2021 PDGA Amateur World Championships Aug 17-21

[Steve West]

How about getting very few trinkets and playing with your competitive and life peers without needing to compete with Dave Feldberg and Philo?

Refusing cash doesn't make anyone my competitive life peer.

Why wouldn't I want to compete with all the players in my age group? Or, better, in my ratings group among mature people.

Let the TDs offer cash or prizes or both and let all players (instead of just "Ams") decide which events they want to compete in.

 

[biscoe]

Refusing cash doesn't make anyone my competitive life peer.

Why wouldn't I want to compete with all the players in my age group? Or, better, in my ratings group among mature people.

Let the TDs offer cash or prizes or both and let all players (instead of just "Ams") decide which events they want to compete in.

There is already a place for anyone wanting to compete with everyone in their age group. From a customer service standpoint I seriously doubt that very many players currently in Amateur age protected divisions actually DO want to compete with everyone in their age group.

 

[Steve West]

There is already a place for anyone wanting to compete with everyone in their age group.

And look how popular that is. You are making my point for me. Just look at the player statistics for the Am players who played Pro in the age-protected divisions. Thousands of players are doing it. This indicates they don't need the cash winnings, and don't care about merch either.

So why the big deal about whether someone in their peak earnings and wealth-accumulation years has ever in their life gotten a few bucks in actual money? How does that actually help any of the older players?

From a customer service standpoint I seriously doubt that very many players currently in Amateur age protected divisions actually DO want to compete with everyone in their age group.

From all the whining about "baggers" it would seem most disc golfers don't want to compete with anyone. They just want to be amongst lesser players so they can have an easy win.

But that's beside the point. We're talking about the split between "took cash" and "not took cash". That split does not inherently separate players by skill. It only splits players by whether they are willing to commit to never winning anything but cash (or took some cash without realizing the implications) vs. keeping their options open to increase the chance there will actually be an age-protected division they can enter.

The splits by age do group players by skill. The splits by ratings do, too. Those will stay because - as you pointed out - there are many players who do not want to compete against everyone.

 

[Ilkka_Sinisalo]

Much harder to prep for 5-6 courses. I don't know any people going to actually compete that would prefer that. Guys just going to bag it, yes; but real competitors, no.

I don't agree. I think variety of courses leads to who is the better golfer overall. Which is more 'real competition'. If two courses and tons of prep is the story - that's lame. And not true competition to me.

 

[Ilkka_Sinisalo]

Because getting stickers, pins, cheap trophies, hats, t-shirts, and too-heavy plastic is not an incentive for grown-ups.

I play AMs for plastic. I must be a child!

 

[_MTL_]

What is a bagger?

How can someone bag in a division by rule they are eligible to compete in?

Why does this same conversation happen every year around am worlds?

Answers:
- A stupid term that people made up because they want someone to move up to increase their own odds of winnings / cashing.

- They can't.

- Because people.

 

[discoriented]

Congrats to my wife for taking down the title in FA60 ! The tables have totally turned in the last decade as she has become more and more discoriented. I spent 20 years playing torurneys while she kept score and held down the home front. Now she's the road warrior while I occasionally accompany her to bag courses or stay home to sleep in and tend to our course. I couldn't be happier her !

 

[Arisugawa]

Big congrats to our Kansas City local Ali Smith for taking down FA1.

Yet another former ultimate player who decided to make the leap into disc golf. She also won FA1 at the Dynamic Discs Open earlier this year. Heck of a way to really come onto the scene. :clap: