🎇 The MVP Spectacle
Ace Runs, Banner Years, and True Beauty
Hello and welcome, this is The Players Meeting. The NFL RedZone of disc golf.
Email Read Time: 5 Minutes & 36 Seconds
If you missed the MVP primer, then I got you: Don’t Talk about Playoffs
Let’s get into it.
MVP Open
RESULTS - 🏆SIMON LIZOTTE & NATALIE RYAN
Showcasing an exciting ace contest, boisterous crowds, and mental tests, it was another amazing Steve Dodge show at Maple Hill.
MPO/ Just behind DDO’s tornado experience, this is the most challenging course on Tour where OB is unavoidable. Adding insult to injury, this weekend’s conditions were brutal until the final day.
After cancelling MPO’s Thursday due to conditions, the loud galleries were treated to a putting clinic from Raven Newsome & Corey Ellis. Newsome led the field with a -5 (1064 rated) in Round 1, then Ellis gave himself a 3-stroke lead after Round 2 (-8, 1078).
On Sunday, the outright leader switched more times than umbrellas opening and closing in the rain. But as lead card finally came down to Hole 18’s teepad, it was a 3-way tie between Simon Lizotte, Linus Carlsson, & Ellis.
Being on the lead card, Carlsson & Ellis had the chance for glory. Needing only a birdie to push Lizotte out, Ellis piped his drive to perfect, fairway position. Meanwhile Carlsson folded and hit 1st available dropping him out of the race.
After carding a record -10 (1081 rated) from chase card, Lizotte watched Ellis pull his FH approach wide left. Having his 1st child & getting married, it’s been a dream year AND season for the people’s champ, hometown hero, and now the 4x DGPT winner.
FPO/ Greeted with lightning delays, the women were tested in Thursday’s round. Then continuing the trend of bloody scorecards, Round 2 saw cold winds and putters flying everywhere but chains.
Conditions improved, and Natalie Ryan took advantage in Round 3. She managed -3 (1013 rated) and pushed past Kirstin Tattar into 1st place.
In a position she has little practice in, Tattar was chasing Ryan on Championship Sunday. Conditions were near optimal, and it showed with 3x the players under par than the previous days combined.
Tattar and Ryan went back and forth all final round. Coming down to the last hole, the pair each laid up for par and readied themselves for a playoff.
But with it starting on that same hole, Tattar lacked the commitment to match Ryan’s aggressiveness. The now 2x DGPT winner managed to dethrone the queen.
STANDOUT PLAYERS
MPO/ On Friday & Saturday, Raven Newsome had the magic touch on the green. Although he went from 1st to 15th, Newsome will be back even stronger now that his injury is behind him.
FPO/ Before the event, Paige Pierce explained she’s “lacking the killer instinct” and doesn’t care to get it back. But she finally hit her lines to come up 1 short and may have found her fire just in time for the last 2 events remaining.
HIGHLIGHT
There were 3 aces. In the final round, Tristan Tanner & Alden Harris aced Hole 5 and Alex Benson aced Hole 14.
Looking Ahead to 2023
The Upshot podcast brought on DGPT’s CEO and Tour Director - Jeff Spring - to reflect on this season and discuss next year. With it being a “banner year” for the Tour, he shared some milestones:
Surpassed 40k subscribers on DGN
Profits will likely be actualized for the 1st time ever
Tour Championship’s post-produced product will air on ESPN 2
As for 2023, Spring had high hopes they’ll continue their upward trajectory.
Bring Live product to the national media landscape
More non-endemic sponsorships like Epic Games
Increase European support and broadcasts
USDGC included in DGPT points and the title will be awarded there
3 new Elite Series events
Spring stressed that with continued online and in-person growth, their main focus will not change. DGPT/DGN is nothing without the pros, and they will ensure the player experience is #1.
Fresh Plastic
Sponsored by Powergrip USA… A PRETTY GOOD disc golf shop.
👉 Powergrip’s Highlight: Discmania C-Line MD1 Mind Bender (5|6|0|0)
Did someone say Signature Series? Nowadays, we can’t go a week without a new one dropping, but there’s a reason behind all the hype.
Simon Lizotte’s latest releases tomorrow (9/28). Brought back by Lizotte’s request, this is what Eagle McMahon has been in place of his FH. It goes right for the Euro Open winner but dead straight for normal humans.
If you can’t wait, then available now are the Innova Jay (5|4|0|1) & Mint Discs Diamondback (9|5|-2|2). The Mako3 Jay is Innova’s latest point-and-shoot midrange. It features a microbead, low profile, and board flatness making it a great all-purpose mid.
And to pair with it, the Mint Diamondback is the Valkyrie you’ve always wanted. Neutral at high speeds with predictable fade, it feels like a longer Mustang and will be perfect for anyone’s bag.
Buy the discs to patch up your game at Powergrip USA. Use PLYRSMTGSEP22 for 10% off your order.
Random Dubs
1️⃣ Stop trying to be like Paul McBeth or Ezra Aderhold who lean heavily on the flat or hyzer angle. Be like Ricky Wysocki or Gannon Buhr, and use an anhyzer as your preference.
On The Trevor Staub Show, Buhr said the flex shot is “a cheat code” for hitting gaps. The next time you’re faced with a tight gap, aim for the left tree (RHBH) on anhyzer and rip it knowing it’s going to consistently finish every time.
2️⃣ The DGPT Playoffs “drama” finally came to a head on Sunday. But instead of focusing on who made the Championship, all eyes were on the battle for the MPO Points Champion - Ricky Wysocki vs. Paul McBeth.
Before the event start, Wysocki sat only 23.2 points ahead of McBeth. So with fates aligning, the pair sat together on 3rd card going into the final round.
And it was a shoot out. Going toe to toe, they had a combined 16 total birdies and finished the round with McBeth up 2 strokes. But it wasn’t enough, and Wysocki squeaked it out with 4.5 points to spare.
This title means more than any victory all season. - Ricky Wysocki
Tweet of the Week
Thanks for reading today. Put the pizza in the oven this week!
- Charlie
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