♨️ The Mid-American sauna
DG Influencer, Prodigy, and Misconceptions
Hello and welcome. This is The Players Meeting, the newsletter that catches everything like a Mach X basket.
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If you missed the MAO primer, then I got you: Putt for Show
Let’s get into it.
Mid-America Open (Silver Series)
RESULTS - 🏆ALDEN HARRIS & SARAH HOKOM
In the sauna-like conditions, Harmony Bends lived up to the hype. Players had something to prove with less competition but had to manage expectations on this difficult track.
MPO/ Connor O’Reilly hit the ground running on Friday. The defending Delaware DG Challenge Champ nailed 12 birdies for -11 (1063 rated). The next closest were Alden Harris & Anthony Barela 2 back.
On Moving Day, the leaderboard tightened up. Ending tied at 1st, Harris & O’Reilly were both -18 total, but 6 players moved within 4.
Sunday came and none of the leaders were shredding. Chase card names were popping in and out of the lead, especially AB.
He was “hyper-aggressive” and easily threw drives the commentators had never seen. Unfortunately, his putter wasn’t working and took him out of the title run.
With O’Reilly falling off early and Gannon Buhr slowly gaining momentum, it was Harris’s to lose. And he nearly did… After early trouble on Hole 17, his lead shrunk to 1 stroke.
But his hard work paid off, and he executed the final hole perfectly. Harris took down the biggest win of his career and is looking forward to the next stretch with “so much confidence now.”
FPO/ The weekend started with 6 players within 3 strokes. Some were known names (Sarah Hokom, Jessica Weese, & Natalie Ryan), while others are still making themselves known (Stacie Rawnley & Alex Benson).
The separation started on Moving Day. Giving herself a 4-stroke lead, Hokom made the woods her own and carved unimaginable FH lines.
But even with a buffer, no lead was safe. Hokom started the final round with a double bogey and 2 bogeys, canceling out her lead.
Even with Kat Mertsch giving her a run, Hokom eventually relaxed and settled in. Using some creativity, the FH Queen won her 2nd Mid-America Open 14 years later.
STANDOUT PLAYER
Chris Clemons tied for 2nd with Buhr. He shot a bogey-free final round (1049 rated) to end with his best finish this year.
Averaging 14 points over his rating, Clemons demonstrated how effective his FH can be in the woods. The upcoming final quarter of the Pro Tour will play to his strengths.
HIGHLIGHT
“Can’t have flowers without rain.” Cynthia Ricciotti smashes chains from 132 ft.
Balancing Act: Athlete or Content Creator
There’s a growing trend of pros only using social media for recaps about their successes, failures, or complaints from the past weekend. While unoriginal, they engage with fans and fulfill contractual obligations.
On The Trevor Staub Show, Silas Schultz brought up the unique position that pros are in… They have to be an athlete AND a content creator/personality.
There are players who fill this role naturally - Ezra Aderhold, Simon Lizotte, & Alden Harris (in his goofy vlog way). And there are those who use a management team to handle everything off the course.
But those not in those categories have to choose. Schultz is a young, semi-touring pro who may be on your radar or you have no idea who he is.
Some say he’s an Instagram reel genius, but to himself he’s still trying to find his place. He thinks social media is fun and good traction for sponsors, but this next stretch will help him decide.
While he prefers being a pro over an influencer, he knows people will watch if he’s entertaining. This helps his mindset knowing he doesn’t have to perform at the highest level every week, although he just did at the Magic City Mega Bowl.
Fresh Plastic
Sponsored by Powergrip USA… A PRETTY GOOD disc golf shop. Europe’s largest store now in the US.
👉 Powergrip’s Highlight: Prodigy Airborn Stryder (6|4|0|3)
There’s lots of new Prodigy dropping this Thursday (8/11). First up we have Cale Leiviska’s Stryder - the newest addition to the Airborn lineup.
It’s a slightly OS but very controllable midrange. This point and shoot disc gives some moderate punch and glide combined with a hint of fade.
Next is the Prodigy H7 (9|5|-4|1) release. It’s a new hybrid driver that gives the DX Valkyrie or Lone Star Dome a run for its money.
While perfect for beginners, the H7 can be used as a long turnover or quick roller disc for faster arms. It was made to be hyzer flipped down long tunnels where you want minimal fade.
All the Prodigy drops are available in both 400 & 500 plastics. Choose 500 for slightly more stability and stiffness. Otherwise, 400 will give you the classic premium feel you expect.
Grab your flying camel or Paradox-like fairway today with code PLYRSMTGAUG22 for 10% off your Powergrip order.
Random Dubs
1️⃣ One of the most competitive titles in the game was awarded this weekend. The Finnish Nationals were from Thursday (8/4) to Sunday in Turku, FI.
Nicklas Anttila retook his crown as the best Finn winning by 2 strokes. And Eveliina Salonen became the undisputed champion for the 4th time.
2️⃣ IceBerg TV went to the extreme and decided the “power grip” shouldn’t be used for max distance shots. Overthrow DG was mentioned in the video and responded with observations.
The real deal about the 2 concepts for grips:
Front-loaded grip - has a pivot point (pinch), adds spin/speed/whip
Mid/Back-loaded grip - moves pressure to middle fingers, adds accuracy/control
The main takeaway is not to concern yourself with what exact grip you use. It’s about how you load your grip for the desired shot, and the best way to do it changes from person to person (Stokely approved ✅).
Tweet of the Week
Thanks for reading today. Get out and be dough this week!
- Charlie
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