Beaver State Fling Preview: National Tour Returns To Oregon

The big four set to battle at the National Tour's fourth stop

beaver state fling
Ricky Wysocki at the 2016 Beaver State Fling victory. Photo: PDGA

One of the tour’s most anticipated stops returns to the lush green landscapes at Milo McIver State Park in Estacada, Oregon for the 2018 Beaver State Fling, the fourth PDGA National Tour stop of the season.

The BSF has consistently provided the disc golf world with some of its most exciting moments and memorable finishes in recent memory. Three years ago, Paul McBeth won after going McBeastmode on the chase card during the final round to push Will Schusterick to a playoff. In 2016, there was the Philobatross and another playoff battle, this time between Paige Pierce and Catrina Allen. Last year McBeth and Ricky Wysocki went to extra frames (again) with Wysocki taking the win. At this rate, we can expect fireworks and drama all weekend in the Pacific Northwest. And maybe even a playoff in at least one division.

One could make an argument that this is the first truly “wooded” major tournament of the season, with the Fling being played almost entirely in the shade and through the branches. DeLaveaga Disc Golf Course could certainly be described as wooded, but the final round on the golf course opens up the Masters Cup to a different feel.

Storylines

Milo McIver: Cradle of Champions?

Having won the last two BSFs, Wysocki is hoping to join Barry Schultz as the only player to win the event three times in a row.

Wysocki has also won the last two PDGA Pro World Championships. McBeth last won BSF in 2015, the same year he also last won Worlds. This is not to suggest that the winner this weekend at Milo McIver will go on to win worlds, but…

The Big Four

Over the past several seasons, there have been two fields on the Open side: McBeth and Wysocki, and everyone else. This year, however, Eagle McMahon and Simon Lizotte have made strong cases to be elevated from “everyone else” to their own level. Those four have won all but one NT and Disc Golf Pro Tour events so far this season, and over the last three top-tier tournaments, the top three finishers have all been named McMahon, McBeth, and Wysocki.

Of that bunch, McBeth is probably riding the highest right now. He won the Nick Hyde Memorial, finished third at the Masters Cup, and won the San Francisco Open. Over those three tournaments, McBeth is averaging 1045-rated rounds and has convincingly put to bed any premature reports of McBeast’s demise.

Pierce vs. The Field

Speaking of premature, talk of Paige Pierce running the table this season were ended in California when Sarah Hokom notched a convincing win at the San Francisco Open. Pierce is most likely the favorite in any tournament she is playing, but the Fling has proven a relatively tough nut to crack for Pierce. Her win in 2017 was her first at the BSF, but she has finished in the top three every time she has played the event going back to 2010. Pierce did eviscerate the field last year, winning by 18 strokes and shooting three 1000+ rated rounds.

So far this season Hokom has been able to keep the pressure on Pierce, letting her more technical and precise style of play make up for the distance-off-the-tee gap Pierce has been able to exploit throughout her career. She’s currently on a two-weekend win streak.

Catrina Allen has put together a quietly solid season with six first-place finishes in A and B-Tier events. Allen easily won the three-player Open Women’s side at the Battle of Seattle last weekend and tied for second at the SFO. She won the BSF in 2016 and 2012, and is no stranger to the podium in Oregon. Plus, Allen’s only world championship came in Portland in 2014.

Venue and Courses

Riverbend Disc Golf Course – West, par 61 – 8,511 feet; East, par 61 – 8,696 feetRiverbend Disc Golf Course features three layouts, only one of which will be used this weekend: the East and West courses. Both are meant to challenge and test big throwers and technicians alike. The BSF layout is only in the ground a few times each year since the BSF moved to Milo McIver Park full time in 2006.

Open and Open Women will be playing the same layouts but on different schedules. Rounds one and two are played on Friday with shotgun starts at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. local time. The Open field will start on the West course and the Open Women on the East. The fields will swap courses in the afternoon. Round three on Saturday will be played the same as round one. The final round Sunday finishes with Open on East and Open Women playing West.

Last year, no Open player shot a 1050 or higher rated round on the East course.

Naming one signature hole at courses like this would be an excellent way to start a war in the comment section, so feast your eyes on this image from the tournament website.

milo mciver beaver state fling
Riverbend Disc Golf Course at Milo McIver State Park in Estacada, Oregon.

You can find the course map here and take a look at the caddy book.

Past Winners

PDGA TierOpenOpen Women
2023DGPT SilverEagle McMahonJennifer Allen
2022DGPT SilverGarrett GurthieValerie Mandujano
2019NTEagle McMahonPaige Pierce
2018NTEagle McMahonCatrina Allen
2017NTRicky WysockiPaige Pierce
2016NTRicky WysockiCatrina Allen
2015NTPaul McBethJessica Weese
2014BNate SextonValarie Jenkins
2013NTWill SchusterickPaige Pierce
2012NTCale LeiviskaCatrina Allen
2011BPaul McBethValarie Jenkins
2010NTChristian DietrichLiz Carr
2009NTKen ClimoDes Reading
2008ASteve RicoKathy Manley
2007NTNate DossValarie Jenkins
2006NTBarry SchultzDes Reading
2005NTBarry SchultzDes Reading
2004NTBarry SchultzRuth Steele
2003BAaron KirschlingN/A
2002CErik SmithN/A

How to Follow

UDisc Live is on tap providing live scoring. Post-production next-day video from the event is set to be released on the Jomez Pro and Central Coast Disc Golf YouTube channels. The PDGA will be providing updates via their Instagram, with event photos from Alyssa van Lanen. Check in here at Ultiworld Disc Golf for recaps of each round from the Open and Women’s Open field.

Extended Forecast

The weather will be less than ideal for disc golf, which could lead to some interesting scores. Rain chances exist each day of the tournament with wind coming into play, mainly on Friday.

Friday:

  • 9 AM: 58° with relatively calm winds. Scattered showers possible.
  • 2 PM: 65° with southwest winds gusting to 15 mph. Rain likely.

Saturday:

  • 11 AM: 53° southwest winds around 5 mph. Scattered showers increase in coverage in the afternoon.

Sunday:

  • 11 AM: 53° with southwest winds around 5 mph. Isolated showers possible throughout the day.

With the southwest wind in place during Friday afternoon, Open players may face a headwind on the 1,196 foot par 5 hole 14 on the East course. This makes a birdie that much more difficult. The Open Women field may encounter a tailwind on the 485 foot par 3 hole 8 on West, making the upshot to the tight, island green a bit more difficult.

  1. Christopher Wiklund
    Christopher Wiklund

    Chris is a contributor at Ultiworld Disc Golf. He lives and works on Cape Cod in Massachusetts where he plays as much disc golf as he can, and reminds people he lives on Cape Cod. He likes spending time outside when he isn't playing video games and watching TV.

  2. Bennett Wineka
    Bennett Wineka

    Benn started playing disc golf in the '90s but has somehow never gotten any better. He lives in Decatur, Georgia and cares too much about Atlanta United and UNC basketball. Email him at [email protected]

  3. Jacob Wilkins
    Jacob Wilkins

    Jacob Wilkins is a disc golfer from Bowling Green, Kentucky who has a bachelor of science degree in meteorology from Western Kentucky University. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram for a solid mixture of disc golf and weather.

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