From the desk of Owl P. Jackson, Esq.
August 14, 2024 by Owl P. Jackson, Esq. in Opinion, Recap with 0 comments
The disc golf masses cried out for a compelling round of disc golf between Majors. On Sunday, in MPO, Idlewild answered the call. In my opinion, these are the top 10 storylines of *takes deep breath* the LWS Open at Idlewild presented by Dynamic Discs & the Nati.
1. Joey Buckets wins a thriller
“When I was a child, my family would travel down to Western Kentucky where my parents were born.”
The final round of MPO was exactly what we needed—an exciting, drama-filled shootout with plenty of twists and turns along the way. In the end, it was Joseph Anderson (more commonly known as Joey Buckets) who came out victorious. This was Buckets’ first DGPT win, but it doesn’t feel like a random one-off à la Parker Welck. Throughout the season, Buckets has shone the potential to win. In fact, this is his sixth top ten finish of the season and he currently sits in 12th place in the DGPT standings.
Buckets almost finished with a bonus eagle throw-in on the 18th before hoisting the trophy. A green winner, Buckets innocently asked, “Am I supposed to give a speech now…or what?” His unassuming nature will take him far. Gotta love it.
2. Isaac Robinson falls apart
“And there’s a backwards old town that’s often remembered—so many times that my memories are worn.”
Halfway through the final round, it looked like Isaac Robinson—not Buckets—would be the eventual winner. Isaac famously played one of the great tournaments in recent history at Idlewild in 2022—horses for courses and all. On top of that, everything was coming up roses for him early. Wild releases found local routes and friendly bounces…until they didn’t. If you had left the room for 20 minutes, you would have missed what happened. He went triple, bogey, double on 13, 14, 15. A couple punches to the side of the head later and Isaac ended up tied for 4th place.
Maybe it is the pressure of following up a two-major season? Isaac is having an alright year, but he is still in search of that elusive first win of 2024.
3. Calvin Heimburg disappoints
“Well, sometimes we’d travel right down the Green River; To the abandoned old prison down by Airdrie Hill.”
Heimburg played well all weekend long and was in the lead going into the final round. But Calvin fans were once again left disappointed knowing he could have played so much better. Calvin finished in second place, but how many putts hit the basket low?
Over the past few years, Calvin has been the most consistent—if not outright best—player on Earth. And yet, the narrative that Calvin can’t get it done on the final day lead card continues to grow. In a week’s time, he will look to shake the title of best player to never win a Major.
4. Ezra Robinson is right there
“Where the air smelled like snakes we’d shoot with our pistols, but empty pop bottles was all we would kill.”
He almost caught up from the chase card. In the end, it was another 2nd place finish for Ezra Robinson—his second in-a-row and third on the season. Ezra has been this year’s Aaron Gossage. Goose was never able to get that win. I have a feeling Ezra will. He somehow manages to play with a violent finesse. His game should line up well for the more-wooded final stretch of the season.
5. Idlewild MPO Champions
“Then the coal company came with the world’s largest shovel, and they tortured the timber and stripped all the land.”
What is it about Idlewild? For eight straight years, this fan-favorite course has delivered 8 unique winners—James Conrad, Paul McBeth, Kevin Jones, Eagle McMahon, Kyle Klein, Isaac Robinson, Gannon Buhr, and now Joey Anderson. These are some of the biggest and most decorated names currently playing. For many of them, this was their first Elite win. Could it simply be that the scrambling potential is the great equalizer? Whatever it is, I want more of this—the game’s best duking it out and delivering great variety.
6. Ohn Scoggins way out front
“Well, they dug for their coal till the land was forsaken; Then they wrote it all down as the progress of man.”
Not a lot of drama in this one. Ohn Scoggins comfortably won—a result that was never in question on the final day. In fact, Natalie Ryan and Sarah Hokom were the only other players that even finished below par. Ohn’s skillset was truly on display, carving up the woods with flexing distance drivers and giving herself looks all weekend. When you’re easily the best putter in the division, that’s a recipe for a win.
Speaking with Nate Perkins after the round, Ohn celebrated, “Someone give me some beer!…I might just go crazy tonight.” Not a bad way to spend your 43rd birthday.
7. The FPO field
“And Daddy, won’t you take me back to Muhlenberg County?”
Let’s be honest. Other than Ohn, FPO was a tough watch this weekend. The best players just didn’t show up, literally or figuratively. Presumptive challengers Missy Gannon and Holyn Handley were present, but never really a factor. Heavyweight champions Paige Pierce and Catrina Allen weren’t around. Neither was the European contingent of Kristin Tattar, Eveliina Salonen, Silva Saarinen, and Henna Blomroos. No Hailey King or Ella Hansen either. Worlds can’t come quickly enough for FPO. They are in desperate need of a full-strength field again.
8. Rules “drama”
“…Down by the Green River where Paradise lay.”
If you like to watch disc golf to pick apart rules infractions and questionable card decisions, there was plenty to discuss. You had incorrect scorecards discovered *gasp* by video evidence. You had cards ignoring spotter volunteers and playing O.B. wherever it could benefit the player. I find all that tiring. But that’s sports for ya. Whatever floats your boat.
9. DGPT Standings Check-in
“Well, I’m sorry my son, but you’re too late in asking.”
At this point in the season, low scores are dropping from player point totals and the tour finale standings are coming into clearer view. Gannon Buhr doesn’t have to worry about those embarrassing 7th place blemishes anymore. Here is what stands out to me when I look at the MPO Top 10:
- Wins are king, obviously. All our multi-time winners make up the top 5: Buhr, Wysocki, Anttila, Heimburg, and Barela.
- It’s easy to feel like former winners are having bad seasons when they aren’t winning, but these guys are all still among the game’s best: Klein, McBeth, Isaac Robinson, and Dickerson.
In FPO:
- Rebecca Cox is having a sneaky-good season and finds herself just inside the top 10.
- Kristin Tattar is currently in 5th place. But as scores begin to drop, she will find almost certainly find herself at or very close to the top by season’s end.
10. Worlds
“Mister Peabody’s coal train has hauled it away.”
Here it comes! The highpoint of the disc golf calendar is only a week away! Nobody asked for it, but here are my world’s predictions:
- Kristin wins again in FPO.
- Ezra Robinson and Isaac Robinson will go 1-2, respectively.
- Paul McBeth and Ricky Wysocki will both miss the top 10.
- Kristin will be the only European in the top 5, either division.
- Many people will be seen using cell phones.
Thanks for reading, everyone! See you at Worlds!
