The disc golf season can feel very short or very long depending on your outlook, and for those who just finished up the Disc Golf Pro Tour Championships, the idea of going home and taking a nap sounded like an awesome idea. Yet there were some players who wanted to hang around The Sunshine State a bit longer and soak up some sun, and for them, Sun King Discs decided to put on a tournament just for them.
Monster on the Mountain, a new event for 2018, is an incredible A-tier event that was held at the Gran Canyon, no doubt one of the nation’s most legendary courses. For this three-day tournament, TD Michael Barnett modified some of the holes on the traditional gold layout used for Throw Down The Mountain and welcomed 51 players to this little piece of heaven.
A Two-Horse Race
Unlike many other events we’ve seen this year, Monster on the Mountain made it clear that only a select few would find success. Ten men competed in the Open division, and after round one’s scores were posted, it was clear who those few would be. Paul McBeth shot an unofficially-rated 1084 with Calvin Heimburg only one stroke behind him. Reid Frescura held his own with a 59, but obviously, there was more golf to be had.
Once again pulling away from the pack on day two, McBeth and Heimburg smoked the course and both shot a 56, giving themselves an even larger buffer against the rest of the group. Despite a relatively hot start, Frescura cooled his performance slightly on Saturday and only managed to shoot an unofficial 989.
In the end, Calvin edged out Paul by only two strokes to take home a $935 cash prize and, more importantly, bragging rights. If you’re wondering just how exceptionally these two men performed, keep this in mind – Heimburg’s overall score was -33, McBeth’s was -31, and Frescura’s third-place finish was -13.
What’s Next?
By all accounts, mid-October is the end of the season, and now that yet another event is under the belts of many players, what can we forecast in the future? At least for Paul, the Monster on the Mountain is his last tournament that shows up on his PDGA page, yet Florida native Calvin has a slightly different schedule. He has four more events slated for 2018, no doubt due to the wonderful weather in his home state.
When it comes to the set of players who cross the United States every year, this event just about does it. Looking back on 2018, there are more than a handful of moments that stand out as incredible milestones in our sport as a whole. Registration is already starting to happen for some of next year’s early events, and before you know it, the off-season will be over.
How are you planning on spending the next few months? Is this the opportunity for you to dial things in and make your debut appearance on the 2019 tour? Let us know your disc golf goals in the comments below!
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