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Nikko is back from suspension
Welcome. You’re In The Circle. The best place to see what’s happening in disc golf.
📝 On today’s card:
Nikko’s back from suspension
DGN’s media plan is evolving
The best disc golf course in the world
Read time: 5 minutes
NIKKO’S BACK
Nikko Locastro’s six-month suspension ended on Wednesday, February 8th, just in time to start the 2023 DGPT.
To recap, his suspension came from an altercation between him and a PDGA official during the European Open. Tournament official Matej Verl penalized Nikko for a time violation, to which he got into the face of Verl and “intimidated” him. He was disqualified from the event and subsequently suspended for a Class A infraction.
Originally suspended for nine months, he was set to miss the first eight events of 2023, which included the first major of the year, the PDGA Champions Cup. Following an appeal, Nikko was able to have his suspension reduced to only six months.
Since the suspension, he has signed with a new team, Lone Star Disc, and has had the last six months to reflect and prepare for the 2023 season.
“I’ve had every kind of ups and downs that you could imagine on and off the course. Thankfully Disc Golf has given me direction, something to work towards and an outlet to free my mind,” said Nikko in a recent Instagram post.
Nikko will be competing in two weeks at the Las Vegas Challenge, his first sanctioned tournament since August 2022.
DGN MEDIA IS EVOLVING
Is post-produced disc golf coverage on YouTube not enough for you? Well, the Disc Golf Network has you covered. The DGN announced its 2023 live media plan which will guarantee a significant increase in live content for its subscribers.
The increase in live content will include the addition of expanded DGPT Silver Series events, and select PDGA Euro Tour events (likely the ones with Paul McBeth).
A new addition in 2023 is Tournament Central. This new show will feature pre-, half-time, and post-round highlights, player interviews, and analysis of all the DGPT Elite, Elite+, playoff events, and PDGA Majors. The show will add an additional hour and forty-five minutes of live coverage during each event. The FPO pre-round show and MPO post-round show will be available to watch on the DGPT’s YouTube channel.
“Tournament Central is the next step forward in the evolution of our live product and will add more depth and quality to the live viewing experience,” - Mahmoud Bahrani, DGPT Media Director
The DGN will boast over 240 rounds that contain 1,400 hours of live coverage for their subscribers this year.
If you’re not a DGN subscriber, there’s content for you, but it still comes with a price tag. Individual tournaments (starting at $10.99) and rounds (starting at $5.99) will be available for purchase. All current PDGA members receive free access to live coverage for five events in 2023.
Las Vegas Challenge
PDGA Champions Cup
U.S. Women’s Disc Golf Championship
The final two rounds of Pro Worlds
MVP Open
Information on how to access the free content for PDGA members and get a discount for a DGN subscription can be found here.
THE #1 DISC GOLF COURSE IN THE WORLD
UDisc will announce the #1 disc golf course in the world today. The #1 course, along with all other Top 10 courses has in-depth articles about the history, play style, and more. See it all here.
TBA Friday, February 10, 2023
Krokhol Disc Golf Course, Siggerud, Norway
Skellefteå Discgolf Terminalen, Skellefteå, Sweden
Brewster Ridge Disc Golf Course, Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Vermont
Caliber Disc Golf Course, Sandpoint, Idaho
Eagles Crossing Disc Golf Course, Hawk Point, Missouri
Fox Run Meadows, Smuggler’s Notch Resort, Vermont
Blue Ribbon Pines, East Bethel, Minnesota
Järva Disc Golf Park, Stockholm, Sweden
Kippasuo Pro at Heinola DiscGolfPark World, Heinola, Finland
On Monday, February 13, 2023, the Top 100 World’s Best Disc Golf Courses will be revealed on the UDisc website.
WEEKLY PRO RANKINGS - TOP 10
LATEST PLASTIC
The PDGA approved five new discs this past week.
Cash from Hooligan Discs
Launcher (New), Launcher OS, and Launcher US from Northstardisc
NSH 1701 from Newb SimHouse Custom Discs
Total PDGA-approved models: 1,697
Northstardisc is new to the disc golf scene. They are an independent manufacturer based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
“All discs are developed, designed, and made in Denmark.”
To date, they have nine models approved by the PDGA. They are on their way to letting Lone Star know they’re not the only star.
CIRCLE’S EDGE
JomezPro, which player pulled the most views? Sabattus Dis Golf did a breakdown of all the JomezPro video data to determine which of their videos performed the best, and why?
Bogotá, Colombia continues to see disc golf growth. Supported by PDGA’s Marco Polo program, the Bogotá Plays Disc Golf project has been able to hold tournaments and has seen growing interest from children, youth, and adults.
The disc golf ESPN2 broadcast drew 123K views and had a rating of 0.04, as reported by Ultiworld. The broadcast ranked 94th most watched on Sunday, and 4th most watched on ESPN2 behind college basketball.
RULE OF THE DAY
E. A call made by a player for a rules violation that results in one or more penalty throws can only be enforced if the call is confirmed by another player in the group or by a Tournament Official. A penalty throw is a throw added to a player's score for violating a rule, or for relocation of the lie as called for by a rule.
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