.29% of the votes. …

Distance World Record Shattered! 863 Feet!

10.27.14

Breaking news: Simon Lizotte sets a new distance world record on Saturday morning with his first throw of the day. His record setting throw measured 863.5 feet. David Wiggins was up for the challenge, breaking his own record, but 851 feet w…

Fall Goodness

10.23.14

It has been an exciting month on the fall tournament scene. This past weekend it was an Innova team sweep at the Warwick Disc Golf Championships. Steve Brinster rebounded after a disappointing USDGC finish and defended his home course in Warwick, NY. Rounding out the top Open positions were Mike Moser and Andrew Fish who tied for second place, and Devin Frederick who finished in third. Hannah Leatherman and Joe Mela were also victorious, picking up the Women’s Open and Men’s Masters titles respectively.

Patrick Brown was back home in California after his dramatic USDGC run. Patrick earned the top spot in Men’s Masters at the NorCal Series Championships in Stockton, as well as the season’s overall series points title. In the Open it was Max Nichols finishing second behind a red hot Josh Anthon.

Jay and Des Reading were home in Austin at the 37th Annual Waterloo Disc Golf Classic, a huge PDGA C-tier drawing nearly 200 competitors. Jay was able to edge Brad Williams to claim the Men’s Open title, while Des captured the Women’s Open crown for the second year in a row. Joel Kelly picked up a nice win as well, taking down Men’s Grandmasters by two throws.

The Readings have been on a tear since Pro Worlds this summer. The pair went on a state championship run hitting some top notch mountain courses in Montana, Colorado and New Mexico. Up at the 8,500 ft Bohart Ranch in Bozeman, MT, Team Innova swept the MT State Championship A-Tier with Christian Dietrich taking Open, Des Reading in Pro Women and Jay Reading in Masters.

They then peeled out towards the 9,800 ft Sunlight Ski Mountain course in Glenwood Springs, CO for their state championship where Des Reading won Women’s Open and Tom Carrillo was victorious in Men’s Masters. From there it was down to the New Mexico State Championship which welcomed 117 competitors to the beautiful ski town of Ruidoso, NM at 6,900 feet. Huge props to Des who went on to claim her third State Championship in as many weeks. And also to Jay who drained a 45 footer to win Men’s Open on the first hole of sudden death.

Congratulations to all of our team members who have traversed the country in recent weeks. Here is a snapshot of some of the other top performances:

• Pam Reineke, United States Women’s Disc Golf Championships, 1st Place Women’s Grandmasters
• Valarie Jenkins, United States Women’s Disc Golf Championships, 2nd Place Women’s Open
• Krystin Nowicki, United States Women’s Disc Golf Championships, 1st Place Advanced Women
• Matt Dollar, South Florida Open, 1st Place Men’s Open
• Brian Schweberger, Down East Players Cup, 1st Place Men’s Open
• Patrick Brown, 2014 Coyote Classic, 1st Place Men’s Masters
• Steve Boylan, 2014 Matt HOMIE Lovasko Fall Celebration, 1st Place Men’s Masters
• Steve Boylan, Charlie Vettiner Open, 1st Place Men’s Masters
• Des Reading, 16th Annual Oktoberfest, 1st Place Women’s Open
• Melodie Bailey, 3rd Annual General Store Open, 1st Place Women’s Open

Calendar Contest Winners

10.15.14

Thank you to all the photographers that submitted photos to the 2015 INNOVA Calendar contest. This year we reviewed nearly 1000 submissions from around the world. The final photos have been selected. The winner of the drawing for the DISCatcher Sport Target is Josh Rogan, who submitted a photo of Blue Mountain – Skyline Park Disc Golf Course in Danielsville, Pennsylvania.

The 2015 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.

USDGC Recap and SpinTV Coverage

10.08.14

Taking a cue from the dramatic PDGA Worlds, the United States Disc Golf Championship ended in a spectacular playoff. Paul McBeth (-19), Will Schusterick (-18), John E McCray (-17), and Patrick Brown (-16) made the lead card for the final round at Winthrop Gold Course. After trading the lead all week, scorecards looked like typical USDGC scorecards; many birdies, but an unusually high number of bogeys, double bogeys and even triple bogeys.

John E McCray lead the pack with a hot round going into hole 17. McCray who had a 4 stroke lead with just two holes to go had trouble finding fair ground and eventually ended up taking a 9, leaving the door wide open for Schusterick and McBeth. McBeth birdied while Schusterick took par. Paul attacked hole 18 but had his second shot find OB. Will played a safe route, but left himself with an awkward putt and took a bogey 5 as well. Brown, who was at (-18) to start Hole 18, also took a bogie 5. McCray stayed focused, and took a birdie 3 to force the first three way tie (-19) in USDGC history.

McBeth, Schusterick and McCray returned to Hole 18 for a sudden-death play-off. Schusterick smashed his tee shot up the fairway, followed by an approach that put him below the basket. Schusterick looked to be in good shape to seal it since McBeth’s second shot landed short and left of the green and McCray went OB on his second shot. McBeth then landed his next shot by the basket as McCray again went OB trying to stay in it. Schusterick, again in position to win it, could not put it away and the drama continued for another playoff hole, but without McCray. Schusterick and McBeth then proceeded to Hole 1, a nerve-racking, relatively short hole with mandatory. McBeth’s drive went long and he missed his birdie putt leaving the door open for Schusterick once again. This time Schusterick’s putt was true and he won his third US Championship.

Congratulations to Will on the victory and all competitors in the USDGC. It was one of the most exciting and successful Championships in the history of this prestigious event.

ThrowPINK

Each year, the USDGC chooses an organization to benefit and this year ThrowPink (www.throwpink.com) was chosen. ThrowPINK hopes to make a difference stopping breast cancer while getting women and girls playing disc golf. The Championship raised money during the “BigHeartBigArm” Distance Showcase. over $1800 was raised through sponsoring each disc that was thrown across Lake Winthrop by the top distance throwers: Simon Lizotte, Garrett Gurthie, Nikko Locastro (subbing for Steve Brinster who was injured) and Jeremy Koling. Another spot was up for bid, and both David Wiggins and Performance Champion, Paige Pierce were included. Every shot had a chance to win a Discatcher Traveler if an ace was made, while hitting the lone DISCatcher would have resulted in a $25000 donation to ThrowPINK. It was exciting to see the first shot by a woman ever clear the lake (Paige’s first try), and Jeremy Koling hitting the first Over the lake ace and winning a Traveler for his sponsor.

SpinTV Coverage

USDGC 2014 – McB3AST leads

10.03.14

Paul McBeth jumped out to an early lead with a 1090 rated -14 on round 1 of the USDGC. As round two unfolded, fans saw the volatile scores that the USDGC is known for. Paul weathered a triple bogey on hole 9, but came back with some birdies t…