First pro A-Tier tournament of 2023

Welcome to In The Circle, your own personal caddie whispering disc golf news in your ear.

ON TODAY'S CARD 📃:

• First pro A-Tier tournament of 2023

• 2023 registration for World Championships

• New disc approvals and circle's edge news

Estimated read time: 3 minutes and 18 seconds

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS (A-Tier)

Two A-Tier tournaments kick off today.

• The Winter Wonderland Amateur Showcase - Jan. 20-22 - Brooksville, Florida

• Shelly Sharpe Memorial - Jan. 20-22 - Scottsdale, Arizona

The Shelly Sharpe Memorial is the first A-Tier tournament for pros in 2023. 

• Favorites to win the MPO division are Anthony Barela, Drew Gibson, and Cale Leviska.

• Jennifer Allen and Maria Oliva are the top female players competing for the title in the FPO division.

Also competing in the Shelly Sharpe Memorial is Pete Ulibarri, the older brother of professional Paul Ulibarri. Pete has been competing over the last 13 years and has over 35 career wins. Read Pete's full bio here.

BULLSEYE

The PDGA released the 2023 world championship registration schedules. The announcement includes registration requirements, open dates, and registration deadlines.

For Pro Registration:

Registration closes Monday, July 3rd. Worlds play starts on Wednesday, August 30th.

For Am Registration:

Registration closes Tuesday, May 23rd. Worlds play starts on Tuesday, June 27th.

Find the full 2023 schedule details for each registration division at the links below:

• PDGA Junior Worlds

• PDGA Amateur Worlds

• PDGA Amateur Masters Worlds

• PDGA Pro Masters Worlds

• PDGA Pro Worlds

FRESH PLASTIC

Six new discs were approved by the PDGA this past week.

• War Bonnet, Overwatch, Osiris, and Cloud Ripper from STM Disc Golf

• Skool from Goto Disc Golf

• Gecko from Elevation Disc Golf

This round of approvals brings the total number of PDGA-approved models to 1,670.

WEEKLY AMATEUR RANKINGS - TOP 5

Male

1. Levi Newsome - #172423 - Rating 1019

2. Travis Harper - #238226 - Rating 1005

3. Gabriel Gilliand - #233887 - Rating 1002

4. Janek Möllhausen - #122338 - Rating 1001

5. Levi Stout - #118179 - Rating 1001

Female

1. Alyssa Sayre - #178125 - Rating 909

2. Ginelle Freakin' Kohl - #148735 - Rating 908

3. Martje Sumowski - #222973 - Rating 905

4. Melanie Meuter - #157047 - Rating 903

5. Kim Hatcher - #167725 - Rating 901

CIRCLE'S EDGE

• Nikko Locastro reveals what discs he'll be bagging for the 2023 season. His bag will include most of the Lone Star Disc molds, primarily in their Alpha plastic. Watch the full reveal here.

• Simon Lizotte released his full 2023 tour schedule. Simon won four DGPT events last season and will aim to win those same events plus some this year.

• Natalie Ryan signed a five-year contract extension with Neptune discs. To compete in the FPO division, Natalie is restricted to A-Tier tournaments and below.

• Nate Perkins sat down with OTB Tour Skins host Luke Humphries to share insights into life on the pro tour and offers advice to aspiring pro player. Watch the full interview here.

• PDGA Canada Annual Report was released for 2022-2023. It includes 2022 event summaries, top performances, and 2023- the year ahead.

RULE OF THE DAY

Thanks for reading!

Sending good vibes your way from In The Circle