A week full of strong competition came to an end in thrilling fashion on Saturday in Flagstaff, Arizona at the 2023 PDGA Masters Disc Golf World Championships.
There were close finishes all throughout the 25-division field, including five — yes, FIVE — PDGA World Championships that were decided by a playoff.
Titles were defended and new champions broke through this week in northern Arizona.
David Greenwell tied things up in MP70 heading into Championship Saturday. Photo: Marking / PDGA
In MA75, Donald Parker took a two-stroke lead after the first round. Rob Lee then tied it up. In Round 3, Parker reclaimed the lead. On Friday, Lee tied it up again.
Cale Leiviska and the top of the MP40 engaged in an absolute shootout on Thursday at the 2023 PDGA Masters Disc Golf World Championships.
There’s a similar theme throughout a number of the 25 divisions and nearly 900-player field in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Now, the pressure has picked up all the way down the leaderboard as Moving Day has arrived in northern Arizona. Following Friday’s fourth round, the fields will be cut for Saturday’s semifinals and the race for a PDGA World Championship tightens.
Here’s a look around the action heading into Moving Day:
Hot rounds and big jumps highlighted round two on Thursday in Flagstaff, Arizona. Twelve of the 25 divisions feature a new leader or, in the case of five of those divisions, co-leaders.
The entire field will return to the first-round courses on Thursday and here’s a look of the action heading into Round 3:
Johansen, Leiviska Stay Put; Finley Rises
Michael Johansen and Cale Leiviska kept their spot at the top of the MP40 leaderboard and Holly Finley caught fire to become a co-leader as well.
Cale Leiviska made his Masters Worlds debut on Tuesday in Flagstaff, Arizona. Photo: Justin Anderson / PDGA
There’s a four-way tie in FA50, a three-way tie in MP40 — with seven players just one stroke back — and 19 more divisions either tied or with the leader ahead by less than three strokes.
Nearly 900 players in 25 divisions kicked off Flagstaff’s first PDGA Major in nearly 20 years on Tuesday and the competition is tight as the marathon begins:
During the opening ceremonies for the 2023 PDGA Masters Disc Golf World Championships, those in attendance who competed in the 2003 PDGA Pro Worlds were asked to stand. The same request came for those who competed in the 2005 PDGA Amateur Worlds.
Throughout the overflowing room, countless stood when called upon, kicking off the return of a PDGA Major to Flagstaff, Arizona for the first time in nearly two decades.
They've battled and endured weather, fierce competition and some of the toughest courses that central Illinois has to offer.
Now it's time for the final push at the 2022 PDGA Masters and Junior Disc Golf World Championship.
Competitors will hit the course Saturday morning for the semifinal rounds after Friday's cut. From there the top four from most of the divisions will descend on Northwood Park for one last challenge: the final nine.
There are tight battles everywhere, both at the top of the leaderboard as well as near the cut for the finals to see who will get nine more holes in Peoria and who will push for a podium finish at a World Championship.
The trees of Northwood provide the ultimate test of commitment on every single shot, while Eureka Temp looms large with its length and tight OBs. Together, it’s a grueling combination that has set up a battle down the stretch in both MP40 and MP50.
