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- 🥏 DGPT's newest tour series
🥏 DGPT's newest tour series
Happy Friday, you’re In The Circle! No wasting time, let’s get going.
On today’s card:
📢 DGPT United Series
🏆 Tournament Recaps
👁️ Mid America Open Preview
Read time: 5 minutes
📢 DGPT UNITED SERIES
A lot has been happening across the Disc Golf Pro Tour these last two weeks. So let’s get caught up.
The DGPT released an announcement on July 14th about adjustments to the FPO division for the remainder of the 2023 season. They followed up with the official launch of the DGPT United Series this past Tuesday.
The announcement and changes come more than halfway through the season after two lawsuits from former FPO player Natalie Ryan.
The Announcement
In light of being the subject of last-minute litigation and in order to protect competitive fairness in the FPO division, the DGPT stated they would be relocating and/or canceling multiple DGPT events for FPO players from the remaining tournaments in the 2023 season.
Mid-America Open
No changes planned
Discraft Ledgestone Open
FPO Division canceled
LWS Open at Idlewild
No changes planned
Discraft Great Lakes Open
FPO Division canceled
American Flying Discs Open
FPO Division not longer a DPGT event, and no DGPT points are awarded
Discmania Open
FPO Division not longer a DPGT event, and no DGPT points are awarded
MVP Open
FPO Division canceled
DGPT Championship
No changes planned
Background
This all started when the Professional Disc Golf Association revised its policy on Eligibility for Gender-Based Divisions (FPO). The DGPT quickly announced it would adopt and enforce the same policy set forth by the PDGA. This sent ripples through the disc golf community whether you were in favor of, or against it.
It also drove former FPO professional Natalie Ryan on a battle against the PDGA and DGPT.
“Our company is in its fourth season operating the DGPT. As a relatively new professional sport, we have limited resources which we must use wisely in order to support an FPO division that has been publicly voicing their strong support for, and the necessity of, this policy. We are confident that the DGPT’s eligibility rules will ultimately be upheld. However, we cannot continue to endure last-minute challenges that drain the resources the DGPT needs to expand the game and grow elite competitive opportunities for our athletes…”
Welcome, DGPT United Series
DGPT
Following up on their announcement, the DGPT launched their coming-together campaign, United Series. The following events will be included in the 2023 DGPT United Series.
Discraft Ledgstone Open
Discraft Great Lakes Open
American Flying Disc Open
Discmania Open
PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships
MVP Open
The United Series will offer a new event designation allowing transgender women to compete in those events as an FPO player. In order to compete, they will still have to meet any one of the three PDGA Gender-Based Division eligibility criteria.
This solution was discussed among DPGT and PDGA representatives and includes support from touring professionals from both sides of the gender eligibility policy argument. The series will begin at the Ledgestone Open next weekend and will include five other DGPT and PDGA events in 2023. Natalie Ryan, the biggest critic of the PDGA and DGPT’s actions, seems just ok with the decision.
Natalie Ryan
United Series events will still award points for FPO players. Standard DGPT points will be awarded as normal for each event and will also include awarded co-equal United Series points. The top three FPO competitors in the United Series will receive bonus payouts at the end of the series (MVP Open).
What the United Series and the Gender-Based FPO Division will look like in 2024 is uncertain right now. The DGPT will likely be brainstorming to create a more long-term solution before the start of next season.
🏆️ TOURNAMENT RECAPS
We’ve missed the last few tournaments, so check out the results recaps below if you missed them.
European Open
PCS Open
If you missed the PDGA Masters World Championships, check out the amateur results here, and the professional results here.
👁️ MID AMERICA OPEN PREVIEW
The seventh Disc Golf Pro Tour Silver event is underway in Columbia, Missouri at the Mid America Open. After a short hiatus in Europe, the DGPT is back again in Missouri.
This tournament has seen more than 30 world champions and Disc Golf Hall of Fame players come and go. Which, begs the question, who out there this weekend will be a future world champion or hall of famer???
DGPT
📺 How to watch
First-round live coverage is available on the DGPT YouTube channel.
DGPT
🏆 Past Mid America Open Champions
2022 - Alden Harris (-26) / Sarah Hokom (E)
2021 - Kyle Klein (-27) / Heather Young (+2)
2020 - Kevin Jones (-19) / Lisa Fajkus (+7)
2019 - Emerson Keith (-21) / Courtney Cannon (+14)
👀 What we’re watching
It’s hard to bet against the Heimborg with the season he’s having. Calving Heimburg truly might be half-robot. Gannon Buhr will also be in attendance and ready to play after a couple of weeks off since he passed on traveling to Europe. It should be exciting to watch the top two MPO players compete this weekend.
We’ll get to see Ohn Scoggins for the first time since the Portland Open in early June. Keep an eye out for Holyn Handley as well, she’s placed in the top three in three of her last four tournaments.
🏅 WEEKLY PRO RANKINGS - TOP 10
Men
| Women
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😂 MEMES
u/DiscGolfFanatic
❓️ QUESTION OF THE DAY
If I have a drop-in, do I need to throw the disc in, or can I just place it in the tray and let go?
“You can place it in the tray, but you must release it and let it come to rest before retrieving it. A release is a required part of a throw, so merely touching the chains or the tray with your putter is not a throw and does not complete the hole.” - QA-COM-1
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