2011 Handicap USDGC

[CEValkyrie]

I was watching a youtube video that had interviews of Climo and Schultz. Billy Crump asked if they would be attending the USDGC this year. Both stated that they would be there to support their sponsor but were not sure if they were going to play.

After seeing the results and how it worked at Milwaukee i'll predict neither of them play. Barry just won an A-tier , played several points above his rating, and was burried down on the 2nd page of the results. Those guys have no shot to compete. http://www.thegreatermilwaukeeopen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/GMO-USDGC.pdf

I'm more interested to see what Avery Jenkins says or does. He pretty much bashes any and every event these days on facebook.

I have a feeling there will be a few more well known 1000+ rated pros at the Homie this year.

[Dan Michler]

Lets be real.  The real USDGC is only happening on even-numbered years.  I'm not sure of Innova's exact reasons, possibly financial, but the handicapped USDGC is obviously not meant to entice the best players in the world.  Hence, the greatly reduced $100 entry fee and merch payout.  They even say on the website "this is a fun, laid back version of the tournament".  I don't think Innova, the TD, or anybody else is going to be shocked that the top players aren't going to play.  As I recall, they were originally going to abandon running the event at all on odd-numbered years, then decided they would do this geared down version of the tournament instead.

For those interested in seeing the epitome of disc golf competition every October, its a bummer.  But, it'll be back in 2012.

[dana]

Speaking of the the usdgc, how are you planning on awarding the IL spot?

[Bruce Brakel]

If I were to win an invite, I would not go.  If I were to win an invite to the real thing, of course I'd go. 

[Steven Jacobs]

National championship this year is at PDGA championships according to the Disc Golfer magazine.  It is a major, http://www.pdga.com/tournament_results/61929.   Personally, I think the handicap USDGC is lame.

[Jon Brakel]

The cool thing about it would be to be able to play that course in a tournament in which you could play competitively.

[tacimala]

I would definitely go play that tournament. Realistically, most of the people qualifying for that tournament won't ever have the chance to play at that course, with the ropes, in a competitive environment. I think it's still an honor to get invited and to play in a tournament with that much prestige is pretty awesome regardless of how it happened.

[pickax]

The whole handicap qualifying thing is just a way to do a nationwide lottery to award berths for a tournament where there would be many more entrants than the course can handle. In many ways its more interesting than who can register first once registration is opened.

[smyith]

i qualified for it and i am on the fence. id only want to go if the top pros would be playing. without them they might have well just made their own AM tourny like the USADGC. the PDGA National Championships on the other hand i would love to play almost as much as the USDGC.

[Dan Michler]

i qualified for it and i am on the fence. id only want to go if the top pros would be playing. without them they might have well just made their own AM tourny like the USADGC. the PDGA National Championships on the other hand i would love to play almost as much as the USDGC.

I would say they basically did make their own AM tourney like Discraft's Am Nats.  I mean, its a merch payout, thats about as AM as it gets right?  Clearly you are not competing against the best in the world.  But lets be real, most of us are never really going to actually be competitive against the best in the world.  I gave up the dream of becoming a 1020 rated player a very long time ago.  Its an opportunity to play an organized competition on one of the most famous and challenging courses in disc golf.  That is the reason to play.  And I'm sure the players will be well taken care of.

[Dan Michler]

And if you do decide to go Adam, make sure you bag your rating before the tourney to maximize your chances at winning!   

[smyith]

And if you do decide to go Adam, make sure you bag your rating before the tourney to maximize your chances at winning!   

thats what fred and brad were saying.

[Bruce Brakel]

They have a rule against that.  They do not use your current rating.  They use your highest rating over the last so-many months. 

I think if a lot of players wanted to play a course with five miles of yellow rope o.b., a lot of players would whine a lot less when we put out 1500 feet of yellow rope at Fairfield.

I think one of the big differences between this and USADGC will be in the sponsorship.  Discraft throws money at USADGC.  It has never turned a profit.  No one cares.  The whole reason for running US[H]DGC is that Innova cannot afford to throw money at USDGC this year.  So I would expect your typical am-skim A-tier, not anything special.

[Chainmeister]

This event seems like it would have been perfect for either Steven Jacobs or Kyle Chapman last year.  A player who is on the rise but who has not reached his ratings limit (and those two are still not there) will likely play the most over their rating.  Ortherwise, a guy like Bruce who played through injury and didn't care how it hurt his rating and then comes back healthy would do well. 

[smyith]

I think if a lot of players wanted to play a course with five miles of yellow rope o.b., a lot of players would whine a lot less when we put out 1500 feet of yellow rope at Fairfield.

im sure im in the minority, but i liked those tournaments at fairfield the best. that course is SO boring without some added difficulty from the OB. i wish these would be used more for the PRO/ADV/INT divisions. i do think that REC and NOV should  necessarily be held to those OB lines tho.

its kind of a fact that no matter what you do someone is going cry about it. im guilty of it and so is everyone in the world whos more than a few years old. just tell them to get their lips hairy on the bottom of your butt.

[CEValkyrie]

Speaking of the the usdgc, how are you planning on awarding the IL spot?

I haven't really thought about it this year with the format change. Any thoughts or suggestions? Is anyone interested in going?

[tacimala]

To answer your second question, I would be interested.

[Bruce Brakel]

I think if a lot of players wanted to play a course with five miles of yellow rope o.b., a lot of players would whine a lot less when we put out 1500 feet of yellow rope at Fairfield.

im sure im in the minority, but i liked those tournaments at fairfield the best. that course is SO boring without some added difficulty from the OB. i wish these would be used more for the PRO/ADV/INT divisions. i do think that REC and NOV should  necessarily be held to those OB lines tho.

If you like that kind of course enough to travel, watch the schedule for Roscoe's Revenge in Medina, Ohio, or anything at Ward Park in Birmingham, Alabama.  Both of those courses get really interesting when all the tournament o.b. is flagged and used.  Roscoe's Revenge is also a kick-ass tournament for both pros and amateurs.  I think they had 250% amateur payouts when I played it on the Am Weekend and added cash in every division when i played it on the Pro weekend.  And raffles, and a good, cheap lunch, and it was well run by nice people. 

[dana]

IL States 
--use the handicap system to award it.
-------have interested players pay $5

or raffle it off at IL States or somethin

[Tom McManus]

I would be interested in playing for the spot.