For the love of the sport. A place for DG enthusiasts to share their thoughts.

Archive for July, 2015

George Smith Earns 10th Win at 31st Annual Mid America Open

Posted by mleefry


Instead of starting my post with a typical excuse for not blogging in so long, let’s be real. Life got crazy and I was experiencing some disc golf burnout. Since my last post, I earned two college degrees and started my first full time job. Clearly disc golf has taken a back seat.

But now that I’m settling back into “normal life” with a “normal routine” I see everything really connecting back to the sport. It is my stress reliever and my social life. It promotes the values I want to uphold in my career at the Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: accessibility, fairness, health, and community. It’s an activity I can share with my boyfriend. It makes me think. And, most of all, I’ve gotten some pretty badass disc golf stories in my neighborhood lately.

Stories like this one I put together to send out to my local media have helped me to rediscover my love for the game. I hope this inspires you to pick up your bag and play this week, and that your feedback will get me out myself!

(Some alterations to this press release were made to fit the disc golf audience. If YOUR club needs help building relationships with your local media, let us know! I’m happy to provide guidance, and if there is interest, write about best practices or develop press templates for disc golf events. I’ll post links to press coverage here if the release is successful!)

Last weekend marked the 31st Annual Mid America Open disc golf tournament presented by the Columbia Disc Golf Club, Dynamic Discs, and Columbia Parks and Recreation. The event included a doubles event on Friday and a three-round tournament on Saturday and Sunday at Albert-Oakland and Indian Hills Parks. The tournament included 123 players from Missouri, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.

George Smith, 44, of Columbia earned his tenth Mid America Open title with a score of -52 for the weekend. His Saturday afternoon round on the Albert-Oakland Top Course was 13 under par and rated 1087 (yeah, that’s not a typo). It was the highest rated round of his career to date. Smith began playing disc golf in 1984 at the Albert-Oakland Top Course, the only course in Columbia at the time. He has since traveled internationally as a professional disc golf player, his tour including tournaments in Japan and Finland. In addition to his tournament win, Smith also won the Friday doubles tournament along with Grant Hodges of Columbia, MO.

The weekend’s winners also included: Andrea Meyers (Jonesboro, AR), Open Women; Keith Amerson (Columbia, MO), Open Masters; Justin McCain (Joelton, TN), Advanced Amateur; Gary Harvey (Roeland Park, KS), Advanced Masters; Paul Morrison aka Mo Louis (Columbia, MO), Advanced Grandmasters; Justin Neudecker (Alton, IL), Intermediate; Mariah Flagg (Camdenton, MO), Intermediate Women; Scott Foreman (Columbia, MO), Recreational; Beth Aubuchon (Columbia, MO), Recreational Women; Jack Lowen (Blue Springs, MO), Juniors Under 13 Boys; and Cynthia Riocciotti (Columbia, MO), Juniors Under 13 Girls.

Tournament competitor lands a disc in the basket during the Ring of Fire

Tournament competitor lands a disc in the basket during the Ring of Fire

Smith putting during the Final Nine Sunday afternoon at Albert-Oakland Park

Smith putting during the Final Nine Sunday afternoon at Albert-Oakland Park

Smith finishes a hole during the Final Nine as a gallery watches from across a pond

Smith finishes a hole during the Final Nine as a gallery watches from across a pond

Paul Morrison aka Mo Louis, radio personality from 102.3 KBXR, celebrates his win over the Advanced Grandmasters division during the awards ceremony Sunday evening

Paul Morrison aka Mo Louis, radio personality from 102.3 KBXR, celebrates his win over the Advanced Grandmasters division during the awards ceremony Sunday evening

Smith and his trophy following the awards ceremony

Smith and his trophy following the awards ceremony

Smith and Jack Lowen, Junior Under 13 Boys winner, with their trophies following the awards ceremony

Smith and Jack Lowen, Junior Under 13 Boys winner, with their trophies following the awards ceremony


Follow

Get every new post on this blog delivered to your Inbox.

Join other followers:

%d bloggers like this: