As a 30 year old that's been playing disc golf for over a decade, watching Round 2 of the United States Amateur Disc Golf Championship was simply baffling. The lead card consisted of 17 year old Matthew Kashima #43528, 15 year old Anthony Barela #44382, 14 year old Izak McDonald #49631, and 19 year old Marc Burnett #22546. The "old guy" on the lead card is a 19 year old? How is this possible? Just how good are these youngsters?
There are few amateur disc golf events that carry more weight than the United States Amateur Disc Golf Championship (USADGC) presented by Discraft. Each year, the top amateur players from the USA, Canada, and beyond gather in Milford, MI, to compete against one another, facing one of the most difficult and punishing disc golf courses on the planet. Being a competitor at this event is a win in itself, as it is one of the few events where simply signing up to play isn't an option. You have to EARN the opportunity to be here.
When the second round of the United States Amateur Disc Golf Championship presented by Discraft started this afternoon, we knew that the four people on the lead card probably wouldn't be the same four to start the final round on Sunday. Why? For starters, if you checked the results from round one you would have seen seen at least 20 competitors within striking distance of the leaders. And the fact that the course being played is the Toboggan Championship course only reinforced the issue.
The first round of the United States Amateur Disc Golf Championship (USADGC) presented by Discraft has to come to an end here in Milford, MI on the formerly brutal Toboggan Championship course in Kensington Metropark. Over 140 of the best Ams from the United States and Canada were lucky enough to qualify for this prestigious event and they teed off, one-by-one, down the absurdly steep fairway of hole 1 to start their rounds.
Every year thousands of amateur disc golfers compete in tournament after tournament after tournament with the hopes of qualifying for the United States Amateur Disc Golf Championship presented by Discraft. Of the thousands that try, only 148 are honored with the chance to play in such a prestigious event. A victory at the USADGC is often the first major stepping stone to a successful career in the disc golf world. It brings with it the possibility of sponsorship from disc golf companies and provides the keys to many of the doors that a touring professional disc golfer needs to succeed.
One round in the books and we have a tight race after the first round here at the 2012 United States Amateur DGC. The four highest-rated players had the earliest tee time and looked to set the bar for the rest of the day. Mark Huether was the man to put up the first low score. Only one player finished with a better score. Mike Sale from Downers Grove, Illinois shot a five under, 57, to finish with a one stroke lead. Along with Mark, Alex Geisinger turned in a 58. Five players carded 59’s and are tied for third place.
Once a year, the best amateurs in disc golf travel to Milford, Michigan, a small city just north of Detroit. As the players prepare for the trip and begin travel, the hosts spend countless hours in the weeks leading up to the tournament re-installing one of our country's best courses. The Toboggan course at Kensington Metro park is truly a gem and the only players who get the pleasure and, sometimes, pain of playing are those that earn their way in through qualifier tournaments throughout the year.
The 2009 United States Amateur Disc Golf Championship is in the books and the new amateur national champion is Blaine Kinkel of Charleston, South Carolina.
Blaine Kinkel is in the drivers seat at the 2009 US Amateur Disc Golf Championship
Round two of the 2009 United States Amateur Disc Golf Championship teed off today under slightly overcast skies at Kensington Metro Park in Milford, Michigan. The unique tournament format had the competitors tee times determined by their player rating for the first two rounds with the higher rated players teeing off in the afternoon today after teeing in the morning yesterday. Following today’s round, players will be grouped by score with the leaders teeing off last in the final round on Sunday.
The opening round of the 2009 United States Amateur Disc Golf Championship got underway this morning in Milford, Michigan and Blaine Kinkel of Charleston, South Carolina wasted no time in announcing his presence to the field of 142 players.
