Memorial Championship Recap

Welcome. You’re In The Circle, the best way to kill time at work.

📝 On today’s card:

• DGPT stop #2 of 16, Waco

• Avoid the lean, get more distance

• The Memorial Championship recap

🧠 Tuesday Trivia: Who racked up the most PDGA points in 2022?

See the end of the newsletter for the answer…

Read time: 3 minutes and 52 seconds

UP YOUR GAME

Good form is vital to success in many sports, and disc golf is no exception. Throwing with good form can lead to farther distance, with less effort.

Pro Ezra Aderhold, currently #1 in DGPT rankings, describes the importance of focusing on rotating instead of leaning during your throws. His video details common mistakes for many players and gives technique tips to improve efficiency, distance, and accuracy.

The mistake happens during the reach back, prior to the x-step. Instead of rotating back with the disc, the upper body leans back and down with the disc. Ezra states that this is a slow movement and a weak position to be in. This position restricts the ability to rotate, snap-through, and get back to the power pocket.

Reaching back before the x-step, causes your upper body to lean down as you continue your footwork. Doing this forces you to lift your upper body in order to rotate through the throw resulting in a “rocking motion”.

To remove the lean:

• Keep the disc close to your body until the x-step happens

• Rotate and reach the disc back while pulling your left shoulder toward the basket

• Keep your spine vertical

The way to throw farther and with more accuracy cannot be found in the weight room. If you find your distance lacking on the course, give the tips from Ezra a try.

THE MEMORIAL CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP

Gannon Buhr took home his first tournament win of 2023. Much needed after his disappointing performance at LVC where he placed 30th.

Ohn Scoggins lead the FPO division for the entire weekend and ultimately won by 10 strokes.

MPO

In round one, Adam Hammes shot -16, an 1104-rated round. It is the highest-rated round of his career and makes him the 31st player to record an 1100-rated round. Adam was tied for the lead going into the final round but missed putts plagued his round causing him to finish fifth in the event.

Aaron Gossage, Anthony Barela, and Gannon Buhr were all tied at -39 after the final round. This sent the three players into a playoff. On the first hole, all three got birdies, pushing the playoff to another hole.

Aaron hit a tree early and ended about 75 feet short of the basket, forcing him to throw an upshot. Anthony smoked the drive and ended up past the basket just outside the circle’s edge, while Gannon threw a near-perfect drive landing right next to the basket. Anthony missed his step putt leaving Gannon free to tap in his putt for the win.

FPO

Ohn Scoggins held a seven-stroke lead after round three. She kept her foot on the gas, playing smart and picking up three more strokes in the final round extending her lead to ten.

Natalie Ryan made her 2023 debut, also her first tournament since the PDGA changed its policy regarding its gender-protected division. Natalie held second place through the first three rounds of the event but was unable to keep the momentum up in the final round, shooting a +2 for the round and taking fourth place.

Natalie is restricted to A-Tier tournaments or below if she wants to compete in the FPO division. There is no update on her lawsuit filed against the PDGA and DGPT.

View the full scores here:

WEEKLY PRO RANKINGS - TOP 10

RULE OF THE DAY

🧠 Answer: Joel Freeman with 29,982.50 points. Paul McBeth was second with 28,460.