Is it ethical for pros to play in their local tournaments?

[jeffmonty]

Paul Ulibarri showed up for one of our C tiers two years ago and played MPO. Far as I know no one was put off by it, and we were all impressed that he came and glad to have him there.

He played the course blind and won by one stroke over one of our locals.

 

[araytx]

So local events shouldn't offer pro divisions at all? I mean, how else do you interpret a question of whether pros should be playing local tournaments? Are we talking top pros only (and we'll need a definition of "top" pros)? And what qualifies as a local tournament? There were two A-tiers within a 25 minute drive of my home this year. Should I have not played them since they were local and I'm a pro? Should I not play the C-tier on my home course this weekend?

These are important questions, I wouldn't want to do anything unethical.

Hmmmmm... and I thought A-tiers were supposed to be 300+ miles apart according to PDGA...

lol.. here in the DFW area we have a group of 940+ rated ma50 players that refuse to play in the advanced division. Merch - keeping am pros in business. lol..

You know better.
1) MA1 is still a merch-payout division, not different
2) MA40 and MA50 is an uncapped (by ratings) division -- they can have any ratings
3) It doesn't make sense that 940-950 RATED players are singled out. By the standards the division STARTS at 935-rated. I could see the complaint if you were talking about 965+ rated MA40s or 50s
4) Believe it or not, there are things about the competitors in the younger (not technically but you know what I mean) divisions that we just don't like. I'll not mention the seriousness -- or the time you were with me (Saddle Hills) and one of those MA1's who was so "serious" about disc golf that on one hole "my shadow was distracting him" and on another "me standing about 50 feet off to the side and he still had me in his periphery" and neither time was nicely or politely put, or the excessive time (and I thought I took a lot of time on the box, but not compared to these guys).

I'll tell you about this one time ... now I was actually signed up for MP50 (56 or 57 at the time), but the division didn't make so the three of us had to play MP40 (before the clause was changed). So we spread out and I am actually in a grouping with a guy who either was still 39 or just turned 40, and has this young (in my mind) girl hanging around him. A couple holes in he mentions that she is his wife, so I quietly asked him how old she was? He tells me 28. So here I am playing in a division with a 39/40-yr-old guy who's wife is 28. At that point I said to myself, "if I am playing with guys whose wives are younger than 4 of my 5 children, I'm really in the wrong place. I have grandchildren closer to that age than I am!"

 

[EllEstar]

I have grandchildren closer to that age than I am!"

You were 28-29 years older than the 28 year old, if you had grandchildren then they were by default closer to her in age than you, unless they were still in the womb.

 

[txmxer]

It's short for "the details," you boomers.

Oh wow thanks. I didn't know that #sarcasm

Nothing is more logical than shorthand for the word "details".

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Only ethical if they bring BBQ.

 

[pmay5]

World Champ Elaine King has been to many work days in my area. She can rip vines out of trees like you can't believe. She even helped with the installation of River Bend park and Diavolo.

That would be 5X World Champ Elaine King! FTFY

I've seen Elaine out a couple of times on work days and also her hubby, eric_vdberg, a 4 digit course bagger on here! That's a real DG power couple right there!! :clap::clap:

 

[ru4por]

That would be 5X World Champ Elaine King! FTFY

I've seen Elaine out a couple of times on work days and also her hubby, eric_vdberg, a 4 digit course bagger on here! That's a real DG power couple right there!! :clap::clap:

Not to throw shade at Mr 7X, but Elaine is technically on 8X. Damn rarefied air you guys are breathing!!

 

[jeffmonty]

Hmmmmm... and I thought A-tiers were supposed to be 300+ miles apart according to PDGA...

Not certain, but isn't that only if they're scheduled within the same weekend?

 

[jenb]

What is thread about at this point?

 

[ru4por]

What is thread about at this point?

Ethics, applied to people we don't know.

 

[jenb]

Ethics, applied to people we don't know.

Well in that case, I'd argue that it's not truly unethical but it's not a great idea unless the TD has dedicated staff to run the tournament so he doesn't actually perform any TD duties, including being the final arbiter of disputes on disagreements about rules calls and applications. Otherwise, it strikes me as a recipe for disaster and a likely conflict of interest.