Post date: Dec 18, 2014 8:37:08 PM
Greetings again from the desk of the SC. We've had some fantastic DG this Fall/Winter season, and as 2014 draws to a close we look forward to the big things coming up in 2015. First things first, we have THREE A-Tiers in our beloved state in 2015; the Tulsa Am Jam, the Norman Pro/Am, and the Oklahoma Open.
Let's talk about that finish at the 2014 Oklahoma Open, that was intense! Chris Eads started off amazingly hot at Redhawk, yet somehow (even though Chris played incredibly solid all weekend) Paul McBeth was able to reel him in on the Final 9. There was a fan-pleasing sudden-death playoff at Hunter park, where Paul had to drill in a monstrously nerve-racking putt from about 50-60 feet to keep the playoffs alive. Chris, however, had a drop-in easy bird. Then, going into the second hole, Chris had his putt go just a touch too low and hit the face mask of his par putt, allowing Paul to catch-up with a matching bogey. Then, on the 3rd, and final, playoff hole, Paul nailed his birdie putt (slight anyhyzer, from the right side), while Chris went just low again. Heart breaker for Chris, and a magnificent comeback for the only 2x OO Open Men's champ ever (he happens to be a 3x Pro Worlds champ, if that rings a bell).
Back on topic with 2015...
The Tulsa AM Jam has become a fan favorite in our fair little city. Dr. Jim Geurin is hoping for over 90 players this year, and I think he can pull that off. Jim is a fantastic individual with a heart of gold, always looking to give a hand to those running tournaments or events. Will Nick Papineau repeat, or will a new challenger arise?
The second A Tier is the 37th annual Norman Pro/Am, hosted by Billy Engel and Mikey Hooper. Billy is a young TD, but has great passion and drive, those Norman/Sooner DGers have a lot to look forward to with their new leadership. 37 years, that officially makes it the 2nd longest continually running tournament that OK offers, and one of the oldest in the country!
The last A-Tier is, of course, the 15th annual Oklahoma Open. This is the apex tournament for the world's top pros to come to (in OK). You'll see signs of McBeth, Feldberg, McCabe, Jenkins, Ulibarri, Peirce, Allen, Catrina, so on and so forth. It's a great spectator event as well.
Lest we not forget, there are also two great anniversary events happening this coming year too! The 36th annual Riverside Glide, and the 40th annual Oklahoma State Flying Disc Championships. The OSFDC is the longest running tradition we have, establish in 1975, which also makes it one of the very first organized tournaments in the world. It's the only time you'll see events like Most-Time Aloft (MTA), Freestyle, Double-Disc-Court (DDC), Distance and Accuracy (sometimes), and not to mention...disc golf!
As we go into this new year, I wish you all the best, I hope we grow together as a unified DG family. Bettering our courses, improving and refining our own skills, and helping those around us to become better stewards of the game, our courses, and be a positive impact to the surrounding community.
The calender is starting to fill up! Mark your dates, plan out your year, and look forward to some great fun. We've been working hard to capture our history, records, and all kinds of other goodies. I sincerely hope you enjoy going through this site.
Until next time, Merry Christmas, happy New Year, and make those chains sing.