🎆 A weekend full of fireworks
Elections, Waves, and Baseball
Hello and welcome. This is The Players Meeting, the DG newsletter that always looks out for you. We’re the friend who pays your $5 buy-in when you forget cash.
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If you missed the USWDGC primer, then I got you: Women Who Crush
Let’s get into it.
USWDGC
RESULTS - 🏆 HAILEY KING
Now this was what we were waiting for - An amazing Major spotlighting our women. It had it all. The final drama, new faces, and great woods golf.
With 2 courses of no OB and reachable holes, play was exhilarating. On the 1st day alone, there were 3 aces hit, and the lead card was decided for the rest of the event.
On Thursday, Eveliina Salonen shot -9 leading her Innova teammates - Ohn Scoggins, Maria Oliva, & Hailey King - as the front runners. They traded hot scores and the lead back and forth. Oliva was unstoppable on Friday, shooting a 1018-rated -12, but lost her grip when switching to wooded lines and humid conditions on Sat/Sun.
King, a Wisconsin native, has vast experience at these courses, and it showed as she carved up the woods. Watching her competitors hit early trees and miss putts, she took the lead into Sunday.
The final round was up and down, and the nerves were showing. Players rushed shots, made mistakes, and missed putts. King & Scoggins pushed ahead and left their card mates behind.
Little did they know Valerie Mandujano was charging. She birdied 7 holes in a row creating a 3-way race, but King didn’t make a mistake down the stretch.
In front of her friends, family, and home crowd, the young King maintained her lead and won her 1st Major with 1 stroke over Mandujano and 2 over Scoggins. She’s had a slow year but showed up when it mattered, and it’s only the start for the 20-year-old.
STANDOUT PLAYER
Sai Ananda isn’t a name you hear often, but she’s been in the scene for years. This weekend she was the only player bogey-free 3 rounds in, but unfortunately broke that streak with 5 holes to go.
In 2016, Ananda won AM Worlds and then turned pro. She’s not touring but attends most of the big events. Last year, she finished Top 10 at US Women’s and Worlds.
She’s a dark horse when the Majors come around, and if she ever tours then Ananda will be a household name.
HIGHLIGHT
King’s drive on Saturday’s Hole 17 was the turning point. Her following eagle putt pushed her into a share of the lead.
PDGA Board Election
If you’re one of the 226k PDGA members, then you got a link to vote for the 2 spots on the PDGA Global Board of Directors. If you haven’t already, then you have until the end of July to dig the email out of your spam and vote.
There are 13 candidates for the two 3-year terms ending in 2025. It’s extremely important to vote in this time of rapid growth.
Here are some of my quick hits on the candidates:
Conrad Damon, #2450 - Longest tenured. Lower fees and expand involvement at am and pro levels. “Players are the lifeblood.”
John Belty, #11582 - Admin of Tulsa DG Association. Increase member communication and feedback. Expand women’s field.
Tim Petrea, #34756 - Recreation Director. Club and tournament leader. Increase relations with Parks and Rec to grow accessibility.
Joseph Brown, #41057 - Expand grant program for increased school involvement. Show the PDGA is more than a discount and rating.
Robert Harris, #43412 - President of Tupelo DG Association. TD for the past 10 years. Promote growth through children.
Laura Nagtegaal, #44969 - Returning board member. Only international & woman candidate. Expand diversity, inclusion, and globalization.
Michel Munn, #70774 - State Coordinator for MS. Increase member engagement. Educate, train, and develop TDs.
Logan Staton, #97730 - Online retail owner. Simplify & increase accessibility to rules. Champion growth through women and children.
Caleb Franklin, #100331 - Recreation Supervisor. Expand youth and diversity. Focus on amateur events.
Nicholas Engleman, #108432 - Clarify/simplify rules.
Jordan Adams, #144078 - Increase support of clubs, youth programs, & volunteers.
Anthony Davis, #147833 - Promote and grow with schools, camps, etc. Youth and diversity are key.
Phillip Mills, #151411 - CPA. Tiered packages to retain and increase members. More members = more benefits.
I got you started, but read/listen more and vote for who you think will best represent PDGA members at large. If you’re unsure how to decide, then follow Andrew Fish’s advice.
Fresh Plastic
Insights by OTB Discs… Where the discs are VIRTUALLY IN YOUR HAND.
🛸 OTB’s Highlight: Ledgestone Wave 4
The final big wave dropped last week. But we waited to get more insights on some of the molds, and there’s still plenty in stock. Here’s what you need to know:
Big Z Nebula (5|4|-0.5|2) - This revived, older mold is the perfect mix of Buzzz and Wasp. Its small diameter and reliability earned it a spot in Ezra’s bag.
Z Metallic Roach (2|4|0|1) - A great fill-in for 2021 McBeth Lunas. The hand feel doesn’t get closer.
Z Metallic FLX Zone (4|3|0|3) - Picture a more OS Get Freaky. Same feel and minimal ground action but more reliable.
And for something new, OTB is dropping a fun, exclusive run of Colorshift Zones today (7/5). They are somewhat stiff with a mix of very flat and puddle tops - reminiscent of the 2021 Bearheart Zones.
Colorshift plastic is unique and shows its true colors when out on the course. Depending on the disc, the plastic changes color when tilted at the right angle.
Random Dubs
1️⃣ On The Upshot, JohnE McCray had 2 gold nuggets for you all:
Grab your putter in the exact same spot every time. Consistency in you and your equipment.
Always follow through. That goes for all types of throws and life decisions.
And he had one last tidbit… Ken Climo will always be the GOAT, but Paul McBeth is the greatest to ever play the sport.
2️⃣ Ricky Wysocki is throwing the 1st pitch of the Cincinnati Reds vs. the New York Mets game tonight (7/5). Knowing Ricky, he won’t embarrass himself on the mound but will raptor leg afterward.
Tweet of the Week
Thanks for reading today. Get out and don’t lose discs this week!
- Charlie
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