Top 5/10 All Time Greats List

[roggenb3]

I'm not usually this guy, but I'm having a hard time agreeing with your logic here. That's like saying Mia Hamm wasn't one of the US's best soccer players, or Florence Griffith-Joyner wasn't one of our best track athletes, just because they competed against women.

Well it depends on what "best" means.

If best = better than all other people, women won't be on the top 10 list for many sports.
If best = better than all other people they compete against, they absolutely should be.

 

[Brockness Monster]

Will isn't in my top ten. Maybe not even top 20. No offense to him, but he hasn't done much at all lately. He's like Grant Hill. SO much potential, but injuries ended it early.

Does it matter what he has done lately? The thread literally has 'All Time' in the title. :\

 

[aphilso1]

I'm not usually this guy, but I'm having a hard time agreeing with your logic here. That's like saying Mia Hamm wasn't one of the US's best soccer players, or Florence Griffith-Joyner wasn't one of our best track athletes, just because they competed against women.

No, I'm not saying that Korver wasn't a top 10 disc golfer "just because (she) competed against women." I'm saying she wasn't a top 10 disc golfer because when she did compete in an open division she got crushed.
I don't care whether the restriction is age, gender, amateur, or whatever. The point is that when you are dominating a field that is restricted in some way that doesn't prove you're the best, it only proves you are the best among that restricted field. She is undoubtedly one of the best FPO players ever. She's not even close to one of the best players ever though.

 

[DiscNinja33]

Does it matter what he has done lately? The thread literally has 'All Time' in the title. :\

Exactly. He came onto the scene hot, kept it up for a minute and then slowly faded away, which I believe will continue from what I've seen of his covered play and scores. "All Time" to me considers their entire career, not just a hot start with the finish we've seen/I predict.

I get what the thread said, I just think I have more specific requirements to even be on the list than you may have. Difference of opinions eh.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Probably should update this after the final 2018 results are in but here are some stats to consider for men and women which covers about 25% of "all-time": https://www.pdga.com/most-dominant-open-men-women-past-10-years

 

[tbird888]

Feldberg had quite a decade. I'm guessing the previous decade has Climo in that spot.

 

[Stable]

Isn't Uli an Am Worlds champ? Does that not count?

no :|


Good thing for disc golfers is that you can stay competitive well through your 30's. I could see Uli getting a Worlds or USDGC.

 

[Finny]

Revision 1:

1. McBeth
2. Climo
3. Doss
4. Schultz
5. Wysocki

6. Barsby
7. Nybo
8. Feldberg
9. Nikko
10. Schusterick

I was able to have an extended discussion with Barry Schultz about this once. I asked him who the fourth best player ever was. He went with David Greenwell. Said he had won everything. If I remember, his top 7 or so was:

1. Climo (he put him #1)
2. McBeth
3. Schultz
4. Greenwell
5. Doss
6. Feldberg
7. Ron Russell

He said Ricky could get there, and Will if he got healthy. He also said Elaine and Juliana should be considered for #2. Although Elaine was standing like 10 feet away, so maybe he was just buttering her up. (Jk lol.)

For men, I would go:

1. Climo
2. McBeth
3. Schultz
4. Doss
5. Feldberg

 

[pjhayes7]

1. Climo
2. McBeth
3. Doss
4. Schultz
5. Wysocki
6. Greenwell
7. Feldberg
8. Duvall
9. Hammock
10. Locastro
53ish. Ulibarri

I don't care how much he won, Hammock is not a nice person.

 

[BrotherDave]

Feldberg had quite a decade. I'm guessing the previous decade has Climo in that spot.

Considering he had one leg in the Climo/Schultz era and the other leg in the McBeth/Wysocki/etc era.

I wish I had more to offer this thread but I honestly didn't follow pro DG much until the post-produced rounds became so easy on the eyes.

 

[BuiltTooLong]

I don't care how much he won, Hammock is not a nice person.

Guy is a straight up goon too, but he's won too many titles to leave off this list. I didn't like including him since I didn't really come up watching him, but after some auxiliary research I had to.

 

[ShopTom.com]

Highest Rated Years

1 P. McBeth 1053 2015
P. McBeth 1052 2017
P. McBeth 1051 2016
P. McBeth 1050 2018
2 R. Wysocki 1050 2017
R. Wysocki 1049 2016
R. Wysocki 1047 2013
3 E. McMahon 1046 2018
P. McBeth 1046 2013
P. McBeth 1046 2014
R. Wysocki 1045 2018
4 N. Locastro 1044 2011
5 W. Schusterick1044 2012
6 K. Climo 1044 2002
W. Schusterick1043 2013
R. Wysocki 1043 2015
7 J. Anthon 1043 2014
8 N. Doss 1042 2011
9 D. Feldberg 1042 2010
R. Wysocki 1042 2014

https://www.pdga.com/players/stats?...l&StateProv=All&order=player_Rating&sort=desc

 

[Brockness Monster]

I'm not sure ratings mean anything unless they are playing on the exact same courses at the exact same time. Courses and disc technology was different in Climo's day then they are now

 

[IHearChains]

Exactly. He came onto the scene hot, kept it up for a minute and then slowly faded away

Three USDGC titles in four years is a helluva lot more than "kept it up for a minute" IMO. That is the biggest stage and toughest competitive field the sport has to offer. But I will agree, he didn't stay on top as long as some others listed in the thread.

 

[VictorB]

The only guys that have won multiple World/US titles stand out above the rest to me. This is the order I weigh them in:

McBeth
Climo
Schultz
Doss
Schusterick
Feldberg
Wysocki
Duval

 

[DiscNinja33]

Three USDGC titles in four years is a helluva lot more than "kept it up for a minute" IMO. That is the biggest stage and toughest competitive field the sport has to offer. But I will agree, he didn't stay on top as long as some others listed in the thread.

I agree the 3/4 is amazingly impressive and I understated his skill/accolades early on. Your last sentence hit on what I should have focused more on. GOAT status would require a longer stay on top, IMO.

 

[JC17393]

I agree the 3/4 is amazingly impressive and I understated his skill/accolades early on. Your last sentence hit on what I should have focused more on. GOAT status would require a longer stay on top, IMO.

In that case, I'd argue that Wysocki doesn't really belong in the discussion either. Schusterick got his three USDGC titles in a span of five years (2010, 2012, 2014). Wysocki really only broke through for a Worlds title in 2016. He was battling at the top for a couple years before that (his playoff with McBeth in 2014), so his "peak" has lasted about as long as Schusterick's, at least so far. And of course, neither guy is done.

That's what makes it tricky to have these GOAT discussions about players still in the midst of their careers. We only include guys like McBeth and Wysocki and Schusterick in this discussion because our history is so short, there just aren't enough players to really fill a top 10 all time greats without including still active players like them. Unlike say, MLB, where it would be folly to discuss top 10 lists and include guys like Mike Trout or Clayton Kershaw. Sure, they're on track to be among the best ever, but they can't be compared yet to the full careers of Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron or Ken Griffey Jr.

 

[IHearChains]

ISchusterick got his three USDGC titles in a span of five years (2010, 2012, 2014).

Thanks for the correction. I thought it was 3 in 4 years but the list I was looking at had 2011 unlisted because of the different format.

 

[ru4por]

Thanks for the correction. I thought it was 3 in 4 years but the list I was looking at had 2011 unlisted because of the different format.

When doing my list, I did not put much stock into USDGC titles. They are held on the same course, which lends itself to a particular skill set. Not that it is a bad thing, but it is pretty much the same test year after year. It allows for someone to dominate that tournament...potentially. Kind of like the Masters in golf.

World Championships have traditionally been more rounds on different courses and different sets of venues each year.

 

[DiscNinja33]

In that case, I'd argue that Wysocki doesn't really belong in the discussion either. Schusterick got his three USDGC titles in a span of five years (2010, 2012, 2014). Wysocki really only broke through for a Worlds title in 2016. He was battling at the top for a couple years before that (his playoff with McBeth in 2014), so his "peak" has lasted about as long as Schusterick's, at least so far. And of course, neither guy is done.



That's what makes it tricky to have these GOAT discussions about players still in the midst of their careers. We only include guys like McBeth and Wysocki and Schusterick in this discussion because our history is so short, there just aren't enough players to really fill a top 10 all time greats without including still active players like them. Unlike say, MLB, where it would be folly to discuss top 10 lists and include guys like Mike Trout or Clayton Kershaw. Sure, they're on track to be among the best ever, but they can't be compared yet to the full careers of Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron or Ken Griffey Jr.

I can get on board with that. The only reason I'd say he belongs there is because Wysocki has consistently been a top ten pro, and played like it, since he's gotten to the level (or close) that he's at now. He might not always be winning, but he's near/on the podium. This is really just as a comparison to Will though, because you see Will finishing outside the top 50 at times, and often out of the top 20 at big events.