To All the Pros I've Loved Before

That's rich, actually, because I haven't really loved any Pros. Some of them I like, kind of, but I doubt I've loved them. The title just had a “To all the girls I've loved before” kind of ring to it and I liked that. So I went with it.

BCO's Tyler Teed admires Pinnacle.

Anyway, there were really two big stories at Pinnacle in Newport, New Hampshire this weekend. First of all, there are lots of brave new Pro Open players. Second, how about those New Hampshire disc golfers? They really represented their home state and their home course quite well. Just a few days ago I had said that Edwin Bedell hadn't earned a write up yet on this website. After Pinnacle, the President himself, Chris Young, reminded me that Edwin had probably earned his write-up. So let's get too it. Pros first, though, as we always do on Circle Three.  

There was lots of off-season talk about players moving up to the Pro division or players who were too scared to do so. James Sweat backed up his pre-season announcement by stepping up. Mike Habets wrote in our comments section that he'd also step up and step up he did. Matt Marro said he was up for the challenge and Jon Moorer and Dave Carter both made morning decisions to join the big boys. Sweat, Marro, Moorer, and Carter all had very rough days, but they should be commended for what they did. Advancing to the Pro division should be something that all tournament players strive to achieve. So kudos to those guys. And you know that means a lot coming from me.

Photo: Gretchen Kruesi

The story of round 1 was Andy Powell. There's no doubt about that. He shot a very stellar, very impressive, nearly unbeatable 56. The only score better was by (sorry for the spoiler alert) Pro Open winner Mike Habets, who shot a 55. That gave Powell a first round lead of 4 strokes in his Am 1. Unfortunately, he shot a 68 on the second round, giving Edwin Bedell his first Advanced Amateur win. You'd have to check the records, but he may be the youngest player to ever record a GMDGC Advanced Amateur win. (News flash, I don't know who the youngest Am 1 winner is. Also, I don't know how old Edwin is. I'm just jumping to conclusions here. That's what we do).

So, there you go, Mr. Bedell. You've cracked into the Circle Three world. Nice shooting. I'd have to imagine Edwin's learned a lot from playing with Mike Habets. (Nice transition, right?) Habets took an early lead on the Pro Open points race (100's win) and may have players like Jeff Spring and Chris Young wondering what this year may hold. If Habets commits to the Point Series, you heard it here first, it may be hard to take him down at all this year.

On that note.

Matt Idol, can you hear me? This may be the time for you to make a commitment. There may be only one Vermonter who can take down this out-of-stater. So how about slapping on some Bachnein gear (it'd be free for you) and crushing some Pro Open players in some tournaments? Wouldn't that be fun? Wouldn't you like to keep the title in Vermont?

Penalty Strokes:

*James Beaulieu does some impressive course work. I know its not all him. Guys like Spencer Weatherholt, the other NHers I've mentioned, Thurstonian, and Nick Jennings all put in some time there. But James does the majority of things. And he does them well. So, from all of us to you, James, thank you.

*No aces in NH means there should be a big ace pot for the Sap Bucket X. Don't forget to register for it. Lots of aces could be had on that pitch and putt course. Mr. Wedel, I'm especially talking to you.

*There are so many players I was supposed to beat, that its getting hard to keep track of. I'll try my best to recap. First off, Andy beat me. Hot first round, Andy. Well played. I beat Ira, Seth, and DeVico. Was there anyone else I've started a rivalry with? I can't remember. Its getting hard to keep up. Oh, my own team mate Chris Young picked Spencer to win and I beat him too, so we'll count that. Right, and Dave Carter commented on my own site that I wouldn't beat him in 2012. And I did. By my count I'm 6-1 for my first tournament of the year.

*The Final Word goes to Rang Duce. Nice job organizing another Rang Duce Doubles. Be there or be square.   

Pinnacle Draws Closer

The start of the 2012 Green Mountain Points Series is now just two days away.  As we get closer and closer, things are really starting to heat up.  A few responses to my last post have come in.  Its only fair to keep you in the loop.

• Ira wrote in to further clarify the Powell Park mention I made.  He says, The Powell Park?  Is that when you win the CTP and miss the putt?  Ouch.  So much for my "Ira is the nicest guy you'll ever meet" bull shit I've been feeding you.  Its obvious he means business.  And for Ira, business is always good.
• An Anonymous poster on the blog writes, I like Spencer on his home course!  Interesting.  Now, I know your first thought is that Spencer probably wrote that. I don't think that's the case.  I think James Beaulieu wrote it.  But let's forget about that side of it for a minute.  Do you think that Spencer's got what it takes to win Am 1 at Pinnacle.  It's going to take two very good rounds and lots and lots of good putting to take down the division.  We'll have to see if Spencer's ready for it and ready to take the early lead in the points series.  It sure would make for a good story, I'll tell you that much.
• When you read my rundown on DeVico, I'm sure it reminded you of what a jerk I can be on this website.  And off of this website.  I reached out to DeVico to tell him it was probably a little to harsh.  DeVico, of course, was laid-back and unbothered by it.  He doesn't care because he's going to beat me on Saturday.  (At least, that's what I think he's thinking.)  Either way, I encouraged him to write a response.  Look for it on the website soon.  

The Fairly Slighted Am 1 Players

We've talked and talked and talked about those highly paid, explosive, bag kicking Pro Open Vermont disc golfers. But, we haven't spoken much about the Am 1 division. It seems like its high time to do so.

The Pinnacle Spring Run-off will be the first tournament of the 2012 Green Mountain Disc Golf Club Points Series. Since its right around the corner, I'll do a quick break down of players who are currently registered to play in Am 1.

Josh Wedel: Played well last year in Am 1 and finished the year ranked 6^th. Won the Sap Bucket, even though it was invaded by Southern NEFA players (and despite the rainy, slippery, gross weather we had). Wedel is also an up-and-coming Tournament Director. Last year he helped TD the Sap Bucket, so we know extra responsibilities won't slow him down. He can putt, has hit a bunch of important aces, and can be a very steady golfer.

If Wedel doesn't place well this year, I'll contribute it to a lack of focus. He's newly married, will be taking on more disc golf responsibilities, and can be distracted by the social element of tournament disc golf.

Justin DeVico: When he started playing disc golf, DeVico was nothing more than an Am 2 chump that wasn't a concern to his opponents. He's quickly become a force in Vermont disc golf. He's seriously committed to perfecting his craft, which definitely isn't the case for many of his opponents. DeVico can putt, again, because he practices a lot. Some jerk sold him a basket last year and its been downhill for the rest of us ever since. He's also an apprentice of Young Bucks, so you know he's had the winning mentality drilled into his head.

If DeVico doesn't place well this year, I'll contribute it to being easily distracted. This dude can talk more than anyone else you might play with. And I mean before, during, and after your shots. Plus, he's taking on home ownership and course building. So, that may severely cut into his practice time. We'll have to wait and see.

Spencer Weatherholt: He's a good dude. I've played as his partner in doubles and as his opponent in last year's division. When playing against him (and with him being a newcomer to Vermont/New Hampshire) I tried to give him the old New England Ice Out, but he's just too nice of a guy for it. All of my work being mean to him and ignoring him was for naught. He's a good player and a genuine nice guy. He's got an arsenal of shots in his bag and has a pretty laid back disc golfing style.

If Spencer doesn't place well this year, I'll contribute it to getting down on himself. He's laid back but he can definitely get in his own way. Staying calm and playing good tournament disc golf will be the secret to his success.

Ira Divoll: I got this guy into disc golf and now he thinks he's earned the right to beat me. I don't think I'm going to let it happen, but Ira's going to try his best to prove me wrong. I mentioned how nice of a guy Spencer is, but he pales in comparison to Ira. And I don't mean that as a knock to Spencer, its just that Ira is the nicest guy you might ever meet.

He's got a solid mental game, can throw farther every day, and uses disc golf as an escape from a very hectic work life. Ira takes everything in his life seriously, including his disc golf play and practice. Plus, he plays super challenging Mass courses every time he plays. I predicted him to have a breakout Am 2 season last year, but maybe I should have been thinking about his breakout Am 1 season this year.

If Ira doesn't place well this year, I'll contribute it to a hectic schedule. He drives north from Mass for every GMDGC tournament. Its got to take a toll on his tournament play. Then again, I think he sees that as a challenge, which just adds to the sweetness of it when he plays well.

Edwin Bedell: Pass. Edwin hasn't earned the right for a write-up yet, but he's getting there.

Andy Powell: Lots of people take pride in beating me, but no one takes more pride in it than Andy Powell. Andy's been at the center of a lot of controversy in the Circle Three world, but he's no worse for wear. When he's on, he's on and he can play some solid disc. He's a stocky guy who can really throw it far. The Powell Park is named after him, after all.

If Andy doesn't place well this year, I'll contribute it to... well, you guessed it, his mental game. Andy will tell you there's no such thing as a mental game. I'd counter that there's nothing but a mental game, especially for Andy. One day he aspires to be a Bag Kicking Pro. He's got the bag kicking down, but I'm not sure about the Pro part yet.

Justin Kaulius: The King of the Circle Three empire. A roller coaster of disc golf performances. Went from a championship Am 2 season to a terribly disappointing Am 1 season. Last year it looked like he couldn't hang with the top ams at all. When he putts well he can play well, so look for that to be the secret to success. Also throws forehand and backhand, which can be adventageous.

If Justin doesn't place well this year, I'll contribute it to his mental game, or quitting disc golf for good. I think that's enough said about that.

Matt Zabawa: Another up and coming Am 2 player who's making the move to Am 1. Zabawa had a rough year last year on a personal level, but he's ready to make a strong comeback. Just don't ask him to do any yard work for you. Zabawa's driven by beating his friends in the division, so it seems like most tournaments can be personal for him. He'd love nothing more than to beat the pants off of Justin DeVico.

If Matt doesn't place well this year, I'll contribute it to not quite being ready for Am 1. He finished 6^th in Am 2 last year and is making a bit of a bold move to Am 1. I think its a solid choice and I commend him for it, but I can tell you that the move up ain't easy. Zabawa may experience that first hand this year.   

As more slackers sign up for Pinnacle and other tournaments in the Am 1 division, we'll get some more profiles up.  For now, keep putting.

Showdown in the South (of Vermont)

BCO vs. Twin Falls

The month of April 2012 has brought another first to the incredibly up and coming disc golf state of Vermont.  The gentlemen disc golfers of Base Camp Outfitters, kindly known as BCO, in Killington, Vermont hosted the first ever team challenge.  They built a trophy, established a team, and started the Group Smack Talk Challenge.  Twin Falls put together a challenging team and drove south last weekend for two rounds of match play disc golf.  

Matty O.

Twin Falls was rumored to have picked up free agent and Twin Falls regular Chris Young to play their number one position.  However, before things started off he came down with the flu and left his team scrambling at the last minute.  Instead of having the currently ranked Best Player in Vermont Chris Young, they were forced to replace him with the talented amateur Brandon Fenner.  James Sweat, Jon Moorer, Matty Cohen, Christian Keidel and Justin Kaulius rounded out the Twin Falls squad.

Zach gleaming the cube.

BCO's captain and store owner Mike Miller put together a solid team.  Southpaw Zach Podhozer, new Pro Matt Marro, local legend Tyler Teed, tour regular Dan Webb, and Brandon “B-Money” Chalk
showed up looking to keep the homemade trophy in their possession.  

Jon taking down his first round win.

The first round had some good drama for sure.  BCO's Zach Podhozer crushed Justin Kaulius, finishing him off early into the back nine.  Twin Falls' Brandon Fenner pulled off a last minute win over Matt Marro when Marro missed a putt on hole 18.  Jon Moorer picked up a win for TF by beating up on Dan Webb.  James Sweat was bested by BCO's Tyler Teed.  Christian Keidel's long, straight drives couldn't be stopped by B-Money.  Matty O. kept Twin Falls ahead by tying Mike Miller.  At the end of the first round Twin Falls was up 3 ½ to 2 ½ . 

JK with some follow through.

There were some shake-ups on the cards for round 2.  Twin Falls decided to see if Jon Moorer could beat Zach Podhozer.  A good idea, but it didn't work as Podhozer again knocked off his opponent early into the back nine, this time with a few holes remaining.  Christian Keidel again used his relentless and errorless play to crush Mike Miller.  Justin Kaulius got hot late in the back nine and finished off B-Money with a couple of holes left.      

Tyler ripping it.

A couple of match-ups got rematched on the second round.  Fenner wanted another shot at Marro and instead of pulling off a last-minute win, he settled for a well-fought tie.  James Sweat got redemption on Tyler Teed, finishing the match with a few holes left.  

Overall, Twin Falls won the day and the trophy.  It's residing at a secret location in the Williston area and is currently available for challenge...  

Thanks to Brandon Fenner for the fantastic pictures.