2012 Pro Open Predictions

Starting my own disc golf website was a way for me to buck convention, write what I wanted to write, and not worry about what some forum moderator thought was appropriate for the internet. You get it. My rules, my content. I wanted to be my own man.

But now Chris Young goes and sets me up for failure. I mean, our own club president promised us his Pro Open predictions. He was supposed to rate the players in his own division. That would have been classic. We would have had smack talk fodder all season long. But, instead, he made a last minute caddy call and handed the Pro Open predictions to me.

How can I ever live up to that sort of pressure? This is not what I had in mind when I started Circle Three. But, I'm a pro (writer, that is) and I'll give it my best. So here we go.

2012 Pro Open Predictions

Plus, he left me the hardest part of all. All the other divisions were easy. By now you probably forgot who he even picked to win in those other groups. In the division I have to review I see 8 true contenders plus up to 5 other players that could be in the mix. Predictions of this magnitude aren't easy to make.

Obviously Young's in the mix this year, along with last year's top finishers Jeff Spring and Dave Frothingham. Betts is always in the conversation. Todd Holmes is a player. Ian Thurston's looking for a great sophomore performance and newcomers James Sweat and Jon Moorer should be able to compete from the get-go. Mike Habets may play Pro all season as well, we'll see what happens. One day Matt Idol will play a full season. Jeremy Becker has a big upside and the word on the website is that James Beaulieu is ready to play Real Pro and not Old Man Pro.  Sean Bleything looks to fill Emmett Cosgrove's position of guy who just moved here and plays good disc golf.   

Chris Young- The man who got us here. Also the first man not named Betts to be a Vermont State Champion. And our new Club President. Last year I wrote that Chris Young wouldn't be able to handle the pressure of being at the top of Pro Open. He made me look like an idiot byhandling the pressure just fine. I really do think that he's going to find 2012 challenging when he plays all season as the Defending Champion. Everyone, once again, will be trying to take him down.

• Strengths: This guy has every possible shot in his bag. He's super consistent. Gets himself out of trouble. He rarely makes huge mistakes or blows up. And that's more than can be said for most of the players in his division. Also, Emmett's gone, so that's a strength for Young Bucks.

• Weaknesses: Well, he does rock one of my most hated disc golf looks of all time: shorts and tights. And he will playing the entire season wearing a Reigning Champion bullseye. I just mentioned his mental game as a strength, but if he can't handle the pressure of 2012 then it may be a weakness as well. A great player for sure, but he can be beaten.

• Circle Three Predicted Finish: 2^nd. I have nothing but love and respect for Chris Young. He's great, he's great for our sport, and he's a great disc golfer. I just don't think he's in the “repeat” type of class just yet. That takes a special person. He's proven me wrong before, but I don't think he'll do it in 2012.

Jeff Spring- I barely know where to start. His raw talent and skill seem to be unlike anyone else's. He's confident, he can putt, and he throws a country mile. Talk about mental game. This guy's ridiculous. Ever see him during a close round? He's stone cold. Either he turns his brain off before it starts or he's not fazed by anything. The knock on Spring is that you never know if he's going to show up for a tournament or not. It's like a running joke during player meetings. Is Spring here? Did anyone see Jeff yet? Has anyone talked to him today?

• Strengths: His beard- it even makes me jealous and not many beards can do that. Throwing a disc farther than I can hit a golf ball. Putting confidence. Turning water into wine. General coolness.

• Weaknesses: No call. No show. Jeff will actually have to make it to tournaments, most of them, even, if he wants to win the division. It's a novel idea, I understand, but its true. And the sooner Mr. Spring discovers that, the better. Jeff, I hope you're reading this. If you need a ride to a tournament, or a wake-up call, let me know. I'm here for you. Other than that, he has no weaknesses. He's super human.

• Circle Three Predicted Finish: 1^st. The Year of the Spring. Not only was that an amazing, insightful prediction, but it was also among the first that Circle Three ever made. So we're sticking with it. Jeff Spring will become the Third Ever State Champ this year.

Todd Holmes- Todd's been toiling away in near-secrecy on a special disc golf project. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then don't even worry about it, because it doesn't pertain to you. But, I will tell you that Dr. Holmes will be playing a lot of disc golf this year and is ready to have a ridiculously amazing 2012. He will be a better disc golfer this season. I think the stars will be aligned for his discing, but family obligations will prevent him from taking the crown.

• Strengths: He's got ice water in his veins. He putts like you do in your pre-tournament visualizations. He's ambidextrous. He's a doctor, for crying out loud.

• Weaknesses: He won't be able to play in enough events to really contend. He's a doctor. Who would have ever thought that'd be a weakness? But when you're talking about the commitment of tournament disc golf, it is. Todd also spots many of the other Pro Open players a few years on the age side of things.

• Circle Three Predicted Finish: 5^th. Coming up with this one was super tricky. Todd has the skills to finish 1^st. He has the life obligations to finish 10^th. You never know what could happen. I think he'll string together enough strong finishes to make the division interesting. Personally, I hope he wins a late season tournament to make things really interesting.

Dave Frothingham- Sir David Frothingham. He was in beast mode last year, playing in Pro Open, TD'ing like crazy, being the president, co-directing TNT, doing course maintenance, and generally living life better than you do. I thought Frothy was going to take down the Big Boy Division last year, but it wasn't meant to be. This year he's scaling back on the commitments and expecting to play some good disc golf. I think the competition's going to be tough.

• Strengths: Dave can be ridiculously good. He makes giant putts and throws very far even when it looks like he's doing nothing. He's athletic, tall, and lanky. Without exaggeration he throws an Aviar farther than I throw a Destroyer.

• Weaknesses: I've seen Dave get in some trouble. Mistakes have the ability to derail his mental game. Bag throwing.

• Circle Three Predicted Finish: 3^rd. Not because I have anything against Dave. I expect him to play very good disc golf this year. I bet he wins two events. I just think the competition is going to be strong this year.

Johnny Betts- I spent some time in Montgomery this winter. It's far away from the rest of the world. Sometimes that's good, like when you go for the Run for the Border weekend. Sometimes that's bad, like when you have to travel all over to play disc golf and you live in Montgomery. Just like those two stellar courses up north, Johnny's family is also maturing. Betts says he'll be back competing regularly, but I have my doubts.

• Strengths: He's obviously played good enough disc golf to win it all three times before. Hits devastatingly big putts. Has the best follow-through in all of disc golf. He's driven to win. His motto for the year 2012, like it or not, is “Anyone but Young.”

• Weaknesses: He lives far away and his family's getting bigger. Making a bad shot or two can make him hate disc golf. If he's too busy to get his practice in, he gets cranky.

• Circle Three Predicted Finish: 4^th. Sorry Mr. Betts. I just don't think you'll have the time or energy to take down these players this year.

Ian Thurston- I think he's one of the nicest guys in disc golf. Good people, even though he's from New Hampshire. Last year I know that Ian questioned himself and his decision to move to Pro. I think it should be commended, but I can only imagine how tough it was to get beat up a little bit last year. Strike that actually, I don't have to imagine what it felt like to get beat up last year, because I did get beat up last year. Anyway, expect Ian's sophomore performance to show the things you can only learn playing a full season of Pro.

• Strengths: Super nice guy. Throws a lefty flick, which utterly confuses his competition. He's got a year of playing Pro under his belt. Compared to a huge percentage of people in his division he's cool as a cucumber.

• Weaknesses: A good disc golfer who hasn't proven if he can be elite yet. He too has big family commitments.

• Circle Three Predicted Finish: 6^th. I think Ian's going to have some strong finishes this year. He's a seasoned veteran after all, so he should be able to harness the flick and win some events.

James Sweat- The King of the Bachnein Empire. You never know what this guy has up his sleeve. He plays lots of tournaments, in and out of state, and has already announced he's playing Pro this year. The Sweat Machine played tough amateur disc golf all last year, putting down all challengers. Can he carry the success forward into the Pro ranks?

• Strengths: Throws quite far. Barely gives a shit about anything, so you know he's not fazed by stressful tournament play. Can really get into a zone and play some good, solid disc golf rounds. Has been known to shoot some stellar scores.

• Weaknesses: We'll see if he can continue to overcome his unique form and grip. At this point he doesn't have much of a flick. I don't even think he owns a midrange disc... its all drivers, all the time. The big question- is he consistent enough to be successful in Pro?

• Circle Three Predicted Finish: 7^th. A finish that's slightly better than Moorer, not as good as Ian. Good, not great. But a rookie season he should be proud of.

Jon Moorer- Who is Jon Moorer? Does anyone know? He's probably the most talked about disc golfer this off-season, everyone wondering which division he'll end up playing. Some golfers (not me, I swear) would be disappointed if he played Am again. He and Matt Cohen were the only players to really challenge James Sweat last year, and Moorer ended up losing out on the top division spot by only a few points. At the same time, does that mean he should be forced into Pro? We'll have to wait and see. For now, I'm going to assume he's stepping up to Pro.

• Strengths: He sure can flick. Precisely and for distance. He always has proper footwear. Can go on super hot streaks. Hardly gets rattled.

• Weaknesses: There are actually some holes out there that are designed to be thrown with a backhand. Places where only a backhand will work and throwing a flick seems silly. Also, he doesn't seem to be committed to playing Pro. His ego could get in the way.  

• Circle Three Predicted Finish: 8^th. Don't let this prediction fool you, we'll see long, bright flashes of brilliance from Moorer this year. I can see him in the top three of a few tournaments. Being a rookie ain't easy though.

And Then

There's still 4 others who are in the mix for the Pro Division this year. For various reasons, I'm not sure if these guys will be around some of the time or all of the time, what division they'll play, if they're serious about disc golf, or not.

Mike Habets- I don't know what we'll see from Mike this year. He may jump around in divisions, he may have some loose ends to tie up from last year. I'm not sure what to expect. For sure, he's a talented player who hasn't come close to his full potential yet. Or at least I hope.

Jeremy Becker- He talks some big smack, which I guess is a strength. He also talks smack on other people's smack talking, which a guy like me has to respect. Becker throws far, is super strong, and definitely hits pro-length putts. We'll see if he can stay healthy and make it to enough events to matter.

Matt Idol- I think he's the best disc golfer in Vermont. But, he's way too cool for school, so he won't join the club or make it to a majority of the tournaments. This guy flicks like crazy, makes gigantic putts, and talks the talk. One day he'll take the Bachnein sponsorship he's been offered and become a touring Pro. For now, he'll be the spoiler for the tournaments he does attend. Which I love.

James Beaulieu- Hailing from Pinnacle, New Hampshire, Mr. iPod himself. James can be stone cold, which is a great thing for a Pro player. He's very consistent also. I'm not yet convinced he can hang with some of these guys all year. And if that happens, will he jump back into the age-protected divisions?


Sean Bleything- Sean's another super nice guy on the scene.  Young Bucks tells me that Bleything is a 959 rated player, which makes him the second highest rated golfer in the state right now.  (Any guesses on who's got the highest rating in the state?)  At this point, I say that Bleything's got real potential to make waves this year, I just don't know enough about him to make a good prediction.  The precedent's been set, with other good players like Emmett and Brock moving here from out of town and killing it, so we'll have to see what Bleything has to offer.     

So there it is, the Circle Three 2012 Predictions. That many predictions are way too hard to do. Going forward, you can hold me to my top 5:

1. Year of the Spring
2. Young Bucks
3. The Frothecy
4. Dr. Holmes
5. Betts