🥏 PDGA's 2024 Proposed Changes

Happy Tuesday, you’re In The Circle! Get out on the course and enjoy the slightly cooler weather across the U.S. this week.

On today’s card:

• ✍️ PDGA 2024 Proposed Changes

• 🏆 Tournament Recaps

• ⭕️ Circle’s Edge

Read time: 5 minutes

✍️ PDGA 2024 PROPOSED CHANGES

The time of year has come to see, and give feedback on the potential PDGA rule changes in 2024.

The PDGA made the announcement yesterday and is welcoming all comments on the proposed rules and competition revisions until August 15th.

One of the biggest proposed changes is the addition of a new event tier, the D-Tier.

Check out the highlights below (changes in blue) or if you have time, the full announcement.

Official Rules of Disc Golf

These changes allow players more room to move casual obstacles, providing room for a run-up if needed.

If implemented, ALL players will be required to keep scorecards for their group, helping to keep us all honest and will hopefully reduce the number of individuals slapped with a scoring penalty for submitting an incorrect scorecard.

• 803.01 Moving Obstacles - B. 1. A player may move casual obstacles that are on the playing surface where a supporting point may be placed when taking a stance farther from the target than the front edge of the lie.

• 808 Scoring - A. The player listed first bears primary responsibility for picking up the group's scorecard(s). Each player must keep an independent scorecard recording scores after each hole for the entire group. A player who refuses to keep score may be subject to disqualification.

• 808 Scoring - G.3. A player is not penalized if another member of their group submits an incorrect scorecard.

Competition Manual for Disc Golf Events

An all-new D-Tier is to be added, which will allow non-PDGA members to compete in tournaments. Currently, a PDGA membership is needed to compete in B-Tiers or higher but would extend to C-Tiers in 2024.

• 1.01 Player Eligibility - B.1. Current PDGA Membership is required to compete in any Major, Elite Series, A-Tier, or B-Tier, or C-Tier event.

• 1.09 Ties - *There was quite a bit added to this section, so check out the appropriate section in the announcement to read it all*

  Basically, the update further defines what “sudden-death play” is, and allows Tournament Directors to use an aggregate playoff.

• 3.02 Pace of Play - B. A player causing undue delays may be issued an excessive time violation by agreement of the playing group or a Tournament Official. If a group causes undue delays, each player may be issued an excessive time violation by a Tournament Official (see 802.03 Excessive Time).

Also added was a new section, Section 4: Majors and Elite Series. It consolidates regulations that were spread across different records while also adding language about caddies, tournament check-in, and scoring.

Tour Standards

The addition of the D-Tier, adds a new tournament experience and might make the idea of a casual player more desirable.

• 1.06 B - 5. At D-Tier level only, players may schedule their own rounds and put together their own groups. No other Tier of event may allow this (except Leagues, see 1.14.C.6). At the discretion of the Director of Event Support, events at D-Tier level may also receive rule waivers for novel or unusual competitive formats that are not appropriate for other Tier levels.

• 1.14 C - 6. Like D-Tiers, leagues may allow players to schedule their own rounds and put together their own group (see 1.06.B.5).

🏆️ TOURNAMENT RECAPS

With two different tour events in Europe and one Disc Golf Pro Tour event, there was plenty of disc golf happening this past weekend. Check out the results below.

Mid America Open

Gannon Buhr was leading by one stroke heading into hole 18 but lost his lead due to an errant second shot. Andrew Presnell was able to secure the birdie sending the tournament into a playoff.

Both Gannon and Andrew were in a position to finish the first playoff hole tied, but Gannon left his putt on the weakside chains and missed. Allowing Andrew to make his short put and secure his first-ever DGPT win.

Meanwhile, on the FPO side, Ohn Scoggins reappeared after a month's break from the DGPT to claim her first tour win in 2023.

ET#7 - Åland Open

EPT#7 - Järva Open

⭕️ CIRCLE’S EDGE

• With her third-place finish and $2,750 payout at the European Open, Catrina Allen became only the second FPO player to top $350k in career earnings, the first being Paige Pierce.

• The PDGA updated the Eligibility Criteria for the 2023 Pro World Championships for FPO players. The update comes at the request of the Local Organizing Committee for the championship, which wishes the original conditions be adhered to.

  “Transgender women are now eligible to compete in the FPO division at 2023 Pro Worlds if any one of the three sets of criteria in C.1, C.2, or C.3. of the PDGA Policy on Eligibility for Gender-Based Divisions are met.”

🏅 WEEKLY PRO RANKINGS - TOP 10

😂 MEMES