Player Spotlight – Ricky Wysocki

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2.24.12

Ricky Wysocki
To say Ricky Wysocki had a terrific season last year would be quite an understatement. Hitting the road for the first time, Ricky played in 44 events and racked up 15 wins, including a PDGA Major. Not too shabby for the 18-year old, who discovered disc golf just 4 years ago. To top it off, Ricky was chosen over 6 other finalists as the 2011 Rookie of the Year.

Ricky made his presence known on tour last summer by winning several big events including the Fort Steilacoom Open, his first A-tier victory. The highlight of Ricky’s season however, came in September where he captured his first Major at the PDGA Championships in Augusta, GA.

I just knew before the tournament started that I was going to win and that’s really the start you want to a big tournament like that. So even when I wasn’t leading the tournament I knew in the back of my mind I was still going to come back and win.

Ricky first began playing at Roscoe Ewing Park in Medina, OH. Like many of us, he was hooked immediately. “I grew up playing there and that course demands every shot so it’s a really good course to learn on.” Ricky cites the decision to go out on tour as the biggest factor in his early success.

That helped my game out a lot because I could play and practice every day. I have been able to play the courses a few times and really get to know them before the tournaments begin. That builds confidence which improved my mental game overall. Playing so many different courses also helped me extend and improve the types of shots I can throw.”

Many of his fellow competitors agree that Ricky has tremendous potential. “He has the complete disc golf game with great distance off the tee, a silky-smooth sidearm combined with long-range putt that he can hit from anywhere”, said Avery Jenkins. “I was most impressed with his happy-go-lucky personality and cool demeanor on the course. Always smiling in addition to his ability to not dwell on previous holes but only look forward to the next hole.”

Considering Ricky finished the 2011 season ranked 16th in the World and has a player rating of 1023 that is going to be pretty hard to argue. Ricky is one of the youngest players ever to be promoted to the Star Team. Keep an eye out for this young phenom in the 2012 season.