Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to compete against the best disc golfers on the planet? I’m talking the crème de la crème of the sport: Paul McBeth, Ricky Wysocki, Simon Lizotte, etc.
Yes, you’d lose …
That’s a given.
But how big of a bloodbath would it be? It’s this exact thought that initially led me to the permanent change the Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT) should make to feature-card construction.
When possible, at least.
But first, let’s define some terms:
- Lead Card – The card composed of the four best scores at the start of a round.
- Chase Card – The card composed of the next four best scores in the same round.
- Feature Card – The final, four-man-card to tee off the first round of a tournament.
It’s the people on that last card I’m most interested in, because their presence has nothing to do with performance. As such, there are a number of ways feature-card disc golfers are chosen.
Most commonly, previous winners are honored with a spot on the feature card. Obviously, tournament directors have a say in who gets the nod, as well. Big-name golfers and trending storylines are likely to influence them, as they want eyeballs. Even fan votes can play a role. Sometimes a local pro will get some time in the spotlight, which is always nice to see, too.
I’m fine with any of the above.
Or even a combination of a couple of ‘em.
But that fourth and final spot?
As I see it, it should always be reserved for the same guy …
The amateur champion of the event in question.
The Santa Cruz Masters Cup is a prime example. Every year, three of the four feature-card spots are reserved for the previous three winners. The fourth spot, however, belongs to the MA1 champ from the week prior. So not only does he get an invite, but for better or worse …
He’s on camera.
The logic behind this is brilliant:
In the Olympics, before each event I think there should just be a normal person having a go to show you the scale of how phenomenal the Olympians are
— Laura Lexx (@lauralexx) July 27, 2021
Here’s Sean Brookman at the start of the 2021 edition being introduced on JomezPro:
His same-card competitors that day?
Paul McBeth. Garrett Gurthie. Ricky Wysocki.
You might’ve heard of ‘em.
Making things all the more enjoyable for viewers, Brookman’s a sidearm and overhand specialist. Also, the dude’s got a king-cobra putting stroke you simply have to see to believe.
Watch a few holes.
Now before you rip me to shreds in the comments, I get it – this setup won’t work for all Pro Tour events. The main reason for that being, of course, that the amateur version of the tourney often takes place the same weekend the pros are competing, but at a different time or track. Naturally, this would throw an unavoidable wrench in my feature-card demands.
But when possible, please Jeffrey Spring …
Give the people what they want:
To watch the world burn.
This all but guarantees it.
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- Gripe No. 56: Foundation saying ‘we’ during Break-68 videos
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