Originally published at: https://discgolf.ultiworld.com/2018/08/19/feldberg-giannola-brown-get-first-pro-masters-world-titles/
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The 2018 PDGA Pro Masters World Championship in Kansas City saw first time champions crowned, including one making a return to the top after a decade-long intermission.
“I wanted to prove I’m one of the best of my generation,” said Dave Feldberg a day removed from his Masters 40+ division victory.
In his second year of eligibility and on his second attempt, Feldberg captured his second individual world title with a 47-under par 273, winning by three strokes over JohnE McCray. Barry Schultz and Mike Moser finished third and fourth respectively and rounded out the Final 9 card. The win comes ten years after Feldberg’s PDGA Pro World Championship in 2008.
Feldberg was never able to fully separate from the field with McCray and Brian Schweberger pushing him all week, but he said he felt confident and his shots felt good. Especially on the Water Works course, a track he says is one of the best for the age protected divisions as it calls for a variety of shots and accuracy without relying on max distance drive after drive.
It wasn’t until he crested the hill on hole 1 of Water Works during the Final 9 that Feldberg felt the win was in hand, and that the win solidified his standing among his peers.
“Last year people were saying I was washed up,” Feldberg explained. “I had spinal fusion surgery [chuckles]. It felt really good to win.”
In addition to the individual championship, Feldberg also won the 40+ doubles championship with Patrick Brown, as well as the 40+ putting competition, a title he said gave him some momentum.
Feldberg will not be competing in this year’s Pro Worlds, but will be playing again in at the Delaware Disc Golf Challenge, as well as the United States Disc Golf Championship and Hall of Fame Classic. In the meantime, he’ll be criss-crossing the country with the Next Generation Tour and hosting clinics along the way.
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Kim Giannola at 2018 Masters Pro Worlds. Photo: PDGA[/caption]
One of the new professional champions won their title in dramatic fashion over a heavy favorite. Kimberly Giannola has only been playing sanctioned events since 2016 yet took Courtney McCoy to a sudden death playoff after the two player Final 9. McCoy was the highest ranked player in her division by almost 50 points.
It was Giannola though that outlasted McCoy and took Women 40+ on the second sudden death playoff hole. Giannola is now a world champion in both the amateur and professional ranks.
Going into the tournament, it was assumed Masters 50+ would come down to two-time divisional world champion Ron Convers and first-time entrant Patrick Brown. That assumption was correct.
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Patrick Brown rolls away his Pro Masters 50+ Worlds basket trophy. Photo: PDGA[/caption]
Brown took an early lead and went wire-to-wire for his first individual world title. He’d win by 12 strokes over Convers, who subsequently bested third place by seven strokes. Brown was also apart of the winning 40+ doubles team with Feldberg.
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Women Masters 50+ World Champion Tavish Carduff. Photo: PDGA[/caption]
While Tavish Carduff was the runaway winner in Women 50+, the Masters 60+ had another legendary battle go down. It took six sudden death playoff holes for Kenny Lee to defeat Rick Voakes for his first world championship.
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Kenny Lee putts during the 2018 Pro Masters World Championship. Photo: PDGA[/caption]
Jon Graff and Pete May snagged world championships in Masters 70+ and 75+ respectively.
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Jon Graff at the 2018 Pro Masters World Championship. Photo:PDGA[/caption]