Gannon Buhr could be the next Paul McBeth – and no, that’s not cheap hyperbole.
Today’s the final round of the 2022 Las Vegas Challenge. Buhr’s led the MPO field for two days. He shows no signs of slowing down. Also, score isn’t the only thing he’s leading the pack in:
- He’s first in strokes gained by putting at 11.65 strokes.
- He’s first in strokes gained by circle-two putts at 8.50 strokes.
- He’s done that easily, as he’s first in circle-two putts, making 50% of them.
- He’s also first in bounce-back rate, following up both first-round bogeys with birdies.
Could today be the day Buhr self-implodes?
Sure, and he’d have good reason – he’s literally 16 years old.
The guy makes Kyle Klein (20) and Linus Carlsson (22) look like seasoned veterans. Heck, three weeks ago, he posted on Instagram about building a model bridge out of popsicle sticks and glue for a school project. It’s strange how much it looks like the Ledgestone Open bridge, right?
In the greater scheme of disc golf, regardless of how today plays out, it doesn’t matter much. In only two full seasons of open division play, Buhr’s made it clear he’s the future of the sport.
Take last season, for example – his first on tour.
With the highest number of DGPT points for players with fewer than three past DGPT events, Buhr took down the MPO Rookie of the Year award. At 15 years old, he finished fourth at The Preserve and fifth at the 2021 DGPT Championship. In 2021, his total tournament earnings came out to $18,934 – that’s just shy of 20-times higher than what he made the year prior in 2020.
Thanks to the heightened level of competition Buhr will face during his career, the wins total isn’t likely to be as high as McBeth’s. But even early on, Gannon does appear to have matched McBeth in one category – the dude not only craves pressure, but outright thrives on it.
Brrrrrrrrrrrr 🥶🥶🥶
— Disc Golf Pro Tour (@DiscGolfProTour) February 27, 2022
Gannon Buhr is your outright leader after round 3 at the Las Vegas Challenge. pic.twitter.com/K8O0qvALh6
Windy conditions off the tee. Nervy, OB-laden approaches. Death putts.
Similar to McBeast, nothing seems to phase “Slender Man.”
Remember, peeps: For as freakishly good as Eagle McMahon was as a teenager, he became infamous for his untimely, final-round meltdowns. Things turned out okay for him, though.
Again, whether he takes down his first Elite Series win or falls flat on his face, in the long run, things’ll turn out okay for Gannon, too. Better than okay, if I’m honest – way better than okay.
Buhr’s got his long-term sights set on catching McBeth one day …
He’s got the time and talent to do it.
The first step? Putting the finishing touches on a job well done in Sin City.
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