The 2023 Sunshine Coast Disc Golf season officially tee’d off this past weekend with 36 competitors across five divisions taking on Shirley Macey Park at the 2023 Tour Tee-Off. This post will recap the day’s events provide you with an update on the season standings and get you primed for the rest of the Spring/Summer Tour.
Junior Division
The Sunshine Coast’s next generation of frisbee flingers showed us what it’s all about, doing battle for 9 holes and smiling the entire way.
Cedar Dalziel had an impressive performance in his first competitive tournament, placing 3rd in a field of six. Halfmoon Bay DGC’s Hayden Kendel and Gabriel Watts topped the event though, with Kendel finishing 2nd place, a full five strokes behind Watts.
Watts relied heavily on his strong forehand game to carve up the woods and was able to limit his scorecard to only pars and (single) bogeys. Smart golf from a smart kid! We could all learn a thing or two from Watts’ steady play.
Big thanks to all of the kids who showed up on Sunday and an even bigger thanks to parents Aaron and Shawn for helping them along the way!
Recreational Division
The Rec Division featured a few new faces and a few familiar faces this past Sunday, with one of the new faces taking things down.
Darion Brejak started off the 2023 season right where she left things off in 2022, earning yet another podium finish. This time Brejak was able to hold onto a 3rd place finish, all while carrying around baby Brejak in her womb. Some seriously inspirational stuff from Dee!
Aaron Walker, another familiar face on SC/DC Rec cards, earned a podium finish with an impressive score that put him in contention for the win.
New guy Dan Evanson shot the hot round in Rec on Sunday though, besting Walker by three strokes to card the only under par round in the division. Congrats to Dan on earning a victory in his first ever event!
Intermediate Divison
With so much moving and shaking going on between the Intermediate and Advanced Divisions these days, you just KNEW that a first time winner was going to break through in one of these divisions. Thankfully, the Intermediate Division didn’t disappoint.
Newcomer Aaron Beckingham and veteran James Kwantes both tied for 2nd place on the podium with impressive matching even par scores. Both gentlemen played up and down games, but it was Kwantes who birdied out the final two holes to secure his first ever SC/DC podium finish.
Taking things down by two strokes though was the Ranger himself, Rod Dalziel! He was the only Int. competitor to card a score under par and looked to be in control for much of the day. Beckingham and Kwantes both pushed, but Dalziel played a steady game and earned himself a much deserved victory.
Advanced Division
Our club’s fastest growing division featured some high drama with the winner being decided via a sudden death playoff.
Callum McDonald finished just a stroke outside the playoff though with an even score round to finish 3rd place. McDonald has earned podium positions with regularity the past two seasons, but is still seeking his first victory. With his steady game and his persistence though, you know it’s only a matter of time until he breaks through.
Two men who have both broken through though went face to face in a sudden death playoff for the win. David Lacroix, last year’s SC/DC Rookie of the Year and winner of the SC/DC Invitational, and a man who twice went to a playoff in 2022 was pitted against Zach Lyle, no stranger to championship level disc golf. Lyle earned himself the victory after a short playoff and was fortunate enough to have his son Caden on hand for the winning putt. That’s what it’s all about right there!
Open Division
Speaking of high drama… Denny Nordli provided plenty of it for us all on Sunday afternoon.
With victory in his hands and a two stroke lead over Dean Miles heading into hole 18, Nordli coughed up the lead with a double bogey to end regulation play. Jordan Newman earned a 3rd place finish in his first Open event, but all eyes were on Nordli and Miles as the two good friends treated us all to an epic five hole playoff.
In the end it was Miles who dared to birdie first and earn himself an improbable win. “I regret nothing. I played my ass off,” exclaimed Nordli as he walked off the course and straight to a bowl of hot chili courtesy of Leigh MacLennan.
As for Miles, he’s no stranger to the winner’s circle. He’s a threat to win every event and has the ability to turn things on like few others in our club. His smooth, steady play and deadly accurate putt will no doubt ensure that he’s a contender all season long.
What’s Next?
Our next event comes Sunday, April 16th at Shirley Macey Park. Details to come in early April.
As for the rest of the Tour we have a total of seven more events on the calendar before we wrap things up in October.
The 2023 SCDGA Tour consists of three (3) major tournaments, three (3) standard tournaments and two (2) flex-start tournament for a total of eight (8) events from March, 2023 through October, 2023.
Competitors in six divisions (Open, Advanced, Intermediate, Recreational and Junior) accrue points for each tournament they participate in, with points from their top five (5) of eight(8) performances counting toward season end standings.
For more details on the entire tournament series, click here.
