The Johnny Boge Classic

Have you ever wondered who Johnny Boge is? Neither have I but the picture on this flyer reminds me of what a co-worker of mine once said when I told her that I played disc golf: "Oh, thats the sport that all those dirty hippies play?" Well a bunch of dirty hippies, lawyers, graphic designers, slum lords, prospective NYC residents and assorted others gathered at Tyler State Park this past Sunday for the Johnny Boge Classic. Conspicuously absent were any Professors of Japanese History on spring break, but alas I guess tournament play is not for everyone.

Mike M and Myself played in the AM1 or advanced division, while Mike W, Dan the Natural and special guest Su Ning prepared to rock the AM2 division. Personally, I should have been in the AM2 as well as, and please excuse my ineloquence, I completly sucked! But fortunately that did not diminish the fun. Su Ning and I were paired with a very chill pro player for the first round and we had a very pleasant time. I was forced to remember not to curse quite so loud, it being a tournament and all, when my putts went awry, and did manage a few nice shots but mostly i just watched in awe as the pro on our card outdrove me consistently with his putter. He ended up taking second in the pro division. Our group was forced into the unsavory role of having to reprimand the group behind us (of guess who) for a few gross violations of etiquette but otherwise they seemed to getting on just fine.

After the first round, Mike M was 5 strokes up on me and both of us were pretty much out of contention in our division. The competition in the AM2 division was heating up however as Su Ning, Dan and Mike entered round two seperated by a mere stroke.

Here is Dan's account of the two rounds:

Fresh from their hour-long backseat huddle, Mike Mills and Weisberg, together with Dan, set off for round 1 with Ben's admonition to "Play the lie!" resonating behind them. The veteran Mills as usual started out slow, but buckled down to finish the round of 27 with a 95. Mills was disappointed with the score, perhaps affected by his swearing off of the forehander, but his numbers held up nicely when the cards were tallied. Weisberg's consistent drives got him some nice looks and a first-ever birdie, but rusty putting drove his score up to a still respectable 114, matched exactly by Dan.

The latter two were pleased to be ahead of, and paired with, Su Ning Strube, aka Strube Doo, in the second round. Guided by the mantra "Toss it high, watch it die; keep it low, watch it go!" Dan improved his drives. His hard chucks proved at least as useful as Su Ning's smooth tosses, and Mike W. would have been right there if not for a few inconveniently placed trees. Coming into the last hole, Su Ning led by a stroke. When Dan well outdistanced her drive, he moved into the catbird seat, secure in the knowledge that Su Ning's putting had been shaky in round 1. But after a sold approach shot, mindful of the day's other mantra, "Pick a link, watch it sink," Su Ning nailed the putt to take the win, finishing the 18-hole second round with a 69, dude.

Editors note: it was a pleasure to have Su Ning out on the course with us - what a damn trooper, not having played in over two years, rallying on less than 4 hours sleep to charge out into the cold PA countryside for a ridiculously long day of disc and to kick some butt in the process. There is no doubt that WHEN she decides to move to NY she will quickly become a force to be reckoned with on tour. Mike M's score was good enough to play on the second AM1 card in the second round but he did not quite turn on the jets enough to finish in the $$.

The Curse Gets Nasty

March 11
Nockamixon State Park, PA

Ben Hogan once said "I play golf with friends, but there are never friendly games". How aptly this describes the twisted manifestation of The Curse this reporter witnessed in the third round at Nockamixon.

The day had started pleasantly enough with some exciting golf and warm sunny temps. Two rounds had been played. In the first doubles round Mike and Saito once again fell to the undefeated duo of Dan and Ben, final score +5 to +8. Of note this round was the noticeable improvement in Saito's putts. Whereas Mike didn't even touch chains on a putt over 15 feet, Saito rose up for his team and knocked down some monsters with confidence. Alas it wasn't enough and Ben and Dan were solid and steady. Second round saw a singles format and the Juggernaut again took control, final scores: Ben +8, Mike +16, Saito +18, Dan +22. Saito and Mike were tied going into the final hole and the buzz running though the gallery led most commentators to believe this was finally Saito's day to take down a tour veteran. Mills had a few tough holes, including a lost disc retee, also a double OB hole in which he hit the tree Saito had previously labled the one in which only losers could possibly hit. Millsbury came up clutch at the end however, nailing a long putt on 18 to grab par while Saito struggled to a double bogey. It should be noted that with the exception of a few tough holes, Dan played extremely solid and is very close to declaring his pro status.

While the day was waning it was so delightful out that the competitors decided to play another round, daylight permitting. Prior to this round I might have disagreed with Ben Hogan's words of wisdom, however the Curse's dark nature drove the point home. Mike and Dan were paired up and playing well (although strangely leisurely with daylight fading). On the 16th hole they held, amazingly enough, a two stroke lead over Saito and Ben, who were both having lackluster rounds. Ben's drive on 16, while a seemingly straightforward shot, turned up lost. Here are Ben's own words describing the moment: "My precious! Lost! Oh how desperately I searched for my number one driver, perfectly broken in and the source of my best drives of the day. The search was in vain...and ultimately had repercussions i did not anticipate." Unbeknownst to Ben at the time, Mike was apparently seething in frustration at the delay. After the end of the hole and the determination that it was too dark to continue, he promptly accused Ben of deliberately stalling to prevent the Curse from being broken... Wow. Surely such a base and disgusting accusation could not be taken at face value - there must be preternatural forces at work here. Its not like the Champ has never lost to Mike and never expects to in the future, he could probably care less, the accusation seems patently absurd. Or perhaps Hogan was right - when the discs come out of the bag, there are no friends...

In any event Mike and Dan led by two strokes with two (very long and difficult) holes to play. You readers be the judge if this loathsome Curse is finally lifted... If not perhaps Mike will have enough confidence to buck the monkey off his back the next time out without waiting till dusk to warm up. While drama boosts DGC's ratings, this reporter is rooting for the lifting of the Curse, pleasant rounds are easier to report on.

editors note: its all good

Vancouver Invitational

This past week the elite golfers of the Champion's League were invited by the Royal Disc Golf Society of British Columbia to participate in an exclusive invitational at Quilchena Park in Vancouver, BC. The trio decided to arrive a few days early to hit the slopes of Whistler where fortune blessed them with heaps of delicious fluffy powder to romp through and apres ski delights galore. After four days of smiles at this little slice of heaven their legs may have felt like strawberry jam but their souls were refreshed and fully prepared for the competitive rigours of the Vancouver Invitational Tournament. They did not dissappoint.

The trio finished in the top three in both the morning and afternoon 36 hole sessions. In the morning session, Maddog steadily pulled away from Mike and Ben with his plodding efficiency, finishing with an impressive +3. Mike and Ben battled for second and on the final hole an unlucky OB shot by Ben gave Mike the edge, +7 to +8. Round 2 started in the rain but our heros from the North East were not dissuaded. They charged back onto the course and were rewarded with sunshine after about 6 holes. Still some sloppy disc took place in the meantime and after the first 12 holes the scores stood tied at +4. The sunshine, fresh air and mountain views had a delightful effect on Goldman as he stepped up his play to build a lead during the second set of 12 holes: +5 for Ben, +7 for Dave and +8 for Mike. Still, it was anyones game heading into the final twelve holes and the gallery was scrambling to get good views of the lead card. The reigning champ did not dissapoint, pulling out all the stops for the enthusiastic crowd by devirginizing three previously unbirdied holes with fantastic drives to build a 5 stroke lead over Maddog. Goldman's cries of "I'm the Juggernaught, bitch!" rang through the upscale Vancouver neighborhood as he took control. Sadly, Guns wilted like a delicate flower after a spring frost, having left most of his will to dominate up on the slopes, unable to call upon his energy reserves for a late charge. When all was said and done Ben coasted to victory with a +3 (including a -2 for the final round and with a score as high as +6 at one point), Dave had a respectable +8 and Mike finished with a dissapointng +14.

Notes: Late in the second round Guns showed off his fiery temper, almost coming to blows with the Tournament Director when he suggested that Mills may want to rest in the car while Dave and Ben finished the competitive aspect of the round. Guns retorted "It will be a cold day in hell before I take a DNF on my card...although a nappy poo with my bah bah would admittedly be nice." Dave had this to say about the course and the city of Vancouver "I am moving here, no doubt about it. Three courses in the city limits, a sushi restaurant on every corner and I can climb atop a mountain or gyrate against a tree every day? What more could a man want!?". Further demonstrating just how cool this city seemed, just after flying in we of course squeezed in a quick nine holes (in the cold rain mind you) before driving up to Whistler. Also on the course out discing it up in such conditions was a twosome of cute girls. And they were legitimately cute too, not just from the skewed vantage point of my notoriously generous disc golf goggles.