The day dawns in Southern California, clear and warm, with the potential of temperatures hitting over 110 today. Players in six pro divisions ready themselves for an attack on the long and difficult La Mirada course, as the 2008 version of the Golden State Classic National Tour event begins. Several of the throwers are recovering from jetlag, having endured 15 or more hour flights home from Japan, and others coming from PDGA Tour events around the country.
It was tense under the tent at 7:30 on Friday morning, June 13, as Tournament Director Todd White and others watched two different websites' radar images of stormy weather swooping down on the Toboggan Course during the first day of the 2008 USADGC. White's judgment call was "Delay the start by one hour," and that worked fine.
Well the Kansas City Wide Open started off on Friday, and Thursday night provided rain and wind in excess of 50 mph, but when the sun rose on Friday, the ground was soggy, but Steve Rico's game was hot! Steve Rico shot out in front at Water Works with a hot round (1052 rated) of 47, and would never look back. Steve would remain in the pole position the entire weekend, and when the day ended Sunday he would take home the hardware, and the lions share of the $16,000 pro purse.
The National Tour stops in Kansas City this weekend for the 26th Kansas City Wide Open. The Wide Open is the culmination of a great 4-week swing through the Midwest, with NT stops in Tulsa, Minnesota and Kansas City, and a SuperTour in Des Moines. The battles have been hard fought in each event, and the temperatures and disc golf are getting hotter as Kansas City welcomes what should be yet another fine weekend of disc golf.
