06.11.14

Valarie Jenkins was already one of the most decorated competitors in disc golf. This past weekend Val extended her legacy even further by capturing the women’s crown at the 2014 Japan Open. The win is Val’s 4th at the Japan Open (2006, 2008, 2010, and 2014) and her 14th PDGA Major Championship title.

Jenkins grabbed an early, four shot lead in Round 1 with an impressive 59. Des Reading and Paige Pierce were not far off the pace with solid rounds of 63. Val pushed her lead to eight in Rounds 2 and 3, however Pierce came charging back in Round 4 to erase Val’s lead completely. It was officially “game on” heading into the event’s final two rounds.

Photo courtesy of Japan Open Disc Golf

Val vs Paige has become one of the more anticipated matchups in recent years. Val finished second to Pierce at the World Championships in 2011 and 2013. The two are typically battling it out on the PDGA Tour and are consistently ranked among the best in the world. This time around it was Jenkins who emerged victorious. Val moved ahead by one shot in Round 5, then added two more shots to her lead in the final round to win by three.

Photo courtesy of Japan Open Disc Golf

In similar fashion, Paul McBeth and Ricky Wysocki have been trading blows all season. Coming into the Japan Open, Ricky has the head-to-head advantage over Paul 3-2. Both players needed 4 rounds to work their way to the top of the leaderboard as savvy veterans like Nikko Locastro, Jussi Meresmaa, Ken Climo, and Dave Feldberg were all scoring well despite the soggy conditions.

Photo courtesy of Japan Open Disc Golf

Since the Japan Open was cancelled in 2012 due to the tragic 2011 Tsunami, Locastro was essentially defending his title from 2010 where he beat Feldberg in a sudden death playoff. Dave Feldberg won the previous Japan Open, in 2008, the year Ricky began his career as a 15-year old amateur from Ohio. Needless to say, Ricky has come along way since then racking up more than 60 professional wins and more than 100k in tournament winnings.

Wysocki extended his two shot lead to four in round 5, affording him a bit of breathing room for the final. Ricky would finish the event at -11, four shots clear of McBeth and Locastro who tied for second place. Dave Feldberg and Nate Doss rounded out the top 5 at -1 and +1 respectively.

Despite the rainy weather, this year’s Japan Open was, as always, a remarkable success. It’s pageantry and overall player experience is second to none. Be sure to check out the photo galleries as well as MPO Final Round Coverage from SpinTV.

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