James Murphy
THE Valley Lakes came alive with disc golf action over the weekend, with the 2022 Eruption tournament contested by a strong field of 138 competitors.
Played on the highly-regarded Crater Lakes course, 13 divisions were on offer, with winners decided based on overall scores from three rounds across the three days.
Competitors were faced with a combination of rain and shine throughout the event, but even Sunday afternoon’s adverse conditions could not deter the enthusiasm.
The coveted men’s pro class was taken out by Geelong’s Dylan Feldman, who finished the three rounds with an impressive combined score of 15 under par.
He was followed by fellow Victorian David Perry with a 10 under, while Western Australian and 2021 Eruption champion Blake Houston rounded out the podium with nine under.
The women’s pro class had three entries, with Sarah Lee the best of the group with a 31 over par enough to edge out Cassie Sweetten by six points.
Perth’s Ken Summers made his long trip worth it when he won the Pro Masters 40-plus category.
He scored a 10 over par, followed by Mount Gambier local Justin Clarke nine points behind in second place.
The Men’s Advanced class had an 18-strong field and it was Highton’s Ryan Hart who emerged on top with a solid one under par.
South Australians Tim Davis and Thomas Roden rounded out the podium with plus four and plus five respectively.
Mount Gambier member and Eruption assistant tournament director Ryan Nicholson finished third in the Amateur Masters 40-plus class, with a combined 40 over par for the three rounds.
Jason Vidot topped the field with 22 over, while second place was Lee Thompson with 36 over.
Mount Gambier’s Aaron Price (48 over), Damien Holman (71) and David Haskins (75) also competed in that division.
Ararat’s John Cranstoun won the Amateur Masters 50-plus event with an 18 over, while the men’s Intermediate class was won by Ashley Gabe with 12 over.
Hannah Crockett-Naini won the Intermediate women, while she also claimed the female longest drive, with an impressive 111m drive off hole two.
The Recreational division also had a large field, with 20 competitors.
ACT’s Nathan Borg won the grade with a plus 19, while Mount Gambier’s Mick Wilson finished third on plus 24 and fellow local Curtis King secured seventh place with a 36 over par.
Thomas de Heus won the Novice men, while Mount Gambier’s Steven Fox finshed fourth, 15 points behind the winner.
Suttontown’s Nicole McPherson topped the Novice women’s field by 10 points, while the Junior girls was also won by a local, as Mount Gambier’s Jessica Holman defeated Victorian Anita Weber by eight points.
The junior boys was won by Matti Pearsall from Victoria, while local Austin Holman finished fourth for the grade.
Youngster Ryan Hart blitzed the men’s longest drive with a huge 182m drive.
With the 2022 Eruption deemed an ultimate success, the next big event on the disc golf calendar is the Australian National Championships which will be held on the Gold Coast from November 18-20.
