Hey, degenerates! It’s the Disc Golf World with Jefferson, joined as always by the one and only Swiss Cheese. We’re back with another *unfiltered* disc golf coverage breakdown. Because even though the Pro Tour took the week off, disc golf did not. And guess what? You probably didn’t even know. Don’t worry—we’re here to fix that.
Wait, Three Major Tournaments? Kind of…
Technically only one of them was a major, but there were three big events that went down last weekend:
- Tim Selinske US Masters in New Mexico
- The (in)famous Santa Cruz Masters Cup at DeLa Viega
- Maple Hill’s first A-tier in years: The Cosmic Open
And yet, somehow, it felt like almost no one cared. That’s harsh but let’s be honest: most fans didn’t even know these events were happening. I don’t blame you—the coverage is scattered, promotion is minimal, and unless you’re in a Facebook group with people yelling about it, you’d never see it.
The PDGA Takes Another Vacation in New Mexico
Let’s start with the Tim Selinske US Masters. Because apparently the PDGA decided to extend their vacation to the desert and hold another week of Masters golf. But seriously, this is an amazing event with a rich history—and one that should get way more hype than it does.
Nate Sexton made his debut in an age-protected major. That’s right. Big Sexy is officially in MP40. Alongside him, you had Paul Oman and Cale Leiviska (who led after Day 1 tied with a guy just going by “Pete,” because why not?).
Day two saw Daniel Polk jump to the top spot with a sizzling -11, and Cale moved up 11 spots onto lead card after a slow start. Sexton dropped a clean -13 in round three, which, let’s be real, is exactly what you want in sub-500 foot par 5 heaven. He’d go into the final round chasing Cale by one stroke, but ultimately Nate was too solid, rattling off three straight hot rounds to take his third career major. Hell of a showing for the first MP40 outing.
Santa Cruz Masters Cup: Bring DeLa Back
Then there’s the Masters Cup at the legendary DeLa Vega. Can we just say this? The course needs to come back to the pro scene. Period. It’s iconic, it’s weird, it’s brutal, and it’s beautiful. If you’re a disc golf coverage nerd, it’s basically hallowed ground.
Ohn Scoggins was chasing her third straight Masters Cup title (not even counting the FPO40 win in 2022). But it wasn’t easy. Hannah Huhyn led after day one with a +4, which is peak DeLa, and Ohn was down two strokes going into round two. By hole 5 of the final round, Ohn took the lead and never let it go. She finished with the hot round of +3 to seal the win by three over Hannah. Shelley Mai fended off Catrina Allen to lock up third. Honestly? Exactly the kind of grind-fest you want from DeLa.
Meanwhile, in the FPO40 at the Masters Championship, Jennifer Allen ran the table. Opened with a three-stroke lead and just pulled away further every round. She shot the hot round on both courses en route to a monster 23-stroke win. That’s the second US Masters title of her career. No one called the cops on that beating, so I guess it’s all good.
Maple Hill’s Cosmic Open: A Return for the Locals
Now let’s talk about the Cosmic Open at Maple Hill—because holy hell it’s been a while since locals got an A-tier there. For years it was locked down by big pro events, so props to the Cosmic Open crew for making it happen. Fun fact: it even got promoted to a Q-Series event. Which matters more than you think, if you care about tracking points and standings.
Of course, everyone tuned in for Simon. He’s basically the Pied Piper of disc golf. Day one was stupid wet—like “should I wear waders?” wet. Simon was the only player to shoot under par, which is even funnier when you learn he was literally throwing discs he found in his basement. Dude is just that good.
Second place was the reigning collegiate champ. Third was your future Rookie of the Year. And rounding out the lead card was the 2023 Glitch World Champ. Don’t tell me there aren’t storylines here—you just have to be creative.
Round two dried out a bit, but Simon still held the lead. No shocker—he slammed the door on the kids. Second place finish for Landon put him third in the Q-Series standings, tied with GBO winner Zach Nash. GT Hancock is still first in points with two top 10s and a win. Clay Edwards is just 30 points back. Long season ahead, and yes, you should keep tabs on it.
Why Does Coverage Feel So… Meh?
Okay, time for the rant. Because if you’re still here, you love the hot takes. Why does coverage for these tournaments feel so buried?
I get it. I’m Gen Z my brain is fried from the mass amount of 15-second shorts. I’m not gonna watch 5+ hours of four dudes playing forty year old golf. Front nine/back nine post-produced coverage is the default, but it’s outdated. Fans want tighter, more engaging content. Highlights. Storylines. Actual context. Not just a scorecard screenshot on Instagram.
The pros are only 1% of disc golf. The real growth is in age-protected, juniors, ams, collegiate, and those old dudes who will fight you over their beat-in Teebird. That’s who the PDGA should be marketing to. Sell them on why these events matter. Not with a single Instagram post, but with actual storytelling. Interviews. Historical context. Maybe even—gasp—short-form coverage that isn’t boring as hell.
PDGA vs DGPT: Time for Separation?
And let’s talk governance. Real talk: it’s probably time the Pro Tour ran its own ruleset. Leave majors to the PDGA. Let them handle the big four and all the behind-the-scenes logistics. But for week-to-week tour events? Give the DGPT free rein. No more negotiating to make Hole 16 at the European Open actually fun. No more permission slips. Just let the tour run the tour. Meanwhile, the PDGA can focus on making the game better for the 99% of us who will never tour full-time.
History, Lore, and Why We Need to Tell Stories
I love the Masters Cup because it’s oozing with history. Starter pack challenges. Roller aces. Random local legends. It’s the stuff that makes disc golf culture awesome. But it doesn’t get told. We just expect people to know it—like some guy with a 1990s Aviar complaining you don’t know the backstory. That’s on us. It’s our job to keep telling these stories so new players understand why the course matters, why the tournament matters. That’s what builds real fans. That’s what grows the sport.
