Something’s different about Simon Lizotte’s game, isn’t it?
Don’t get me wrong: For years, Simon’s been a MASSIVE part of professional disc golf. For the better part of 24 months, though, the sport’s missed the guy: That right elbow injury hardcore sucked for Lizotte, but for the rest of us, too – disc golf’s simply not the same without him.
But I remember Simon’s game well before the elbow injury …
Something’s changed …
What it is shouldn’t be too much of a surprise: fatherhood.
Simon suddenly playing top tier golf again is due to the activation of the ‘dad gene’: it’s science! #OTBOpen #discgolf
— DiscGolfHunter (@DiscGolfHunter) May 23, 2022
Clearly, it’s a color that suits Mr. Lizotte. He took sixth at the Jonesboro Open back in late April. Literally one week later, he turned in a second-place performance at the Dynamic Discs Open in Emporia, Kan. And just yesterday, he took down the OTB Open – few people saw that coming.
Remember: This is a guy whose last win of any kind came at The Vacationland Open back in August of 2020 – it was a B-tier. Perhaps more demoralizing, his last “quality” win came at the European Disc Golf Championships nearly four years ago: no McBeth, Wysocki, McMahon, etc.
In fact, the last time he beat all of the “big boys” took place in March of that same 2018 season at the Memorial Championship – you know, back when it was still a tournament people cared about …
To say that he needed this would be an understatement.
Fatherhood’s done a number on Simon.
This is the cat who used to play the game like more of a “Harlem Globetrotter” than a global, top-10 disc golf talent. It seemed viral videos and trick shots mattered most. These days, though, winning and providing for a wife and baby appear to have taken over as Simon’s primary focus.
No joke, the proof is in the pudding:
- He plays in fewer events.
- He spends more time at home.
- He limits the use of “Simon lines.”
- He competes for wins when present.
- He keeps that right chicken wing safe …
The ULTIMATE dad move: limiting forehand throws.
Daddy’s hungry – let the man eat.
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