The Next Generation Tour Final, a PDGA A-tier in that took place this past weekend in Arvada , Colorado was won by Brian Guice #80713, but the real story of the weekend was 3rd place finisher Jake Peters #40500. Jake’s come-from-behind victory for the tour itself is what earned him the grand prize, a free trip to play disc golf in Europe in 2017!

The Next Generation Tour is an amateur-only tour comprised of 12 events across the United States, created by 2008 World Champion Dave Feldberg #12626 and supported by Latitude 64. To qualify for the points series where the grand prize trip to Europe was on the line, players were required to attend at least three of the 12 events. Other features of the tour included professional clinics and celebrity Tournament Directors the likes of 2016 Masters World Champion JohnE McCray #9852 and even Feldberg himself. Events in the series paid out 200 percent in prizes, including hand-painted trophies and custom disc stamps by Synthya B Whitaker.

Coming into the final, Georgia’s Kolte Breck #61538 was the favorite, with three wins that gave him a perfect score of 300 points. Robert Craig #72600 from Phoenix, AZ was close behind in 2nd place at 270 points. Prior to the event, the question was which of those two would take home the grand prize. But, after the first day of play it was obvious that California’s Jake Peters had different plans. Peters carded a smooth pair of eight under pars, leaving him in 3rd place in the event, now with a chance at the grand prize for the series.

Kolte Breck had a tough weekend and shot himself out of the running. Coming into the third and final round, Peters now had racked up 259 points. With Kolte struggling, Peters had a new player to target, Robert Craig. Craig began the final round only three strokes shy of Peters, with Peters needing to finish two places ahead of Craig to snag the prize.

Jake Peters holding his 2016 Next Generation Tour trophy.

Craig shot well during the final round, momentarily holding the position of clubhouse leader when he turned in his score of 73. It was up to Peters and the rest of the lead card to determine the winner. To add to the tension, The Disc Golf Guy was on site filming the lead card fivesome, an added pressure that most amateurs aren’t used to.

With the crowd behind him, Peters finished strong, carding four birdies in a row to end the round, the most significant of which was the last hole of the day. A perfectly placed drive to the small island green of the 18th allowed him to knock down a 20-footer for birdie, giving him a final round score of 73. His score locked up the 3rd place spot for the event, but more importantly, it was just enough to edge out Robert Craig for the Next Generation Tour points series, earning the grand prize trip to Europe in 2017.

"I am honored to be crowned the 2016 Next Generation Tour Champion,” said Peters. “To walk away with a one-stroke victory after traveling to four events and literally thousands of miles across the United States is truly mind-blowing."

The Next Generation Tour couldn’t have asked for a more exciting finish to the series. For a young amateur player to clutch up on the last hole with such a large prize on the line, cameras recording, and a crowd following is truly amazing Peters summed it up best, stating “2016 was an incredible year for the Next Generation Tour. I’m excited to see what Latitude 64 has in store for 2017".

For more information on the Next Generation Tour, visit the Latitude 64 website.

2016 Next Generation Tour Final - Lead Card - Final Round - Part 2 of 3