The Majors and The Minors

Like any hack of a blogger worth his salt, I’ll open by talking about how long it’s been since there was a Circle Three post.  Man, it’s been a while since there was a Circle Three post!  And now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I’ll launch into an all out barrage of information.  Although, information is probably a strong word.  So, an all out barrage of opinion.  Starting now.

*The Green Mountain Point Series.  I, for one, am burned out on slow tournament play, rainy disc golf, and long travel days.  So, I’m shooting for, maybe, two or three tournaments this year.  But that’s not true for everyone, especially for you, my loyal reader.  But, my second and third hand information tells me that tournament turnout has been low.  (Not for the BRO, of course, but that’s a whole other story for another day.)  I think I know why.  And I might even know what to do about it. 

*Eleven events with 6 scores counting for the totals is too much.  I don’t think it’s a sustainable season for many disc golfers.  I mean, if Sean Bleything isn’t playing, does it really even count as a real tournament?  Of course, for some people, like my favorite AMs, Jon Moorer and James Sweat, 11 tournaments is just right.  But they’re real, avid disc golfers.  For the rest of the field, I think committing to 6 scoring events is too much.

*Well, you might ask, am I just going to complain, or do I have a solution?  It’s just like me to complain away with no solution in sight.  But, for once, I actually have a solution to propose, instead of just sitting here complaining.  So here it goes.  Like everything else, this certainly isn’t my original idea.  So, if you’ve contributed to this, then please let me know.  And if you’d like to keep quiet and let me take the blame, then keep on doing what you’re doing.

*The Majors and Minors Plan.  I propose the GMDGC changes the approach of tournament scheduling to major and minor tournaments.  I’m suggesting that we have 6 majors each year and only 10 total events.  Five of your top scores count.  Why 10 events, you ask?  Well, 10 is my favorite number, it sounds good, and it’s less than 11.  Plus, it’s not 12 or 13.

*The Majors.  So, here’s how it works and here’s how it gets interesting.  Each season, 6 events get to be counted as Majors.  The other four events are filled up by other courses and tournaments that fit into a rotation.  Those are the Minors.  

So, Major #1 is New Hampshire.  That’s right, New Hampshire, the state.  Those friendly fellows get one Major tournament per year.  Spencer, James, and Nicky Blue Eyes can have some sort of pissing contest to see who gets to host the yearly Major, but one way or the other, the state of New Hampshire is guaranteed one Major per year. 

Calais obviously gets a Major.  Obviously?  Yes, obviously.  I didn’t stutter and my words were pretty clear.  When you have the oldest, biggest, baddest course in the land, you get a Major.  Johnny Betts also gets a Major.  He can host it at Black Falls, Cherry Hill, or whatever concoction his far Northern mind can come up with, but Johnny Betts is guaranteed a Major.

And that accounts for 3 Majors so far.  And now we’re getting down to it, so we’ll see what happens next.  Because Jeff Spring gets a Major.  Sure, sure, it’s really Brewster Ridge who gets the Major, but I’m awarding this one to Jeff Spring by name.  If you can pull off a course that costs more than my student loan debt, then you too can get a Major.  Otherwise, just keep reading.  That was Major Number 4, and only 2 remain. 

Waterbury gets a Major.  It’s home to most of Vermont’s disc golfers, the most played course in the state, and generally a pretty nice place.  Waterbury gets to host a Major for as long as the course exists.  Which, if you ask me, might not be that long.  But, for the time being, Waterbury gets a Major.  And now we’re down to one. 

Don’t worry, Mike Miller, I won’t forget about you.  In the business, we call this building suspense.  Base Camp Outfitters gets the 6^th and final Major.  They’re the heart of Southern Vermont disc golf, they have a great course, and they’re dedicated to the sport.  So they get a Major.

*The Minors.  Oh, boy.  This is the point where people get pissed.  What, Wrightsville doesn’t get a Major?  What, you didn’t even mention White River?  How can Cow Hampshire only get one Major?  Those questions are all valid.  But I had to choose and some feelings were bound to get hurt.  Plus, I’m pretty sure Colin at Wrightsville doesn’t like me as it is, so I’m not really doing a disservice. 

Anyway, the Minors plan.  Each year, 4 different courses or tournaments get to vie for the Minor tournaments.  Now, Minors would score the same as Majors, they’re just not guaranteed a spot in the rotation each season.  So, yes, Wrightsville, one of the other New Hampshire courses, Storrs Pond (whatever the fuck that place is), Sugarbush, The Timbers of Fennario or whatever new course pops up, can get in the rotation. 

Think about it, on the PGA tour, not every fancy course gets to host a tournament on the schedule every season.  And as Vermont (ahem, and New Hampshire) disc golf continues to grow, then we’re going to need a plan for making the schedule work.  And this is a plan.  Now, I doubt you’ll like my plan, but I do.  And if nothing else we’ve again opened up the debate.  So, make some comments and let the world know what you think.

*The final word goes to the whispered-about stroke shaving comments.  Seriously, how pathetic can people be?  Is counting to 5 (or in my case, 9) really that hard?  Or do you want to “win” a tournament so badly that you’ll cheat?  Man.  That really makes me mad.  Imagine how the people who actually played in the tournament feel.  And some ridiculous technology that someone mentioned on the forum isn’t the solution.  Old fashioned accountability is.  So, disc golfers, make it known now and forever.  Cheating won’t be tolerated.  For once, I’ll agree with the federal government… if you see something, say something. 

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Mayone is the One

Calais Gold

Going into the Calais weekend, I had given you my top five candidates to take down the Pro Division. I told you that Jeff Spring, Chris Young, Mike Habets, Johnny Betts, and Sean Bleything had a chance at winning. As usual, the Circle Three Predictions were a little bit off. The story of the day, at least from our perspective up north, was Chris Mayone. His scores of 66 and 69 were good enough for a first place tie in Pro Open and a subsequent playoff. Although Mayone did not prevail in said playoff, he did put forth an outstanding performance, one good enough to surprise many of us (and himself) as well as earn the Circle Three Headline.

Once again, Vermont was plagued by the last minute out-of-town addition who took down the Pro field. This time around it was former Vermont regular Pete Johnson. He absolutely crushed Calais Golds on the first round, shooting a 61 and grabbing a five stroke lead on the next closest Pro heading into round two. Johnson's second round was a little more down to earth, at 74 strokes. That allowed Mayone and his steady play to claw his way back for the playoff. Although Johnson did prevail on the day, Chris Mayone prevailed in our hearts.

Mayone is an interesting player. He's eligible to play in either Pro Masters or Pro Grandmasters, if he so chose. Plus, he's coming off some surgery, so no one would complain if he hid in one of the age protected divisions. But, that's not Mayone's style. He's a big boy who plays big boy disc golf, so for him, it's Pro Open or nothing. And that's commendable.

I have to touch on the fact that I didn't include him in my Calais prediction. I kind of felt bad after he had such a great day. Was it unfair of me to skip right over him? For a minute, I thought so. Then I found out that Mayone wasn't even confident enough in himself to enter the Pro Side Pot. So, if he wasn't even rooting for himself, then I shouldn't feel so bad not picking him to win.

Either way, props to Chris Mayone. He worked his way through two rounds at a very challenging course. And as Chris Young said, he did it “very smoothly.” Nice work, Mayone. Months ago I said I'd be happy to give you some props if you earned it, so here you are.

Bleything, sampling some of the finer things.

And then...

*Although the Pro Division had some shakeups, the top 3 remain the same. Jeff Spring is in 1^st with 416.33 points, Chris Young is a close 2^nd with 403.65 points and Habets remains in 3^rd with 349.75. I should note that Habets had his best finish (netting 76.92 points) since winning Pinnacle. Maybe he's been reading this blog. Anyway, the top five is rounded out with a resurgent Dave Frothingham in 4^th (325.53 points) and the ever steady James Beaulieu in 5^th (287.77 points).

*This season, and consequently each tournament still remaining, is really starting to mean something. We've finished 7 of the Green Mountain Point Series events and only 3 remain. For those Pros who want to make a move, time is running out. And let's not forget that Jeff Spring is the reigning Wrighstville Open champ, so I doubt he'll be giving that one away without a legendary battle.

*Rivalry Watch. I owe you a few updates on the Rivalry Watch. I was neglectful and didn't square up our results after the LPO, so we'll do that and then move onto the Calais wrap-up. It's suffice to say that those disc golfers I was beating up on early in the season have had enough of my blathering and are ready to win the Rivalry Watch. Results are much closer than they used to be.

So, going in to the LPO, my record was a respectable 10-6. My score on the day for the Sugarbush courses was a pretty lame 124. I was easily bested by Justin DeVico and Seth McQuade. I beat Ira Divoll (Thanks, Ira!) and we didn't see Spencer Weatherholt, Jim Conroy, Dave Carter or Andy Powell at the LPO. So, on the day, I only had 3 rivals present and 2 of them beat me. That puts me at 1-2 on the day and 11-8 on the season (after LPO).

Calais, however, was filled with rivals. I finished the day with a pretty poor 162. That means that Jim Conroy beat me. Seth McQuade, who won AM 1, obviously beat me. Ira Divoll placed in the money, and beat me, as did Justin DeVico. Spencer Weatherholt got me by a stroke, and I was fortunate enough to play the second round with him and see it with my own two eyes. Thankfully Dave Carter was nice enough to DNF and gift me a win. So, at Calais, I got destroyed. I was 1-5 on the day. Now I'm 12-13, the first time I've had a losing record against the rivals this year.

Nice work, boys, but thankfully the season ain't over yet.

Spencer, hitting good putts right in my face.

*Pro Prediction Follow Up: I picked Spring/Young/Bleything for the win/place/show. Spring and Young didn't have enough to hang tough at Calais, but Bleything did end up in third. So, my predictions weren't legendary, but if you think you would have picked Johnson/Mayone/Bleything ahead of time, then you're just kidding yourself.

*AM 1. Yes, I almost forgot about this one. I played the first round with Seth McQuade, who wasn't very happy with his disc golfing and talked about quitting and caddying for his wife. I was trying to convince him to drop me off at the Three Penny Tap Room before the second round started. Neither on of those things happened, and instead, McQuade came back from behind in the second round and won the division by two strokes. Nice work, Seth. That'll shake up the AM 1 division race. However, we're not going to dive into that today. The work on the street is that Chris Young is going to be bringing us an AM 1 follow-up later this week. Until then, we'll hold off on the AM 1 analysis.

*D(NF) Carter. That is all.

*Calais. What a special place. The course always looks immaculate, I think, but this time it was especially fantastic. The perfect weather didn't hurt, but the time and energy that goes into that course is really legendary. I'd like to extend a special thanks to all the folks who work hard there, but especially to Paul Olander. Paul is the real godfather of disc golf in Vermont, even though I throw that term around a lot. He does so much to make our sport and his course fantastic. Thanks again, Paul.

*Aaron Moore. What a nice guy. Plus, an excellent TD. From my end things went very smoothly and Aaron is a big person to thank for that. Plus, he didn't even play in the tournament. Talk about commitment. Thanks again, Aaron.

*Worlds Update.  Andy Powell shared a story with me about a Circle Three he carded at the Worlds.  It's a great story.  He sailed a huge drive that went past the basket, down a hill and out of bounds.  In true Circle Three fashion he nailed the putt.  I figured it was worth mentioning.  It's also worth mentioning that this was the turning point for Andy's Worlds appearance.  Not a positive turning point, but a turning point that sent his play spiraling out of control.  Like I said, true Circle Three fashion.  

*The final word this time goes to me. I don't often take it, but it's my blog and I'll do it if I want to. I'd like to make a pitch for the formats of tournaments at Calais. No, it's not my course and no I wasn't the tournament director, so I probably don't have much to complain about. But complaining is what started this website and complaining is what keeps me going. Personally, I think that two rounds of Golds for amateur players, even advanced amateurs, is a little too much. Sure, we're just one step away from Pros, so you could argue that two rounds of Golds is good practice for us, but I think it could be done differently. If it were up to me, I'd have amateurs play a round of Golds and a round of Blues. Let's be honest, Blues are still challenging (and it's also a beautiful layout) so why not let amateurs play a round of each? Maybe we can get this in place before the Vermont State Finals...

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Looking Ahead to Calais

Well, here I sit on July 26^th, thinking about what a shake-up we've had in the Pro Open Division so far. Chris Young is hot and there's no mistaking it. Not only has he had back-to-back point series wins, but he's also leading the way on trash talking. He's talked smack on Becker for a while, but now he's bringing the thunder to the New Hampshire players.

*Speaking of which, is Mike Habets really going to move back to Am 1? That just seems disrespectful.

*Murray's making a comeback for the North Calais Open. Do you think he'll make it through both rounds? Calais is hard, like Sugarbush is, so who knows? Also, if I haven't DNF'ed at a tournament this year, there's no way he should have.

*Jim Conroy. Where you been? So sorry I'll be missing your Calais appearance.

*I learned something important this week. Scott's last name is not pronounced “Mool-tahn” like I thought it was. It's actually pronounced like the word for lava... “molten.” So now you know too. Do you think he can keep up the molten play he's had recently?

*The Frothecy is serious about this tournament. He played the shit out of Calais last weekend and won't even get in on the side bet, as not to be distracted. Focus, Daniel-san, focus.

*Dave Carter thinks he's ready for a win at Calais. I'm not as convinced, but I really like his confidence. He does play that course incredibly well. As does Aaron Moore, so watch out for those two locals.

*My early picks: I like Brock Pitzer at Calais. It's his course. He played there before I even knew what disc golf was. He'll be looking for a triumphant return. Watch for Spring and Young, but the respective pressures of TD'ing and leading the pack will make for a rough weekend. Frothy will be in the money too, maybe coming down to the wire with Brock at the end.

AM 1 gets tricky. I mean, I won't be there, so that kind of leaves the top of the field wide open. To be serious though, Jon Moorer has shot lights recently. Calais is a tricky place for him though. Carter and Aaron Moore are locals who've played it hot recently. Josh Rappeport wants in on the top finishers also. Matty O. plays great placement golf and that's always good at Calais. But, I think Rang Duce has one coming. He's been down and out at times recently but I love that he plays great tournament golf.

Also, Scott, since you corrected me about your name, let me make a little correction of my own. Rang Duce.  It's “rang,” like a bell, not "range." “He rang the bell to get some assistance from the clerk.” Rang Duce hardly makes sense, but Range Duce doesn't make any sense. Thanks.

I'd make some AM 2 picks, but you all have ruined that.

Have a great weekend.   


Photo credit: Taylor Johnson