DGPT: 2021 Waco Annual Charity Open Mar 12-14

[Emoney]

That putt was sick. Incredible.

People in the live chat on YouTube had been chanting that Nikko losing was a foregone conclusion since like hole 9, like he was a lock to choke it up. The guy has 2 Majors and 4 National Tour titles.... Assuming he's just gonna choke it away is silly.

I wonder if he would even be in this position if he wasnt taking 60 seconds per shot. Its almost like he is playing a solo practice round while his card mates are playing a tourney.

Time limits play an important role in sports. I can see if disc golf continues to get bigger and more money is on the line...the rules will start to be more consistently enforced.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Nikkos putt on hole 13 ...

58 seconds after he marked(addressed) his lie.

Ok im done. Just one of the reasons he is the only disc golfer i actively root against.

I can see how some might root against Nikko. He's not everyone's cup of tea, but I think he's fun to watch. His heart out on his sleeve personality and fiery passion adds to the drama. The game needs different personalities.

Ballsy putt on 17 was clutch when he had a string of holes where he couldn't get them to drop.


And good on Cale for competing like he did and taking 2nd. They put on a great show.

 

[ChrisWoj]

I wonder if he would even be in this position if he wasnt taking 60 seconds per shot. Its almost like he is playing a solo practice round while his card mates are playing a tourney.

Time limits play an important role in sports. I can see if disc golf continues to get bigger and more money is on the line...the rules will start to be more consistently enforced.

As a spectator - it didn't bother me. I would have barely noticed it if people wouldn't have been bringing up the 30 second rule in chat. *shrug* Whatever. Nobody calls it on anybody, so I'm not gonna complain about Nikko playing the game as it seems to be played on the DGPT.

Would he even be in this position if he wasn't taking a little extra time? Who knows. Revisionist history. Were there any shots where Cale took some extra time? Were there any where Brad did? Gannon Buhr was slow all day yesterday. The fact is: Nikko waited until he was mentally in his place to execute the shots he's practiced - and when he was, he went. And he won.

Fifth National Tour title.

 

[ChrisWoj]

They put on a great show.

This is my main takeaway. That was awesome. I had a blast watching it. I turned it on at hole 3, watched through the end... Nikko running away with it for a while, the semi-collapse, Ricky making it interesting before blowing it all up, Cale making it a battle down the home stretch... that was everything I want out of a final round tour event. Good stuff!

 

[Emoney]

Lol ...Nikko says he didnt hear alot of people cheering for him when he made that putt in his post round chat.

The majority sees him as unlikeable while the few translate that as passionate.

I get pissed when i miss a putt but i dont growl and cry and punch stuff. I guess that means i have less passion?

Nikko clearly doesnt understand why he is not well received by the majority.

 

[Orioles_Lefty]

The rules are made for players not spectators. If players don't care to call a violation, then it isn't a violation. I just watch.

 

[txmxer]

Watching yesterday, I felt like Nikko was stretching out his play to create more tension and pressure for the teens. I watched him take almost a minute to throw in a 10' putt. Of course he is known for taking excessive time, but still thought it was a bit of a mind game. As far as time limit goes, isn't it up to the card mates to call the time limit courtesy violation? And a couple of really young players aren't going to do that.

On the lead card when you've got tour officials standing there, seems like they should make that call.

 

[Emoney]

Would he even be in this position if he wasn't taking a little extra time?

A little extra time? Try average double time and then some.

You know basketball... You should understand how time can affect the game.

Nikko has a huge advantage taking double the time. Give any top pro in any sport twice as much time as the rest of the players to make a decision and see how that translates.

 

[nothinbuttree]

Not a huge Nikko fan, but two things I saw today, which left a good impression on me:
1. Even with the air-ball putts on the back nine, I didn't notice any big blow-ups. He seemed to behave well.
2. Wow, what a putt/throw on 17. If he misses, he probably circle's edge, and the way he was putting. I honestly wonder if he was laying up and just caught an updraft, kinda looked that way.

Also, never watched Cale play much (only been watching a couple years) but really enjoyed watching his fight and clutch putting today. Count me a Cale fan now...

 

[ChrisWoj]

A little extra time? Try average double time and then some.

The fact is: Nikko waited until he was mentally in his place to execute the shots he's practiced - and when he was, he went. And he won. I don't disagree with you regarding whether or not it may have helped him. It may have. Clearly, by the outcome, he was throwing at the point where he was the most mentally comfortable and ready to execute what he'd practiced.

However - knowing basketball - I also know that for some players there is also a difference between shooting on the move and shooting off the catch. Just as there are NBA players who'll shoot above average off the catch, there are others who'll shoot above average off the dribble. For some players - the point at which they are ready is before doubt can creep in.

What I'm saying, since you brought up basketball, is that there's no way of telling whether Nikko would be winning less, the same, or even more if we lived in a world where every single player gets called on 30 seconds every single time. I'm all in favor of a world where we call that, but we don't. We live in a world where whether you're Nikko Locastro or Gannon Buhr - you're not getting called on it right now.

 

[autocrosscrx]

Either Uli or Earhart said that Nikko has these mini anxiety attacks where he stands over the shot and he is just paralyzed.

 

[ChrisWoj]

Not a huge Nikko fan, but two things I saw today, which left a good impression on me:
1. Even with the air-ball putts on the back nine, I didn't notice any big blow-ups. He seemed to behave well.
2. Wow, what a putt/throw on 17. If he misses, he probably circle's edge, and the way he was putting. I honestly wonder if he was laying up and just caught an updraft, kinda looked that way.

Also, never watched Cale play much (only been watching a couple years) but really enjoyed watching his fight and clutch putting today. Count me a Cale fan now...

Cale is awesome. We don't get to see his talent on the lead card videos often enough, dude is busy. I was truly rooting for him to win this event, 9 years since his last NT win is way too long!

 

[Emoney]

Idk. I have a ball golf background. In ball golf you can easily cheat the rules in many ways but you dont do it out of respect for the other players you are putting your score up against.

As a pro, Nikko is fully aware he is only allowed 30 seconds, he is also fully aware the card will not call him on it and make it uncomfortable and confrontational. It is disrespectful to the other players and the game.

Nikko is the only player on tour that does this consistently and purposefully to gain an advantage.

He won fair and square. No one called him on it but im not gonna make excuses for him.

His win has an asterisk in my diary.










*

 

[jdm0514]

How can you stop it? I think if you are on his card you have to pretty much bring a stop watch and with your phone record how much time he takes. But that shouldn't be on the card to have to do that. Nikko is just exploiting the rule because he knows no one will call him on it. It's so frustrating to watch him live.

 

[Jimb]

I knew the minute I posted that, it could be a bit misleading to some. Eagle didn't kick anyone's dog.

I was just making an analogy to explain his unfortunate luck, albeit rather poorly.

Maybe it was the under the leg putt that did it.

 

[ChrisWoj]

Idk. I have a ball golf background. In ball golf you can easily cheat the rules in many ways but you dont do it out of respect for the other players you are putting your score up against.

I can not count the number of times I've been watching the PGA Tour and seen guys step up and take more than their allotted 40 seconds. I think its outright crazy to say players don't do this all the time on the PGA Tour. I've seen guys spend that much time just talking to their caddies, before you even start to talk about the time they spend over the ball.

 

[glassila]

The fact is: Nikko waited until he was mentally in his place to execute the shots he's practiced - and when he was, he went. And he won.

Just because a player wins or make a specific putt doesn't make it OK to go that far beyond the legal putt time.
What if it takes a player a minute and a half to putt? how about 2 minutes? 3 minutes?

 

[ChrisWoj]

Just because a player wins or make a specific putt doesn't make it OK to go that far beyond the legal putt time.
What if it takes a player a minute and a half to putt? how about 2 minutes? 3 minutes?

Then start calling players on it.

Its a-ok until the field starts calling each other on the violations. All this talk of an asterisk, or the idea that he wouldn't have won if people changed how they dealt with the situation ignores the fact that we live in a reality where people aren't doing that. Nikko practices for the tournament as it is called. And he won under the conditions the DG Pro Tour is played under.

I'm not saying I'm not okay with a world where people are calling this violation. But people aren't. Across the field. On any given day. And until they start calling the violation - Nikko is handling business under the conditions of the tour.

 

[glassila]

After hole 8 Kona had a 15 stroke lead on the field. When was the last time that happened in MPO?

 

[Emoney]

How can you stop it? I think if you are on his card you have to pretty much bring a stop watch and with your phone record how much time he takes. But that shouldn't be on the card to have to do that. Nikko is just exploiting the rule because he knows no one will call him on it. It's so frustrating to watch him live.

Its funny to think about Nikkos footfault call on Ricky at the memorial that one year..... He was so adamant about Ricky breaking the rules........

Yeh. Idk the way to stop it. Everyone else tries to throw in a timely manner and may take a little extra on a bad lie but its most shots for Nikko.

I can see Nikko throwing a huge B!tch fit if someone called him on it and retaliating by trying to call violations on them the rest of the round instead of accepting he is in the wrong.