Remember the “British Invasion” of 1964?
I sure as heck don’t.
I wouldn’t be born for another 26 years, but I’ve heard my parents talk about it before. That was the year The Beatles came over from Liverpool and toured The States. The Rolling Stones were part of it, too. America fell in love with their music. They sold out stadiums and topped charts.
Professional disc golf is about to undergo a similar shift in power.
This time around, however, the takeover won’t be limited to Britain. Or music. No, it’ll include disc golfers from a bunch of cold European nations: Iceland, Finland, Denmark, Norway, etc.
And guess what?
They couldn’t care less about who Paul McBeth is, what Ricky Wysocki did last season or how far Eagle McMahon can flick a distance driver with his off-hand – they’re out for Yankee blood.
Perhaps none more than Linus Carlsson, a 22-year-old disc golf prodigy out of Sweden.
You see, while you and I were out making a big deal about a number of high-profile, off-season signings, Latitude 64 quietly courted the kid away from Innova – and yes, this is a very big deal:
- He’s the top-rated disc golfer in Sweden.
- At 1035, he’s one of the highest-rated players in the world.
- He’s won the Swedish Championships twice in a row in 2020 and 2021.
- He took second at the 2021 European Disc Golf Championship, falling to Niklas Anttila.
He was narrowly defeated by Anttila, losing by a single stroke.
Here’s the real kicker, though: he curb-stomped Simon Lizotte by a whopping 14 of ‘em. That might be hard to believe, but it won’t be for much longer – said Carlsson in a recent statement:
“Joining Latitude 64 means that I can focus on disc golf full time for the first time in my life, and to play with discs from a Swedish brand and represent both them and my country on the U.S. tour feels great.”
Continued Carlsson:
“For 2022, I will spend about seven months in the U.S., and the first Disc Golf Pro Tour event will be at the Las Vegas Challenge. I have several goals, but the big goal I have for 2022 is to win at least one big event.”
McCabe is the past. Wysocki is the present. Carlsson is the future.
The rich get richer at Trilogy.
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I hardly agree. Linus Carlsson is good, but he’s neither top talent neither will he ever be the best.
Benji, this was written in January of 2022, and yeah …
You’re right: The performance hasn’t lived up to the hype.
But, hey – he’s young …
Maybe he’ll turn it around 🙂
It just kills me though how so many players have such a bright looking future and then turn out being your average Joe. I mean Niklas Anttila was supposed to be winning tournaments right and left this year and has done nothing remarkable yet excluding Champions Cup. Also, the brightest star ever, Señor Gannon Buhr, was supposed to be winning everything too, but hasnt been living up that. He has won quite a few this year but I feel like he has more potential than that. From what I’ve learned he has been struggling with his backhand form so when he gets that straightened out maybe he will even get better.
Gannon’s had a pretty bright future, and remember …
He’s 18 years old – or 17 …
I can’t remember. Haha.
He’ll be fine, but you’re right: He’s in a bit of a slump.
(still a BIG fan of Niklas’, though)