The man, the myth, the legend – Jacky Chen.
You’ve heard that name before, haven’t you? And no, I’m not referring to this weekend at the 2022 Las Vegas Challenge. Before the start of the season, you probably knew the kid’s name. Strangely, though, there’s a good chance you’d never seen him throw a single golf shot …
Therein lies the mystery of Mr. Chen.
Jacky’s fame came about seemingly overnight. Back in 2020, at 22 years of age, the “Taiwanese Terror” took down the Asia Open. That’s all fine and dandy, but he had a six-digit PDGA number. And on top of that, the guys he beat out weren’t slouches, by any means:
- Nate Perkins
- James Conrad
- Philo Brathwaite
- Manabu Kajiyama
Here’s the real kicker, though: At the time, Chen had no player rating …
By the end of the event, it was 1040 – that’s right, zero to 1040 by way of one tournament.
Terry Miller, The Disc Golf Guy, was at the event. Based on information he’d gathered, Chen’s performance was no fluke. Back in Taiwan, he was (and still is) a known prodigy – a freak talent.
Fast forward two years and Chen finds himself in Las Vegas for only his second event in the U.S. During the first round, he did okay, coming in at 5 under par. Things didn’t go so well yesterday with Chen carding a 63, dropping him 32 spots in the standings – 16 strokes off the lead.
Chen’s a solid player, but no – he’s not the second coming of Eagle McMahon.
Talent’s not necessarily why he’s so good for the sport, however …
Chen’s from Taiwan. For the longest time, disc golf was a West Coast thing. It spread across the States, but it was still an American pastime. Then, Europe got in the mix. So much so, the PDGA has two official Tour Rankings this year – one for the U.S. and the other for Europe.
Again, Chen’s from Asia – Southeast Asia, to be exact. Of the 181 registrants for the Las Vegas Challenge, he’s the only one not from the U.S. or Europe. Be it somewhat slowly, disc golf is growing. And that’s not just pandemic-induced growth here in the U.S. and Canada …
This really is a global thing.
Need more proof? Backhand or forehand, watch Chen throw – now watch him putt, too:
Who does that form remind you of?
Paul McBeth.
You know, arguably the greatest golfer our sport’s ever seen. The guy who voluntarily spends weeks out of his year in Mexico, installing disc golf courses and teaching the sport to others.
From continents away, Chen studied McBeth’s game and put into practice what he’d learned. If Chen did it, there’s no telling who else is doing it – or even what countries they’re from, either.
Listen, I have no idea how long it will take for disc golf to gain universal traction. I don’t know if the game will reach the Olympic level. I couldn’t tell you if the title of “World Champion” will one day mean actually having to compete against disc golfers from all over the world …
But I do know this: Chen, as well as his copycat form, is a clear-cut sign that expansion is here.
First it was Ken Climo in the U.S. Next, it was Simon Lizotte in Europe. Kajiyama out of Japan is certainly worth mentioning, too. Now, Chen is making a name for himself out of Southeast Asia. Disc golf’s future, foreign-born pioneers are waiting to stumble across their first disc …
All it takes is one throw, and they’ll be hooked for life – you know the feeling.
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