By Trevor Jackson
MOUNT Gambier Disc Golf members have set their sights on the National Championships, to be played this weekend at the Inverleigh Golf Club, just outside of Geelong.
Juniors Jess and Austin Holman will look to continue their solid season and will be joined by Ryan Nicholson, Michelle Schulz, Kate Eldridge, Damien Holman, Mick Wilson and Hayden McPherson.
The course is sure to throw up a challenge for competitors, recently re-designed for the tournament. It will be the first national title contested since the successful 2019 championship held in Mount Gambier’s Crater Lakes course and has attracted a record number of 187 players across 14 divisions.
“The competition has gone from 100 entries in 2019 to around 180,” MGDG club president Mat Weyers said.
“That is a big jump in playing numbers in two years.
“I think it is a bit of a reflection on the growth of the sport.”
Jessica and Austin Holman featured heavily in the 2021 National Tour, as both claimed division honours for Junior Girls and Boys respectively.
Other strong tour results by MGDG members include Amy Weyers and Michelle Schulz, who placed second and third respectively in the female novice division.
Gareth Morgan claimed the men’s Advanced title and Alex Costales finished runner-up in the men’s intermediate division.
Costales will hope to improve on his runner-up position in 2019.
The results reinforce the improvement of the players and places them in good stead heading to the championships, especially the juniors.
“Overall it has been a fantastic year for not only our club members, but also players from South Australia,” Weyers said.
“Jess and Austin have been going great.
“Probably in the last six months we have seen their scores improve at the local level.
“We were fortunate enough to give our members ample opportunities to play for tour points while largely being less affected by Covid-19 compared to the other states.
“Jess and Austin have picked up tour wins, which is a national series, despite the sport being affected by Covid.”
Apart from the juniors, Weyers said all players attending would be up for a big challenge, with the extra numbers and subsequent ratings suggesting no easy competition.
“I expect some stiff competition,” he said.
“I was looking at the ratings for other players and I think it will be a steep learning curve.
“Hayden (McPherson) came second in 2019 on his home course here at Mount Gambier so he will be keen to try to improve.
“He was close to clinching the national title but missed out on a playoff.”
Weyers said Jess Holman was around the mark in her division, while Austin Holman would face a big challenge, with some players in his division pushing for pro-level status.
Weyers said it was a positive to see so many players from the Limestone Coast represent the region at the national level.
He also noted the importance of the Holman family, which points to the inclusive nature of the sport.
“A few of our local players have always been around the mark, so it is positive we have a good representation of our locals going over there,” Weyers said.
“With Damian, Jess and Austin, it is a good opportunity for a family to go there and compete at the national level.
“It shows people getting into the sport can go to a national event and compete as a family.
In a continued push to grow the sport in the region, Austin and Jessica Holman recently joined Weyers in delivering a basket to the Treehouse Play Cafe in Mount Gambier in the hope to expose the wider community to the ever-growing sport.
