The Arkansas event is over 50-percent full with two months until tee off
February 8, 2018 by Alex Colucci in Livewire, News with 0 comments
In a press release from Jonesboro Open event organizers, the group announced player registration for their Disc Golf Pro Tour stop in early April has already surpassed the numbers achieved in 2017’s inaugural run. Last season 66 total players competed, and as of February 8th, there are 70 professional players registered, including 58 men and 12 women. Registration for the event opened just over one month ago on January 1st.
“I am very excited with the results so far but I want us to max out the field to put on the best show we can for Jonesboro,” Tournament Director Brad Pietz said in the announcement. “I know of about ten-to-twelve more players that have told us they are coming and just have not signed up yet.”
The event has a maximum field size of 128 players and among those already signed up are last year’s Open division winner Ricky Wysocki, Paul McBeth, and Nate Sexton. Top touring women’s players Paige Pierce, Catrina Allen and Sarah Hokom have yet register. The significant number of pre-registered top pros, in part, validates the “leap of faith” DGPT Director Steve Dodge and players took on Pietz’s brand new event last year.
Prodiscus, who is returning as the presenting sponsor of the event for a second season, provided turf teepads throughout the Disc Side of Heaven course last year. According to Prodiscus USA co-owner Baker Helton, who was reached for comment in an email, this year they will be adding their five by 12-foot sand-filled turf teepads on some holes in supporting the goals of the DGPT to adjust course layouts for the women’s field.
In additional news, a first-round Open feature card is also in the works. Helton noted that Prodiscus USA sponsored pro, and Arkansas native, Kevin Jones will be present on the card, which will be broadcast live. The presence of a live broadcast allows for the formation of a “super group” with select participants and therefore does not run afoul of PDGA rule 1.06J, which governs the grouping of players at events and specifically addresses the issue of first round feature cards.
The Jonesboro Open will be three rounds and is scheduled to tee off on April 6th. It is the third event on the DGPT calendar.
