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

A Donation to the Doctor

Last summer it seemed like Chris Young was a sure thing at the Money Game. He had his fair share of wins, and then some, and also won the season finale. Let's just say he took home a bunch of cash last year. There were some rumors and jokes floating around that he had worked the twice-monthly payout into his budget.

This year, we've all been donating our money to Emmett. Ben Parker won a Money Game early on and made a great showing the other times he played. Jon Moorer (has he turned Pro yet?) won week 2 with the first under-par Money Game round this year. But, really, we've all been giving our weekly entry fees directly to Emmett. And good for him, but it was really starting to get old.

Last night's Money Game provided some new excitement. When the pressure of top card got to Emmett, Chris Young, Jon Moorer, Jeff Spring, and Justin Kaulius, two second card players were able to shoot 51 (-3). Dave Frothingham and Todd Holmes both carded those season-low Money Game rounds to send it to a playoff.

With the full crowd watching, The Frothecy and Dr. Ice Water made the march to hole 17. Holmes put his drive close and Frothy chopped one off the tee into the bushes. From there it was all but a formality until Holmes putted out and took down the win.

I know I was thinking it, so you probably were too. Half the field is unemployed and we're going to let the Dr. take home the money. That stings, right? I thought so. But, how wrong I was. After an epic re-cap by Matty O., Todd claimed his prize and immediately told the crowd that he'd be putting all of his winnings into some secret course that he's constructing somewhere in Vermont. Bravo.

That's the kind of donation I like to make.

Extras:

*It looked like Dave was a little upset when he lost last night. Maybe a little more than a little upset. I think I saw a DFMD. And I think I just coined that phrase. Two weeks ago I also saw a DCMD. Did you see that one?

*Scott Moulton killed it. Shot a hot round, collected tags, dealt with the tag distribution, and as always brought good food. Nice work, Scott.

*Matt Zabawa also shot hot. Watch out for those AM 2 players, they're coming on strong. Oh, wait, haven't we heard about that? Someone might have mentioned that before, but I can't remember who.

From Young Bucks to Big Bucks?

Well, loyal readers, if you remember back to a few months ago you'll know that I predicted The Frothecy to take down this year's Pro Open division. I'm not wavering on that opinion, but there's no denying that Chris Young is in a very good position right now.

Young, who I said would have a hot start, has actually made a steady progression through the point series this year. He started the year with an 8^th place finish at the Pinnacle Spring Run-Off, a tournament that ended up being dominated by Southern NEFA-land players. His 6^th place finish at the Sap Bucket Open had him finishing behind Matt Idol, Johnny Betts, David Frothingham, and Jeff Spring. At that point, Mr. Young may have been questioning what 2011 would bring for him.

Black Falls V was a bit of a turning point, though. Frothy won and Emmett Cosgrove took 2^nd, but Young's second round 54 brought him back to 4^th place. He placed in the money at Gnomes Challenge, his fourth straight time in the money, but that wasn't quite enough for him. The Killington Classic was Chris Young's first win of the year and he did it in dramatic fashion, coming back from behind on Emmett Cosgrove and holding off Brock Pitzer. His second round 50 solidified the win in a big way.

But still, one win still wasn't enough for Chris Young. And doing it quietly wasn't the way for him to do it. Twenty-four hours before the Lincoln Peak Open, Young was on the forum, saying about the point series, “it's still anyone's game.” He also said, “let's just say I am focused, ready, and due to cash at the LPO!” And cash he indeed did. As in cashing in big, as in Big Bucks.

That makes two straight wins for Chris Young. And that makes people like Emmett, Dave, Ian, Brock, Hess, and Becker worried, I can imagine. I'd say it makes Johnny Betts and Jeff Spring worried as well, but we don't even know where those people are.

Watch for the point series update coming soon. Check out Young's strangle hold on the division. It'll be exciting to see the rest of the year and find out if Mr. Young can handle having the target on his back because now there's no question that everyone's going to be gunning for him.

Extras:

*Look for more LPO coverage coming soon. AM 1, where some like to say “the action isn't” was interesting this weekend. Also, some guy from somewhere in Vermont won AM 2. So, I'll probably be writing about those things.

*The Money Game: Chris Young may be sitting pretty in the GMPS point series, but Emmett's on top in the Money Game Point Series, where the real cash is. Keep your eyes peeled for some more scathing analysis of the Wednesday madness.

*Josh Wedel aced hole 3 on the peak at the LPO but didn't get in the Ace Pot. Jon Moorer also aced hole 3 at the LPO and was wise enough to get in the ace pot. Moorer aced the same hole on a practice round right before the touney. That means he aced that hole on two consecutive rounds. Did anyone else hear all that talk about him going Pro soon?

*Did Murray DNF? What's up with that?

*Tristan Whitehouse moved up to AM 2. Nice work.

*Photo credits: Christian Keidel and Taylor Johnson, respectively.  

Waterbury Looks Amazing

There are certain times of the year where Waterbury's Center Chains Disc Golf Course looks amazing and you realize what a gem the course really is. Right now is one of those times. I feel like I'm kind of blowing up the spot, like giving up one of your secret stashes at a ski resort, but I'm going to tell you that Center Chains looks amazing right now.

A big round of thanks should go out to those involved in the grass cutting, trimming, weed wacking, and tree removal done on the course. I can only imagine that Matt Alberghini, Anne Lewis, and Dave Frothingham were responsible for most of the work. Thank you. If I've missed any other golfers who spent the day working, feel free to leave a comment so we can give them the thanks they deserve.

So, quit reading this nerdy blog and go play.

UPDATED: From Josh Rappeport: "Mr. Al Rosa is deserving of a mention... his efforts were were apparently verging on legendary!"

Andy's Response

You might remember that I wrote a short note to Andy Powell, you might not.  I joked around about doing some book reports or that sort of thing for Andy, but he obviously doesn't need help with his writing.  He's written a response to my letter and in the interest of being fair and balanced, I'm going to post it.  I certainly don't agree with every thing he's written, and I'll probably get to that in the near future, but I'm happy to open up the dialogue.  So, here you go, words from Andy himself.

Oh, I just don't know where to start. First of all, my request for wider coverage was not the first.

chris young wrote:Love the scouting report Justin!! You should do one for Adv and AM2 also!

But perhaps the focus should have been limited to the accurate and insightful story of the pro division because:


AM1: Where the action isn't
From my perspective, the advanced division has been a disappointing mess thus far. I was really hoping this would be the year of JRapp, but I'll have to hope that a good finish on home course can ignite his game in the second half of the season. The early leader, Mr. Sweat gained that position through a mediocre start at Pinnacle. 5th place with scores that would have only gotten him a share of the AM2 lead has got to be upsetting for the big man. If Habets hadn't started the year in pro, it would have been even worse. Since then you guys have been passing around the disc golf mojo like a hot potato. Ask anyone what the difference between AM1 and AM2 is, and they'll say consistency. Who is going to figure out how to finish top 20% with respectable scores on a regular basis? Who is going to step up and show they want it? I like Wedel's chances right now with Christian in a close second. Don't count out McQuade though. He smelled blood in the water early and made the jump. Why be top of AM2 when you can be at the top of AM1 with the same game? He probably likes his chances better there because:


AM2: Where the action is
Seth’s departure added some intrigue to the tights points race we have this year. His hold on the division through the first two events didn’t keep the other contenders very far back. After he left to conquer the flailing advanced division, I managed to take the points lead at Black Falls despite a third place finish behind a playoff victory for Murray. Mr. Junod then used a second consecutive win to take a 2.68 point lead in the standings. As Justin would say, this was a “tight grip” on the lead and Murray must have felt he had the title wrapped up. Then Killington came and went and we have a race again. This is the type of story we’ve been looking for from the AM1’s for the past two years, but the world of VT amateur disc is a little backwards. Here is the division where there are three or four serious contenders consistently battling it out every round with a group of very talented golfers just behind looking to play spoiler. The insider scoop will tell you that I’m missing North Calais for another little tournament in Rochester, so falling short again on the home course could end my chances. These are the type of stories that should be told, but we haven’t even gotten to the best part yet because there is still:


The story of the year
While the attention may be on the perennial contenders for GMPS titles, my request was for coverage of all divisions, not just the points series. The best thing about Killington for me, other than the ridiculously large and awesome tree stump trophy, was that my first round group was much better looking than usual. I am of course talking about the increasing number of local women golfers. This is a great thing for our tournament scene. We all know that girlfriends and wives are far less likely to complain about the time the guys spend on the course if they are out there too. I hope we can look forward to eventually getting some more women in the club, but for now just seeing these newer players coming out in groups from BTown and the BCO areas is a great step forward. Katie Stansfield can’t always count on her monthly trophy anymore, but I believe this has to be a good thing for everyone involved.


On a personal note
As far as my moving up is concerned, if Justin were to look at the NEFA standings for the advanced division (http://nefa.com/PointsSeries/divisionPo ... visionID=5) he would find my name there 9 places above his despite my 2 events to his 3.  I will be in the advanced division for a third time in just under two weeks as I join Travis and Patrick in representing Vermont at the Am Worlds. I still can’t believe we won’t be seeing Bachnein at the flymart.  I can’t wait to try out the new courses, and if I play well enough maybe my mom can even read about me in the Borelli Blog.

Since my little jab at Josh somehow turned into a challenge with Christian, let’s just take the time to look at the head-to-head results.
Pinnacle – Andy by 2, Sap Bucket – Andy by 1, Gnomes – Christain by 2, Killington – Christian by 4
It’s all tied up at 2-2 with Christian holding a 3 stroke lead over 8 tournament rounds. My call is it’s too close to call.

An Open Letter to Andy Powell

Dear Andy,

I couldn't help but notice you were asking for other divisions, like Advanced Masters, Rec, and AM 2 to be recognized and that you also wanted to speak up for those who were yet to be represented. I hear you. But, I know that secretly you just wanted me to write about you. You wanted to get famous on the Internets.

So, I'll do it this time. I'll swallow my journalistic spirit for finding the right angle and the good story, and I'll write about whatever it is you wish. I'll run through every division and give you my thoughts. Maybe when I finish you have a family reunion update you'd like me to bang out, or maybe an article about your dog that I could write for you. Maybe I could finish up that book report you haven't gotten to.

But, don't get used to this. And this doesn't just go for Andy. This goes for all of you. Want to get famous on the Internets? Want to send your mom a link to an article where someone mentions you? Well, then, put on your big boy pants, practice your putts, play often, (quit your job if you have to, as I've previously advised), and go Pro. Play for all the money and all the glory or don't expect some schmuck to write about you online. Or, get your own crappy blog that twelve or thirteen people read and write about whatever it is you'd like.

Now, you're going to ask me, “But what about the mentions you make of AM 1?” Well, I'll tell you what, that shit is hot right now, it's my blog, and I'll write about whatever I'd like.

So, here we go. I'll put the pride aside and tell you what I know.

*Pro Women: Exciting division. The spread sheet I'm looking at is empty. We have no Pro Women. That's a problem, boys. This right here is the underlying problem with disc golf.

*Pro Masters: James Beaulieu is killing it. Seriously, he's in a league of his own. A one man division. Awesome. No disrespect to James, because he really does kill it and helps this sport immensely, but let's get rid of one person divisions.

*Advanced Women: Is this thing on? Does anyone read all of this? Why do so few women play this sport?

*Intermediate Men: Andy, did you skip right down to this section or did you read everything else in between? Anyway, no joke, Andy is currently in the lead for AM 2. Murray Junod seemed to have a tight grip on the division but Andy crept his way up, taking the lead after a win at Killington. Nice job, Andy. Big ups also go to Seth McQuade who made that scary mid-season jump to AM 1. It's gutsy and I like it. Nice work.

You know what though? I don't think you can even imagine how the season's going to wrap up. I can explain what I mean with three letters... M....Z.....A. That's right the MZA. Kevin Mize. I've seen him play recently and I can tell you he's ready for greatness. That and he's got some Andy Powell voodoo dolls, so all should be good. Devico, Moulton, Ira, Zabawa, I'll be looking at you to make things interesting at the end of the season. Win a tournament and really mix things up.

*Advanced Masters: The one person division that actually has fourteen people in it. Al Rosa, are you worried about the competition? Are you getting scared yet? Nervous? For those of you who don't study the Advanced Masters scores as often as I do, I'll let you in on a little secret. Al has a 220 point lead. And that's between him and the second place contestant, Mr. Gary Stansfield. That's about all I have to say about that right now.

*Rec: You gotta love the fact that we're growing the sport in all kinds of ways around here. Philosophically, I disagree with the Rec division having a point series, but that's a conversation for a different time. (But seriously, doesn't recreational mean that you're not competing? Maybe I'm just dumb). And I'm not disrespecting the Rec division players. More power to you. Keep Rec'ing it up for now and next year you can sneak up on Andy Powell and beat him in AM 2.

Tristan Whitehouse has a bit of a commanding lead over Jayce Slesar in the series. Jayce took down Killington, so nice work on that. Tristan, sorry man, but he's a kid. So, you better make sure to lock this one down. Think about Matty O.'s game. It's boring, boring disc golf but boy oh boy is it effective. Watch him, channel your inner Matty O., throw it straight down the fairway, and win this thing. Or, Jayce, you can take the same advice and try and knock him down from below.

So there it is. Your full divisional update in two parts. I've wasted a good chunk of my day, how about you all? Before I go, I should thank Andy for being such a good sport. Thanks. And seriously, from now on we only talk about the Pros and maybe some top Ams. Like it or leave it.

News and Notes

After a long hiatus, I'm back at some blogging. Totaling a car, going to an epic bachelor party, moving, and car shopping has really taken up a lot of my time recently. I'll try my best to get you all the news that's fit to print.

*The lead: Vermont disc golf is blowing up. I'm not talking about an APMD-style blow up, but instead a huge jump in our number of participants. For the first time ever the club has hit 100 members! Nice work, everyone. In addition, we're seeing more players at GMDGC tournaments than ever before. According to Chris Young, we're averaging 59.2 players per GMPS event after 5 events. I can personally say that it's been great seeing all of you out there for each and every event this year.

*The Open Points Series Race: Hopefully you'll remember back to the pre-season predictions when I suggested we'd see a hot start from Chris Young. I'll admit that it took a little longer than I expected, but Mr. Young currently sits at the top of the GMPS Open division. His recent win at The Killington Classic has given him a 11 point lead. Killington didn't work out for Dave Frothingham, but it's obviously way too early to count him out. Expect big things at his favorite course for the Lincoln Peak Open.

Speaking of expecting big things, have you seen Emmett Cosgrove play yet? He's no joke. Although he's getting rich off of Money Game wins, he hasn't been able to finish during the second round of tournaments as of late. Oh, and paging Mr. Johnny Betts. Has anyone seen him? Is he still a disc golfer? Are you out there? If you read this, kindly register for the LPO. Thanks.

The last thing I want to say about the Open category is about Jeremy Becker and Brock Pitzer. Ask any pro, and these are the players that concern them during a tournament. I'd put my money on one of them placing in the LPO.

*The hotly contested, never dull, newly revamped AM 1: Wow. What else is there to say? 2011 brought us an almost entirely new group in this division. The point series is totally shaken up from last year. The currently red-hot Jon Moorer sits atop the division. He's got a very solid 19 point lead on his nearest competition. Rang Duce is (probably unhappily) sitting in second place once again. Josh Wedel, Christian “Mr. Twisty” Keidel, and Matty O. round out the top five. Keep your eyes on this division. No one's GMPS place is safe with lots of tournaments still to go.

*Money Game updates: Everyone talks about Emmett having the point series locked down, but that's the way Chris Young wants it. Check this out the next time we play: Whenever someone talks about Emmett's dominating lead, Chris stays quiet. He seems happy to let Emmett take the spotlight while he quietly plots his comeback. After all, he's only 18 points behind Mr. Cosgrove. Jon “The Moretown Pro” Moorer is also in third place for this point series. Here's my tip. Want to make the Money Game Point Series interesting? Make one of them a two round tournament. Based on Emmett's recent difficulty with closing out his wins, we'll definitely be able to take him down...

*The current problem with unemployment in our disc golf club: Yeah right. Being unemployed is actually the secret to success in the GMPS. Look around. Matty O, Rang Duce, Jon Moorer. All unemployed. All having amazing seasons. An unnamed yet unemployed disc golfer said this, “If you want to compete in your division and you have a job, quit it. You have to play every day to have a chance to compete.” Wow, what advice.

There's two things to consider with this. First, this also applies to being a tournament director. You can't TD and play well, goes the common saying. So, Dave Frothy, it's going to be time to step down from the TD duties soon. If the Frothecy is going to come true you'll need to step down from TD'ing and focus on playing. Second, watch out for those lucky few who experience seasonal unemployment. Seth, Justin K., Aaron Moore, Cave Darter, I'm talking to you. Now's the time to shine. All day, every day!