2023 Season Comes to Close
Last weekend’s MVP Open has brought the 2023 DGPT season to a close. We could not have asked for a more heated, emotional last Elite event of the year. Hailey King won by one stroke in FPO after a final round of nonstop lead changes. Matt Orum took down the first Pro Tour win of his long career in front of a huge, radiant crowd cheering his name. Holly Finley played lights out all week to rocket five spots up the DGPT Point Standings into a qualifying position for the Tour Championship. Ohn Scoggins took 2nd place despite battling an elbow injury. And Eveliina Salonen, Henna Blomroos, and Calvin Heimburg all earned top 10 finishes.
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The Course and the Crowd
Maple Hill offers more variety in shot shape and terrain than any other course on tour. Daunting water hazards, highly-technical wooded fairways, open fields, and the occasional Christmas tree blocking your lie will test every skill a disc golfer should have. It is one of the most challenging courses we have in any conditions; add the ripping wind we experienced last weekend and rounds can become more about damage control than scoring.
Photo by DGPT
MVP Open has a notoriously passionate crowd of fans who can be heard around the course. In addition to the herd following the lead card, spectators pick a hole to hang out at and watch for the entire day. The “8-holes”, as they are affectionately called, have become a staple of Maple Hill. As players step up to the 350+ foot water carry, the fans behind hole 8 erupt. For players who stick the island, they are rewarded with dancing green flags and a roar of approval.
King of the Hill
Innova Star Team member Hailey King won last weekend’s MVP Open with a clutch, down-the-stretch performance that had fans at the edge of their seats. After checking scores on Hole 15, Hailey knew she had to run the 60-footer she was staring down. At that time, Hailey was back three strokes to Kristin Tattar who showed no signs of faltering. When Hailey’s 60 footer found the bottom of the basket, the energy in the crowd shifted. Maybe Kristin wasn’t going to walk away with this one so easily after all.
Hailey picked up another stroke on 16 and after a three putt from Kristin on 17, Hailey found herself in the lead on 18’s tee. Her drive and upshot on 18 looked comfortable and confident. The crowd erupted as she tapped in her birdie putt for the win.
Up until Hole 15 of the final round, when she knew it was time to get aggressive, Hailey played what she’s called “boring” golf. She layed up putts when the percentages said to lay up. She played for par on many holes and let others make the mistakes. In her mid-tournament interviews, Hailey sounded like she wanted to run those 50-foot death putts, but was restraining herself. In her post-tournament interview, you could tell how happy she was that she stuck to this “boring” game plan to secure the win.
Hailey earned her win with driving, scrambling, and putting equally. She led the field in Strokes Gained Tee to Green, Fairway Hits, and Scramble percentage. She was 2nd in C2 Hits in Regulation and C1x Putting.
Even though she has won more money and has won a Major title, Hailey called the win at MVP her best one yet. As Hailey and Matt Orum got ready to take their victory leaps into the Hole 1 pond of Maple Hill, you could see the pride and happiness in both of their faces.
This upcoming weekend is the 2023 United States Women’s Disc Golf Championship. Hailey King is the reigning FPO champion of this event. Coming off this huge win at MVP, the defending Champ has to be a favorite at this year’s USWDGC.
Scoggins is Back
Ohn Scoggins is one tough athlete. She tied Kristin Tattar for 2nd place at the MVP Open, even though she was playing through an elbow injury that visibly caused her discomfort all week. She was shaping forehand lines where nearly everyone else went backhand because her forehand hurt less. It was an inspirational display from a player who went into the week saying she was only feeling 60-65% her best.
Ohn led the field in Strokes Gained C1x, was 2nd in Strokes Gained Putting, and 3rd in Birdie percentage. She had a share of the lead multiple times during the final round and easily could have won this tournament with just a few tiny changes to her round.
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As the final event of the DGPT season, the Pro Tour announced the point winners from 2023. Ohn Scoggins was 3rd in DGPT points in FPO for the year even though she took a large portion of the season off. She got her first Elite victory at the 2023 DGLO, her first Silver victory at the 2023 Mid America Open, and 8 Elite and Major podiums.
Eveliina Hot On the Putting Green
Eveliina Salonen took 4th place at the MVP Open and was in contention for the win through the final holes of the tournament. She led the field in Fairway Hits, was 2nd in C1 Hits in Regulation, 2nd in Birdie percentage, and 3rd in C2 Hits in Regulation. In addition to world-class throwing, Eveliina put on a show on the putting green. She was 6th in Strokes Gained C1x, looking as confident as we’ve seen her look in a while. If she carries that confidence into USWDGC, she could be a 2x Major winner by the end of this weekend.
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Since Eveliina was in Europe for a large part of the season, some may have overlooked how well she has played this year. She has six Elite and Major top 10s, including one podium, out of just ten starts.
Finley Makes Tour Championship
As the final event of the 2023 DGPT season, the MVP Open was players’ last chance to earn points and move up the standings. Holly Finley knew going into the week that she would need her strongest finish of the year if she wanted to qualify for the Tour Championship. And that’s exactly what she did. Holly took 5th, her best Elite result of the year, to jump five spots up the DGPT Tour standings. By qualifying, she has guaranteed herself a few thousand dollars (or much more if she makes the finals!) and a chance at a title that’s feeling more and more prestigious each year.
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Blomroos in Top 10
Henna Blomroos finished her 2023 season with a top 10 finish at MVP. She tied for 8th place after a solid, -1 round on the final day. She had the lowest OB rate in the field, was 3rd in Parked percentage, and 3rd in C1 Hits in Regulation.
Vinny 1st in DGPT Points
Calvin Heimburg earned his 13th Elite top five this year at the 2023 MVP Open, finishing in a tie for 4th place. As always, Calvin was in contention for the win for most of the tournament.
Photo by DGPT
His 2nd round was nearly one of the greatest in disc golf history. He was -11 through 15 holes in windy conditions. Had Calvin taken one or two more birdies to close out from there, his round could have been one of the highest-rated ever.
Calvin led the field in Strokes Gained Tee to Green, Fairways Hits, and C1 and C2 Hits in Regulation for the week. On a course with tee shots as demanding as Maple Hill, throwing the disc that well almost guarantees you a top finish. His struggles on the putting green, especially in round 3, is what kept Calvin from securing the win. If he can continue throwing as well as he has been and can clean up the putting, Vinny will be unstoppable at USDGC.
Calvin Heimburg was 1st in DGPT points in MPO for the 2023 season. He led the standings from early in the year and never left any doubt he would be the ultimate winner. Calvin’s average finish of 4.0 this season at Elite and Major events is unbelievable given the current strength of the MPO field.
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The Most Important Events of the Year
All of the remaining events in 2023 are career-defining tournaments. The United States Women’s Disc Golf Championship this weekend, as well as the United States Disc Golf Championship, Throw Pink Women’s Disc Golf Championships, and Tour Championship each carry immense prestige and will have huge payouts. Tune in to the Disc Golf Network to watch these events live. Visit Innovadiscs.com for tournament recaps, tips, and team news.
