A SELECTION of the country’s best disc golfers will compete alongside local players this weekend in one of the first tour events on the Australian calendar.
The Professional Disc Golf Australia sanctioned competition dubbed the Centenary Championships will take place at Mount Gambier’s Crater Lakes Disc Golf course on Friday and Saturday.
The high-standard course is revered as one of the top disc golfing venues in Australia and has attracted competitors from Melbourne, Adelaide and Geelong for the event.
Among these competitors are 2018 Australian Tour winners Jarrath and Cassie Sweeten, with Cassie crowned women’s champion at last year’s nationals in Canberra.
Jarrath won the SA Open at the Crater Lakes course last year and is the current record holder for the advanced course, with a seven under par 53.
Also making the trip is Australia’s highest rated player and current men’s national champion Patrick Robinson.
But there is no shortage of local talent as well, with several looking to be strong contenders to take out their respective divisions.
Hayden McPherson’s form casts a fearful shadow over his opposition in the intermediate division, while both Greg Hatton and Lachlan Wookey look to dominate the men’s novice category.
The Mount Gambier Disc Golf Club and competitors alike will treat this weekend’s event as a good warm up for when the Blue Lake City hosts the national championships later this year in November.
Play this weekend starts with round one starting from 2.30pm Friday afternoon, followed by rounds two and three on Saturday from 9.30am through to 6pm.
At the conclusion of the event, selected participants will have the opportunity to contest the unique novelty competition dubbed the “Sacrifice to the Gods”.
These players will each have one throw from the Centenary Tower down to a target on the course far below.
A prize of $1000 can be won for an ace (hole in one) or $100 to whoever’s disc finishes the closest.
Backing up the two days of competition, MGDG will run its January club day on Sunday from 8.30am, followed by a disc golfing clinic from 1pm.
Anyone interested in observing the sport of disc golf throughout the weekend can do so completely free and are encouraged to follow behind any card of players on the course, located in the Brownes Lake Park area.
More details on the event and club information is available on the Mount Gambier Disc Golf Facebook page.
