2013 – Year in Review

So with the start of the season right around the corner and the start of the Memorial Championships this coming week, there’s no way that I can begin without first doing a recap of the amazing 2013 Disc Golf Season! Let’s look back at another great year as I take you on a quick journey of some highlights from my season in the 2013 – Year in Review.

The 2013 Disc Golf Season has proven to be my most fun and exciting year to date as I continue to be a perpetual road warrior and a present mainstay figure on the PDGA Tour on my 14th season as a Touring Professional Disc Golfer. It was an exciting year with incredible worldwide travels throughout the spring and summer as the growth of the sport never ceases to amaze me, it’s a great time to be involved in Disc Golf as it only continues to progress.

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Disc Golf Adventures

The season started off with a month long trip to Asia where I competed in the 2013 Japan Team Championships with teammate Ken Climo and the 2013 Asia Open in Taiwan. The traveling through Asia also included stops in Thailand and South Korea, as it’s impressive to see Disc Golf spreading to so many places throughout the world.

The 2013 season continued to be more than just tournaments for me. It was about increasing exposure for the sport, building awareness, creating a brand, expanding the network, providing quality information and leaving a lasting impression on the community. It’s about taking disc golf to the next level.

I have always wanted to travel to Europe and play in many of their EuroTour Events, and this just happened to work out the best of any of the years to do such a venture. I was given the chance to travel Europe for 3-months this past Summer competing extensively on the EuroTour, playing 10 International PDGA Events picking up 2 victories (Sula Open & Estonia Open) on the EuroTour! It was a Summer of Disc Golf that I will never forget as I traveled to 6 countries: Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Estonia.

**Full 2013 Tour Stats: Click Here**

I participated in 19 PDGA Events including eight top-5 finishes and two victories. I played in all 4 PDGA Majors (Copenhagen Open, European Open, World Championships and the United States Disc Golf Championships) and hosted 35+ Disc Golf Instructional Clinics. I also had several strong finishes at the Toronto Island Maple Leaf, the Kokkedal Open, the Twin lake Annual and the Green Mountain Championships. The Euro Tour Events were by far some of the most tournaments that I played all year. I was also the Captain of Team USA for the Presidents Cup International Team Event in Nokia, Finland..a truly unforgettable experience!

I also participated in the 2013 World Flying Disc Overall Championships in Norrkoping, Sweden during my last weekend in Europe before returning to the States. It was a very unique event as it combines all of the Disc Sports and Skill Events throughout a 5-Day competition. I was victorious in both the Disc Golf and the Distance Events against some very strong European Competition, obviously these are the events that I had the most expertise so I had to go for the Gold Medals!

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Teaching the game

Many of you may know I love teaching technique and giving instruction to players who want to better their game. I realize it leads to improved enjoyment of the sport. During my extensive travels, I have been hosting clinics ever since I became a professional and it has provided me with a sense of fulfillment as a way to give back. I love witnessing the reaction a player gets when he or she has a straight fairway drive or makes a smooth, dead-center putt. It’s that feeling they get that creates a need for improving and keeps them coming back for more.

I got the opportunity to take on even more of an ambassador role this season by doing all of those Instructional Clinics in Europe this past Summer which I feel will eventually assist in the future development and evolution of Disc Golf throughout the World.

There is so much potential for Disc Golf on the European Market and a huge demand for the teaching of Disc Golf to the new upcoming players. So I also got the opportunity to do two separate 2-week Disc Golf Instructional Tours throughout Germany and Finland. I traveled those countries spreading the love and knowledge of the sport all while promoting my sponsors and growing Disc Golf.

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Collaboration

Some big things happening again this Spring, as I plan on joining up with Disc Sports (Ultimate) SuperStar, Brodie Smith, to film another “Epic Trick Shot Battle – Gods of Disc” Trick Shot YouTube Video. It’s definitely something that needs to be done again and I have some amazing tricks in mind for the sequel as we plan on doing a few more of these videos in the coming years. The first Epic Trick Shot Battle has just surpassed 1,400,000+ Views! It was a major goal of mine to debut a Disc Golf Basket on a YouTube Video with over a million views as well as bring Ultimate and Disc Golf together by showing Ultimate Players that Disc Golf is an amazing sport to play.

Traveling

I plan on getting a new motorhome in January, playing 25+ Tournaments and traveling extensively throughout the US and Europe, starting out at the Memorial Championships in Phoenix, AZ. I will be very active again this year as I will be playing a majority of the PDGA National Tour and all of the Major Events throughout the 2014 Season including the Japan Open and the European Masters.

I plan on spending some more time over in Europe again this Summer to play some EuroTour Events and offering several Disc Golf Clinics throughout Germany, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Austria and the Czech Republic. Promoting Disc Golf throughout Europe at some of the more popular courses and locations for the sport.

We have also discussed plans to continue with the Discmania “Deep in the Game” Disc Golf Instructional Series along with producing a few more Disc Golf Tutorial Videos this Winter, “Going Deep in the Game” to continue where we left off and to increase the public awareness of the sport. I still get incredible feedback about how much players liked those videos and how they helped them improve their game, always great to hear!

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Future Goals

I’ve set several goals for 2014. They include:

• Win another Major Disc Golf Tournament
• Play my best at every Event that I attend
• Bring Disc Golf to the Mainstream Media
• Hosting 50+ Disc Golf Instructional Clinics
• Promote all my sponsors to the best of my ability
• Travel the world playing the sport I love

During the 2014 season, I plan to play a little more than last year. I recently completed my 2014 tour schedule and I have nearly 25 tournaments, traveling extensively throughout the United States in the spring, traveling to Japan and Europe in early summer and back throughout the US during the fall. My Europe stops will include events and clinics in Germany, Finland and Sweden with some possibilities of traveling to Austria and the Czech Republic.

**Full 2014 Tour Schedule: Click Here**

I will only be playing in a few of the PDGA National Tour due to my international travels but I will be playing in ALL of the PDGA Major Events throughout the 2014 Season. I will do my best to continue to be a Disc Golf Ambassador and spokesman for the sport during my travels.

It’s been a passion of mine for over a decade and I enter into my 14th year as a Touring Professional as it going to be a tremendous 2014 season with the year-long Deep in the Game Tour with Instructional Clinics and Tournaments throughout the world. I will continue to promote Disc Golf as one of the best sports on the planet in hopes to gain even more exposure this year. I am looking forward to another exciting and successful season on the Disc Golf Tour, I will do my best to make the most of it every single day.

Thanks to all of my sponsors: Innova Champion Discs, Discmania Discs, Keen Footwear, Grip Equipment, Clif Bar, Huk Lab and Team Jenkins, I couldn’t do what I love without everyone’s support and assistance along the way!

Thanks to all my friends, family and travel companions throughout the year that have made my world travels possible and my disc golf dreams a reality. Here’s to an incredible 2014 Season!

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