McBeth
crushes Maple Hill like I crush the local pitch n' put on a good day in
doubles.... Some kid Grady from Maine, with a 958 rating, pumps 1000+ rated
rounds like it's his job... (finishing in the top 15 and earning a spot at the
2013 USDGC)... yeah yeah yeah! Old news.
The
real story my friends, is another gunslinging native from Maine, Jason
Toothaker. Who against all odds made it to the final 4 at the Vibram
Open Putting contest. By against all odds I mean that
he's not really that great of a putter**. Stacked up against Nate Krahn, David
Wiggins, and Jay Reading (how many times has Yeti won this event?)....
Toothaker, "Toothy" was a full on Bona fide underdog. And let's
not forget Jerel Davis... the Chuck Norris of Disc Golf... a veritable cherry
on top of intimidation.
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Entrance
to the putting competition was earned through two preliminary qualifiers
sessions on Thursday. Points were awarded based upon made putts from
designated distances. 15' (1pt), 25' (2pts), and 35' (3pts). Each
player was given 2 throws from each. A perfect score is 18. Only 4
golfers from each session would advance.
Here's
how it stacked up after the prelims: (not sure on the scores for the PM qualifiers)
AM
Qualifiers
1. Jay
"Yeti" Reading - 18 (Innova-1007, world putting champ)
2. David Wiggins - 18
(Innova-1020 world distance champion)
3. Jason Toothaker -
15 (unsponsored-950)
4. Jerel Davis - 14
(Vibram-no rating available)
PM
Qualifiers
Justin Mount
Aaron Fahey (997)
Jared Roan (Innova
-1019, National Collegiate
Disc Golf Champion)
Nate Krahn
(Discraft-1011)
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I
must confess that this story was originally slated to be a quick Facebook
update. However, when I asked Toothy about the competition he wrote me
back a small book. This passion could in no way be ignored. So without
further adieu, here is the rest of the story by Toothy himself:
I
made the quarterfinal bracket against Nate Krahn, a likeable dude from Philly
with a laser putt and solid game. I spent most of the day asking people
about his putting and asking if I had a chance. Most people just laughed and
said "Good luck, buddy. Krahn is a lights-out putter". I
went into the match with a healthy amount of fear and tempered expectations.
The
crowd assembled around the putting green for 18. The top pros (Doss,
Koling, Wysocki, Feldberg, Jenkins, Schusterick, McBeth) were sitting right
behind us, and all the New England locals were off to the side, encircling the
competition area. The kegs of Berkshire Pale Ale had been tapped and
people were in the mood to watch some good competition. The format for
the quarterfinals were as follows:
2
putts from each marker (15, 30, 50 feet), player in the lead goes 2nd
After
the players played through the first cycle of putts, they replaced the chains
with Phenix Disc Sports Pro-putt chains. These putts were worth double
points. I was up by 6 points at the end, missing both of my 50' on the
Phenix chains. Krahn had to make just one of his 50' putts to force a
playoff. He made his first and missed the second, forcing overtime.
He, by virtue of scoring the last points, got to choose whether to go
first, as well as which mark to shoot from. He chose 30' and missed. I
had one putt to secure the win from 30 feet, spanking it right into the center
of the Pro-putt chains and raising my fists triumphantly into the air.
The crowd was voracious, as I was an underdog and (as Steve Dodge put it)
a "New England Favorite". The top pros were cheering for
their touring-pro compatriot, but felt compelled to respect the efforts of a
nervous player who had one shining moment in his first NT. My celebration
didn't last too long, as Yeti made every single putt and ran away with an easy
victory."
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There
you have it folks. A feel good story for the ages. I personally love
the fact that local disc golfers get to compete with top pros at National Tour
events like the Vibram Open. A chance to share the stage with the game's
elite. An opportunity not lost on Jason Toothaker, a "New England
Favorite" who putted better than a boatload of other people at the 2013
Vibram Open Putting Contest.
