{"id":94,"date":"2023-01-18T11:50:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T11:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplydiscgolf.com\/?p=94"},"modified":"2023-12-02T23:17:27","modified_gmt":"2023-12-02T23:17:27","slug":"disc-golf-worlds-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplydiscgolf.com\/disc-golf-worlds-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Disc Golf Worlds 2021: Drama At The Championships"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Disc Golf Worlds in 2021 was a championship for the history books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the coronavirus pandemic brought the pro tour to a halt and canceled the 2020 World Championships, the sport experienced massive growth. Seemingly overnight courses across the country were jam-packed and manufacturers struggled to keep up with unprecedented demand. Interest in competitive play soared as the number of active PDGA memberships more than doubled from 2019 to 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With all this new attention, anticipation was sky-high for 2021 Worlds in Ogden, Utah. 279 players battled it out over five rounds, and when the dust settled we were left with the two most dramatic finishes in the history of the sport. Every Worlds is important, but 2021 will go down as one of the greatest events of all time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Controversy at Mulligan\u2019s<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before the dramatic finale, 2021 Worlds was shaping up to be remembered as the year of minor controversies. With more eyeballs on the sport than ever before, players used their swelling social media followings to apply pressure on the PDGA to raise event standards. Disc golf media was abuzz each day with a new topic to argue about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the chatter involved the Mulligan\u2019s Creekside course. This ball\/disc golf hybrid has long been host to the Utah Open, a popular A Tier event that made an appearance on the Pro Tour in 2018. The controversies there highlighted some of the growing pains the sport experienced during the pandemic boom, as the influx of money and attention has rapidly raised expectations for event standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Driving Range<\/strong> Incident<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When players voiced their displeasure at what they thought was an inadequate warm-up area, Brodie Smith took matters into his own hands. He paid $1000 out of pocket to reserve the golf driving range for disc golfers, setting off a flurry of activity on social media. The PDGA took the brunt of the criticism for not securing it themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Event staff attempted to reimburse Smith, who then refused payment. So instead, they added an additional $1000 to the overall purse. Say what you will about Brodie, but he certainly knows how to leverage his Twitter following to raise his profile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite finishing 40th in the event, his purchase of the driving range kept his name in the spotlight, along with his darkhorse disc release that happened the same week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Photo<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Brodie Smith Discraft Meteor photo via Disc Golf Source<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Smith himself, this kind of public social media criticism is new to the pro tour scene and represents a paradigm shift in the relationship between players, the PDGA, and event staff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

OB lines<\/strong> Drama<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After the first round at Mulligan\u2019s, there were complaints that the edges of the hazard bunkers were not clearly marked, making it difficult to make borderline OB calls. The night before round 4, tournament staff added painted lines to clarify the edge of the OB ponds and hazard sand traps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Players were frustrated by this last-minute change, arguing that altering the course mid-event was unacceptable. Shots that were safely in bounds in round 2 were now considered OB in round 4. Top pro Eagle McMahon<\/a> went so far as to post a video about this controversial decision:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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