Pro Worlds Preview

The eyes of the disc golf world will be intensely focused on Crown Point, Indiana, as the 2010 PDGA World Championships begin in earnest at the impressive Lemon Lake disc golf complex. A total of 308 disc golfers from six nations will be welcomed by the four courses on this singular property to determine eight individual world championships for men and women titles across a wide range of age groups.
This year promises great intrigue in terms of the competition, the courses, and the conditions. Disc golf is enjoying a great influx of young talent, as the number of courses continues to challenge the players and the quality of discs arms them with the tools to perform at levels previously unseen. In Allentown, Pennsylvania, the 2005 Worlds featured a finals group that began the youth movement with a 20-year old Nate Doss (the winner) joined by the teenager Matt Orum to go head-to-head with legends Ken Climo and Barry Schultz. This trend continues today, as Nikko Locastro, Bradley Williams, Will Shusterick, Paul McBeth (just to name a few) are sure to be pushing hard against disc golf stalwarts like last year’s champion, Avery Jenkins, David Feldberg, a slightly older Nate Doss and Ken Climo for that World Championship crown.
The most accomplished women in disc golf, like three-time and defending World Champion Valarie Jenkins, another three-time winner Des Reading, Liz Carr and Sarah Stanhope are enjoying the likes of Liz Lopez, Paige Pierce and Rebecca Frazer forcing the issue on who will be atop the leader board at the end of each round. This growth in the women’s division is a welcome development, and one that our sport has been working towards for quite a while now.
Having the entire competition in one venue is a great luxury that is seldom found at the PDGA World Championships. Indeed, it has not been since Highbridge Hills in 2007 that players have been able to commiserate on one property, but the Lemon Lake complex will allow our players to do just that. The courses provide a great mix of wooded, technical holes alongside some longer “grip ‘em and rip”-style challenges that will demand all facets of each players’ talents to compete.
And the conditions are slated to be nearly perfect, as the hot days at the beginning of the competition will yield to very comfortable temperatures in the low 80’s later in the week.
We invite you to follow all the action at the 2010 PDGA World Championships by logging on to our Worlds Media Page at www.pdga.com/pw2010.