Originally published at: https://discgolf.ultiworld.com/2018/08/15/highlight-reel-best-ledgestone-insurance-open/
When courses are as demanding as the crop at the Ledgestone Insurance Open, then highlights almost create themselves. Ledgestone strives to be one of the premier events on the tour, and between the high pro payouts and amount of media crews they had in attendance, they are well on the way. This year, SmashboxxTV filming for the Disc Golf Pro Tour, Jomez Productions, and Central Coast Disc Golf have already produced the coverage and highlights below, while more rounds full of highlights are coming down the pipeline from Nyc Productions and Par Save Productions.
We’ll start with some impressive throws off the tee in no particular order:
Sexton may have won in the end and has one of the best roller games around, but Risley really stole the roller show with his skills all weekend. This one from hole 18 in round three was particularly impressive as it helped Risley maintain his lead. Tune in to see it barely miss the low ceiling and zip right on past Sexton’s disc, stay for the slow roll towards the lake and last second checkup, and high-fives for the entire gallery:
AJ Risley Hole 18 roller - Round 3
Matt Dollar is so proficient with his thumbers even when it hits the ground it’s like he has it on a string:
Matt Dollar Hole 3 thumber - Round 1
This was by no means a fluke. Reid Frescura intentionally played the water skip all weekend on hole 17. Even by those standards, his round 3 shot was impressive:
Reid Frescura Hole 17 water skip - Round 3
Reid Frescura Hole 17 water skip - Round 4
Sarah Hokom made a run at Jessica Weese during the final rounds and it’s because she kept sticking shots like these two. A couple inches lower, or higher in the case of the second one, and who knows how the last couple holes shake out:
Sarah Hokom Hole 15 basket hit - Round 4
Sarah Hokom Hole 5 drive off pole - Round 4
Frescura wasn’t just skipping shots off the lake, but the picnic shelters too. Gotta beat the OB anyway you can:
Reid Frescura Hole 2 drive off shelter - Round 3
Ledgestone has plenty of par 4s and 5s that demand accuracy from the fairway as much as the tee. Here’s a few of the best that left pros with short putts, and in the case of one teenager, not needing to putt at all:
Gurthie shows us how to take all the artificial rope OB in the wide-open field out of play, just pinging this one off the pin:
Garrett Gurthie Hole 6 approach - Round 2
Paige Bjerkaas is not fazed by the long approach on the par 5 with a water hazard lurking close to the pin.
Paige Bjerkaas Hole 6 approach - Round 4
Reactions don’t get much more fun than this, Ezra Robinson is pumped about this blind throw-in on hole 12. Saving par has never felt so good:
Ezra Robinson Hole 12 drop zone par save - Round 3
Throw-ins like Ezra Robinson’s above certainly aren’t the norm. Let’s see how the pros handled some pressure on the green and hit some big putts.
She wasn’t actually putting from the drop zone according to UDisc Live, which makes the massive putt that much better. Paige Pierce willed this birdie in from way out, 71 feet to be exact:
Paige Pierce Hole 12 drop zone birdie - Round 2
Risley is a pro at running down long putts and playing to the crowd. That’s some 1100-rated fun right there:
AJ Risley Hole 3 putt - Round 2
It really doesn’t get any cooler than this. Sure, Frescura nailed this one, but so did Jomez:
Reid Frescura Hole 5 CSI Miami putt - Round 3
Circle 2 putts are a Pierce specialty:
Paige Pierce Hole 18 putt - Round 1
Matty-O is always looking good with his houndstooth hat and shades hitting jumpers from just outside the circle:
Matt Orum Hole 8 putt - Round 2
Chris Dickerson was on fire from Circle 2 all weekend in Illinois with his efficient and accurate step putt. Here he is hitting chains on one of his 13(!) of 26 total bids from Circle 2. 50-percent from Circle 2 means he ranked second, in a tie, in putting from that distance – both the player he was tied with and the one ahead of him did not attempt or make nearly as many putts from that distance:
Chris Dickerson Hole 10 step putt - Round 3
Here it is. The best and most sought-after putt every player is chasing every tournament: the lay-up under the basket to win it. Nothing tops off a weekend of strong golf better – it’s what everyone’s after; when you can count your win even before the final putt, and relish a job well done:
Nate Sexton Hole 18 lay-up putt - Round 4 (the best kind of putt)
That’s what we’ve got for now, but was there an impressive shot you saw that we missed? Let us know about it!