Ilkin Groh lifts his arms in celebration after emerging from a seven-hole playoff to become the 2022 U.S. Amateur champion. Photo: Justin Anderson / PDGA
Scrolling down the list of former champions, you see the names of future Pro Tour stars: Kyle Klein, Anthony Barela, Colten Montgomery– to name a few.
And so, it is only natural that, when attending a United States Amateur Disc Golf Championship, one looks around to see if they can spot, among the hopeful unknowns, glimmers of the next Klein, Barela, or Montgomery.
John Minicuci has been the TD of the USADGC since 2013. Photo: PDGA Media
(This is the latest in a series coming to PDGA.com spotlighting the tournament directors of the PDGA Elite Series and beyond)
Tournament directors are often the unsung heroes of disc golf competition. They spend their time preparing and hosting disc golf tournaments all over the world.
Zachary Tesone played steady, limiting himself to just one bogey during the second round. Photo: Conrad Meyer / PDGA
Toboggan Bites
If anyone thought this was going to be an easy ride, that notion was quickly dispelled as the Toboggan course, home of the 2022 United States Amateur Disc Golf Championship, sunk its teeth into the field during Friday’s opening round.
Only nine players out of 158 managed to get under par, with three of those – Zachary Tesone, Ilkin Groh and Paul Krans – breaking away from the field.
Ilkin Groh (left) and Zachary Tesone (right) tee off on the iconic opening hole of the Toboggan course in Milford, MI. Photo: Justin Anderson / PDGA
Early Worm Gets the Birdies
Pulling a 7:30 a.m. tee time on the first day of a major championship may not sound like the ideal start to what is sure to be a long, draining battle – against a grueling 10,000 ft. course, full of intimidating steeps and gnarly rough, and against a stacked field of the world’s most talented amateur disc golfers.
But the early birds really did get the worm Friday as the weather gradually worsened throughout the opening round of the 2022 United States Amateur Disc Golf Championships.
Robert Burridge took down the 2021 USADGC. Photo: PDGA Media
Who’s got next?
A record field of 158 players will hit the famed Toboggan course in Milford, Michigan this weekend with a chance to join elite company, chase a PDGA Major title and continue their rise through the disc golf ranks.
