Wild Run Continues
Wild Run Continues
Get ready for the DGPT - LWS Open at Idlewild
The Disc Golf Pro Tour once again returns to Burlington, Kentucky for the 2023 LWS Open at Idlewild Presented by Dynamic Discs and The Nati. As one of the last two Elite Series events before the 2023 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships presented by L.L.Bean at the end of the month, players will be looking to pick up some late-season momentum.
While most Elite and Silver events started as A-Tiers or National Tour events, the Idlewild Open was created specifically for the DGPT in 2017 and has been featured on tour each year since. The Idlewild course was designed by Fred Salaz and Robert Herbert in 2000 and is currently placed at 20th on UDisc’s rankings of the best disc golf courses in the world.
"Designing and working on Idlewild has meant more to me than being chosen Rookie of the Year, finishing in the top 10 at Worlds three times, finishing third in overall winnings in 1995, or any of my 56 wins on tour," Herbert said, "Being creative and having no restrictions on such beautiful land, to help make a challenging course for the rest of the world to see (...) I guess it's similar to the feeling an artist experiences. I know Fred feels the same."
The Idlewild DGPT Elite layout is a 9,205-foot par 71 for the FPO field and a 9,629-foot par 67 for the MPO division. Unlike most other courses used for Elite Series events, both fields are generally playing the same layout with only five holes using different tee pads or basket positions. As the course winds through dense Kentucky woods, the challenge mainly comes from shaping shots through tight fairways. Players will have to get creative as they deal with elevation changes and doglegs while simultaneously attempting to hit gaps off the tee. Idlewild’s more open holes require players to hit landing zones and drive over water hazards.
This variety of shots can make it hard for anyone to find their rhythm and maintain their momentum. Hole 16, for example, is the longest hole on the course at 969 feet with a wide open fairway finishing with an OB creek surrounding an island green. Immediately after that, the course switches gears to hole 17’s 287-foot tunnel shot, which averaged over par in the final round for both fields despite being one of three holes on the course that measure under 300 feet.
After scoring one of only two under-par rounds on day two of the 2022 Open at Idlewild, Catrina Allen had jumped into a tie for the lead with Ella Hansen. With three players tied for third just one stroke behind, the competition was tight going into the final round. While Hansen dropped back, Missy Gannon and Ohn Scoggins both made a charge for the lead. In the end, Allen came out on top at two strokes over par to take her second Elite Series win of the season while Scoggins and Gannon tied for second at four-over.
Isaac Robinson went wire-to-wire in the 2022 Open at Idlewild, sharing the hot round with Gannon Buhr on day one, then working his way up to a three-stroke lead going into the final round. Chris Dickerson started to close the gap, making back-to-back circle 2 putts on holes 15 and 16 to get within two strokes of Robinson. Despite the pressure of leading an Elite Series event, Robinson birdied the last two holes to win by four strokes over Dickerson. Robinson finished the tournament with a 67% birdie rate and only one bogey per round and his ability to keep it clean got him his first Elite Series win.
Other than a chance of thunderstorms on Saturday, it’s looking like another sunny weekend for the 2023 LWS Open at Idlewild.
Here's everything you need to know to catch the action this weekend:
Tee Times & Round ratings
PDGA | Event Page
- Official scores, tee times, PDGA Live scoring and round ratings can be found on the official event page on PDGA.com.
Live Coverage
Disc Golf Network
The Disc Golf Network (DGN) is the home of live disc golf. Built by the Disc Golf Pro Tour, the DGN is a subscription streaming and on-demand platform. Covering the world’s best players competing in the sport’s most elite tournaments, a subscription includes post-produced coverage of select disc golf tournaments as well as exclusive disc golf shows, touring pro interview series, podcasts, and other segments only available on the Disc Golf Network.
Friday's FPO Feature Card (Coverage begins at 9:00 a.m. ET with Tournament Central. Feature card tees at 9:55 a.m. ET)
- Catrina Allen
- Macie Velediaz
- Holyn Handley
- Ohn Scoggins
Friday's FPO2 Live Card
- Missy Gannon
- Hannah Huynh
- Sai Ananda
- Ella Hansen
Friday's FPO3 Live Card
- Holly Finley
- Rebecca Cox
- Valerie Mandujano
- Raven Klein
Friday's MPO Feature Card (Coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET with Tournament Central. Feature card tees at 3:55 p.m. ET)
- Isaac Robinson
- Chris Clemons
- Ricky Wysocki
- Cole Redalen
Friday's MPO2 Live Card
- Chris Dickerson
- Matt Orum
- Calvin Heimburg
- Zach Arlinghaus
Friday's MPO3 Live Card
- Ty Love
- Brad Schick
- Corey Ellis
- Trevor Harbolt
DGPT YouTube | Subscribe
In addition to the DGN, the live broadcast for both divisions will be simulcast free on the DGPT YouTube channel for the first round only on Friday, August 11.
DGN Press Conference | Watch
Hear from some of the players before the action gets going during a press conference from 1-2:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, live on the DGPT's YouTube channel. Here is the tentative schedule for the press conference (all times ET):
- 1:00 p.m.: Isaac Robinson
- 1:10 p.m.: Catrina Allen
- 1:20 p.m.: Cole Redalen
- 1:30 p.m.: Missy Gannon
- 1:40 p.m.: Calvin Heimburg
- 1:50 p.m.: Ohn Scoggins
- 2:00 p.m.: Matt Orum
- 2:10 p.m.: Macie Velediaz
- 2:20 p.m.: Jason Kerl (The Nati)
- 2:30 p.m.: Christine Jennings (DGPT)
Post Production Coverage
JomezPro | Subscribe 
Open Lead Card / Round 1 MPO Feature Card
- Isaac Robinson
- Chris Clemons
- Ricky Wysocki
- Cole Redalen
JomezPro | Subscribe
FPO Lead Card / Round 1 FPO Feature Card
- Catrina Allen
- Macie Velediaz
- Holyn Handley
- Ohn Scoggins
Gatekeeper Media | Subscribe 
Open Chase Card / Round 1 MPO Feature Card
- Chris Dickerson
- Matt Orum
- Calvin Heimburg
- Zach Arlinghaus
Ace Run Pro | Subscribe 
FPO Chase Card / Round 1 FPO Feature Card
- Holly Finley
- Rebecca Cox
- Valerie Mandujano
- Raven Klein
Recap Articles
PDGA.com
Check back to PDGA.com daily for a recap of all of the action from the 2023 Elite Series.