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Smugglers' Notch Resort Set to Kick Off PDGA Pro Masters World Championships

Smugglers' Notch Resort Set to Kick Off PDGA Pro Masters World Championships

PDGA Major runs from June 22 – 29 on two elite courses in Vermont

Last updated: Friday, June 21, 2019 - 14:58

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After hosting a historic running of the PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championship in 2018, Vermont’s Smugglers’ Notch Resort returns as a PDGA Major championship host in 2019, this time welcoming the PDGA Pro Masters Disc Golf World Championships. The field is full of past world champions, and there is interest building to see how the Masters division’s competition and scoring will compare to the Open field’s performance of 2018.

Innova Champion Discs has stepped up as the presenting sponsor of Pro Masters Worlds and will have several team players in the mix for titles, including former Masters World Champion and two-time Open World Champion Barry Schultz. Schultz tied for 30th place last year at Smuggs during the Open World Championship and will be tested once again at the venue’s Fox Run Meadows and Brewster Ridge courses as a competitor in the MP40 division. He’ll have to keep pace with reigning Masters World Champion Dave Feldberg while keeping an eye on veteran Southern California native Steve Rico, who is making his Pro Masters Worlds debut.

Other event partners include Paragon Disc Golf, Fiddlehead Brewing Company and ProActive Sports.

The Venue

Smugglers’ Notch has quickly become a favorite destination for the sport of disc golf with the seminal Green Mountain Championship and last year’s Pro World Championship leading the charge. The Green Mountain Championship is the premier disc golf event in the state of Vermont and the biggest disc golf event in New England. After a successful event in 2013, the GMC expanded to become a PDGA pro A-Tier and amateur B-Tier in 2014. Over the next few years, the event continued to grow in numbers as well as in popularity, as many fans and players were exposed to the pure beauty and fair challenge presented by these two amazing courses. After a return to the Disc Golf Pro Tour in 2017, the lure of Smuggs went viral, and last year we saw Gregg Barsby and Paige Bjerkaas win their respective titles here at one of the most highly regarded Worlds events in PDGA history. This week, it the Masters’ turn.

As SKI Magazine’s top resort in the Eastern U.S. and Canada for 2018, Smugglers’ is not only America’s Family Resort and a top-5 disc golf world destination, but an idyllic location to host a disc golf Major championship. Set in the heart of Vermont and its gorgeous Green Mountains, Smuggs has over 3,000 beds laid out in family condo units, allowing players and spectators to lodge at the location of the courses used for the event. Smuggs’ Disc Golf Center features two elite courses, Brewster Ridge and Fox Run Meadows, and it’s all on-site, allowing event-goers to walk or use Smuggs’ free shuttle system to get wherever they need during the event. For full event information, check out www.smuggs.com/mastersworlds.

Event Schedule

Smuggs has rolled out an action-packed event schedule that features live music, craft beer, and other activities. The event kicks off this weekend with Divisional Doubles on Saturday, June 22, followed by Field Events on Sunday, June 23rd. Singles competition for all divisions play out over four rounds -- one round each on Tuesday through Friday -- before a cut to the semifinals. Those divisions that don’t have large enough fields for a semifinal will go straight to a Final 9 played on Saturday morning to determine winners. The larger divisions will play an 18-hole semifinal round on Saturday before also crowning champions with Final 9s on Saturday afternoon.

In addition to the competition schedule, disc golfers will enjoy two nights of live music and Fiddlehead’s Summer Celebration on Wednesday night in the Smuggs Meeting House, which includes a free tasting of four beer varieties. Friday’s player party and flymart will also feature Fiddlehead beer, and Thursday’s Smuggs Country Fair will allow competitors to relax and enjoy some Vermont summer charm.

Media

For those following along at home, two video crews will be on site capturing the action throughout the week. The Smuggs TV team will capture action across all divisions throughout the week, while Central Coast Disc Golf will also be on the ground for shot-by-shot coverage of the MP40 and FP40 finals.

Stay tuned for more news and updates on one of disc golf’s 2019 Majors, as we’ll be sharing about more of our great partners, media, and more as the event continues.

Beyond Masters Worlds

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On top of the Pro Masters World Championships, Smugglers’ will be hosting the second annual United States Junior Disc Golf Championship, being directed by Kids Disc Golf August 2-4. 

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The DGPT returns to Smuggs this September with the first Green Mountain Championship since 2017. Registration is now open for both the amateur and pro divisions, and information can be found at www.smuggsdiscgolf.com.