Circle Three

This blog really has come a long way.  Not too long ago it was one man's rantings.  With a little word-of-mouth its grown by leaps and bounds.  Circle Three is proud to announce another historic first.  Our current Disc-Golfer-In-Chief, President Chris Young himself, has agreed to make his own predictions for GMDGC's 2012 Season.   

Its hard to believe we were able to pull this off, Loyal Readers.  Pat yourselves on the back.  We've come a long way together.  Getting this kind of disc golf talent to contribute to the website is pretty amazing.  

So, here we go with Mr. Young's predictions.  Of course, I can't let him have all the fun, so I'm going to add my own commentary to his predictions.  Mine will be in blue and Young Bucks will be in black.  Its still my blog after all.

2012 YoungBuks GMPS predictions~

We are gearing up for another fun and competitive DG season here in Vermont. With an extremely mild winter almost in the books, the season seems to be just around the corner. 

My predictions for the 2012 GMPSeries are as follows....

Am2:  This division is wide open. With Andy Powell and Murray Junod moving up to AM1, the AM2 title is up for grabs in 2012. Early season outlooks would have Ira Divoll and Kevin Mize in the the driver seat, but they may be moving up as well. I give an edge to the player that attends the most events. My prediction is that 2-3 players will be in the hunt for the Am2 title in 2012. Who those players will be is yet to be decided.

Alright, not a bad start, he may know what he's doing.  It's a little general at the end for my liking, but not bad.  

Women:  Whether the women will be playing Intermediate or Advanced this year is still to be determined. Either way there looks to be some good competition. It appears as though Gretchen,Margaret and Sara will continue to battle in the Womens division. They played some very competitive golf to finish 2011 and I see them continuing that in 2012. Again, I give the edge to the player that attends the most events. Gretchen Kruesi is the defending Champ and I look for her to be the early season favorite. 

Advanced Masters:  With Al Rosa leaving for the Pro ranks, this division looks even more wide open then AM2. Rumors have stirred about John Sudarsky and Todd Sternbach playing Pro Grandmaster's and that leaves this division open for the taking. Yet again, I think the player that competes in the most events has a huge edge. 

Those two were pretty easy predictions as well, I think, but he's about to heat things up.  

AM1: Ok, here we go. This division is looking to be huge this year. Most of the player's that attend the GMPS events will be playing in this division. I expect fierce competition within a deep field which will result in a tough win at any given event. I would like to look at my Top 4 picks for 2012...

1~ Dave Carter. Dave played great in 2011. He missed a bunch of GMPS tournaments, but played well in the events he did compete in. Carter competed very well with the top player's at  the 2011 Money Games and I look for Dave to be an early season favorite for 2012. He posses a very accurate forehand combined with a smooth backhand and can putt very well. His mental game is sound and I have him in position to make a run for the title this year. He needs to play at least 7 events to have a chance. If he can do this, look for him to give the field a run for the Championship.

Boom.  That's a solid prediction.  Here's mine.  Dave pretty much kicked my ass all last year.  To be fair, I kicked his the year before.  I think Young's prediction is pretty spot on, but if someone offers you a bet of DC vs. me for this year, I'd bet on me.  (I wonder how that did for Dave's mental game?)

2~ Josh Wedel. Josh started the 2011 season off hot. With a win at the Sap Bucket Open he grabbed the early season lead. Wedel slipped a bit in the second half of the season and failed to make a run at the title as a result. I look for Josh to bounce back in 2012. A very accurate golfer, with several weapons in the bag, I have Josh atop many leader boards this year. If he can play more consistent and shows up to more then 7 events, he is a strong early season favorite for the AM1 Title.

Oh, Chris Young just dropped "weapons in the bag."  That's how you know he's serious.  

3~ Matty O. Mr.Fiddlehead himself played very,very well last year. Winning at the Gnomes Challenge and playing very well in the other GMPS events, I have Matty as a very strong 2012 top pick. A fairway golfer and a deadly accurate putter, Cohen will make a strong bid this year for the title. I really like his consistency and if he can make it to 7 or more events I think he will again be in the top 3 for the AM1 field this year. Having a year under his belt will be an edge, but having a new business will not make it easy. 

A few things here.  First off, Matt's going to be pissed about being called a fairway golfer.  However, Young did his research on Matty O., which I like.  Points for Young Bucks.  Here's the thing though, the difference between an Amateur Blogger and a Pro Blogger is the link text.  As in, Mr. Fiddlehead.  

4~ Seth McQuade. After moving up to AM1 after 3 events last season, Seth played very well against the competition. He immediately found himself on the lead card in several events and finished the year in the top 5. I look for McQuade to improve upon that this year and give a strong bid for the AM1 title. An athlete by nature and a very strong mental game will give him an edge in the Series. I have McQuade joining Wedel,Carter and Cohen on many top cards in 2012. Watch out for McQuade to get a win this year and to make a run for the GMPS champ.

Chris Young does love Seth, we all know that.  And I'm not knocking it, I'm just saying.  Chris thinks of him as a protege, I think.  But, I digress.  Seth made a huge jump last year and he will be a force in AM 1.  I just think I'm going to beat him too.  

I'm just saying.

On a more serious note, thanks to Chris Young for some great predictions.  I, for one, think they were fantastic.  One question though.  Do you think Jon Moorer is out of contention for next year or are you planning to call him out for a move up to Pro Open?

Keep your eyes peeled for Part Two of The Young Bucks Predictions.  Featuring the Big Boys and Big Girls Divisions.