So, as a longtime lurker, I thought I'd finally break down and post. Here's my dilemma: Masters or Open at Worlds this year.

I've been playing open for fifteen years. Am 45 years old. 991 rating. Busy life - two kids 8 and 11 years old - real job takes a fair amount of my time.... (Whine, whine, whine)

Masters or Open. I'm not a "top rated" player I know, so I can't compete with the best. I'm interested in opinions as to where all the intelligent PDGA posters ( the other 99% of posters can also reply ) think it might be most appropriate for me to compete this year.

Thanks, I think, in advance for all your help.

I wish I was in your boat
Anyway I am a 53 year old 931 grandmaster and have been enjoying playing and even cashing sometimes in the Masters division this year, at Worlds I will of course play Grandmasters. Even though you likey would cash in open I would say play masters at Worlds you will have plenty of competition. Say hi to Jim "no spin" Myers for me too /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

It really doesn't matter at the Worlds, because the top Masters Players are nearly as good as the top pros, they would actually have 4 or 5 finish in the top 20 if it was one division.

So the question you should ask yourself, which division would I enjoy more? There are less whiney a-holes in Masters, but you may be playing longer rounds playing Masters with their wheelchairs oooooorrrrrrrr pull-carts. :eek: ;)

"They're all lefty holes" so you'll do well in either division. Looking at the schedule, both Masters and Open will have at least one tough day where they have to play both Nockamixon and another course so that doesn't help decide.

I guess you are Dr. Doug with that rating. If you play masters, you have a fair chance of winning if you play well every round. You will be a 3 stroke rating dog to Brad, but less than 2 to all others (Wisecup isn't going). If you play open, you will have a very good chance of cashing, but winning will be a lot harder. Top ten in Open will be much harder than top three in Masters. Just my opinion.

Come play open with me Dr Doug. My rating is a mere 980 and I hope I get to play with McCoy, so I can run him over with my wheelchair :D

Play open with Matt. Anyone with a current rating over 968 should play open all the time.

Play open with Matt. Anyone with a current rating over 968 should play open all the time.

You're taking a week off from a real job so it's not like you are going to make money in either division. So it comes down to fun and glory.

You have top ten potential in Pro Masters and a shot at winning if a couple of players have a bad week and you have a good week. You have top 40 potential in Open, but no real chance to win. And what's 40th? The Jamaican bobsled team finished higher than that! :D

How about wanting to play with the top dogs? If it's not about the money then it has to be about competing with the very best and seeing how you stack up, that's why I love the USDGC. :cool:

Wth all respect, I believe that the top Masters are not bad comapny :D

Matt, That's kind of my dilemma - I don't think I'm good enough to actually play with the top dogs, and I'm not sure how much fun my week will be golfing around with a bunch of similarly rated golfers who think they are good enough to hang.

Bruce, you hit the nail on the head. I need to try to figure out where I'll have the most fun and glory. But I can't figure it out.... Ultimately it probably doesn't matter too much, but it's fun to ponder.

I've only played in 3 or so Masters competitions and besides all the wheel chairs they have really, and I mean really, bad breath too. Play open. There's no glory in getting old...

I hear you Dr Doug, I've faced this dilemma since I turned 40. Hope you acquire the wisdom to figure it out. Let me know when you do. I look forward to seeing you in July.

Play open Doc - you got game. Playing Masters is for the old and decrepid - or the skeered :) I'm 41 and refuse to play old.

Play open Doc - you got game. Playing Masters is for the old and decrepid - or the skeered :) I'm 41 and refuse to play old.



but that's only because you are good!!!

doesn't work the same for everyone :eek:

Playing Masters is for the old and decrepid - or the skeered



I'm not sure which one of those three I am.

Thanks for all the input. After sveral minutes of tough deliberation this weekend (between cleaning up the yard a bit, daughter's softball team preseason pizza party, Sunday morning stuff, buying new sneakers for the kids...) :

Open it is.

Now I need to find time to practice/relearn my disc golf game so I don't totally embarass myself in July.

If I get stuck in a round with Nina and she's a whiney ******, I'll just ask her to stop it - that ought to work.

Shoulda played Masters. :eek:

991 rated players made it into the A pool at last year's Worlds. So you may get to start there and have a higher rated player or two or three in your group, not only the first round but at least until the shuffle.

Now that you have made your decision let me be the second to say, "Bzzzzzzzzzt! I'm sorry. The correct answer was, 'What is Masters?'" :D

Thanks for your confidence, Chuck. I was kind of hoping I'd get to play with high-rating players for ALL of my rounds, not just the first...

Bruce, that's a tough question to answer - much more than I can handle. You'll have to ask some bright people and get the real answer/truth of the matter from them.

Let me know when you find out. Thanks.

40th in Open is preferable to me than just about any finish in a protected division. Since the entry fee is the same and I'm really not playing for money (if it's money I'm into, I'd quit playing disc golf and just spend more time in the office) I'm playing for fun and glory.

I'm SOOOOOO not into the comparing of scores between divisions and then saying " I would have placed X in Open".

You only know how you stack up against the best if you compete against them in their division. How much of the game did Yogi Berra say is mental? Whatever it is, I agree with him.

No lack of confidence. My point was you won't have to start in the B or C pool and fight your way into the A pool after the shuffle. You'll likely get to start in A and play with the top pool all week.

I'll be playin Masters as soon as I get a chance :DI have a few of them on my hit list /msgboard/images/graemlins/ooo.gif