With the final events of 2023 fast approaching, Eagle McMahon’s season has turned into a near storybook plotline. We took the opportunity to catch up with Eagle to hear it all from his perspective.
Thanks to Eagle for sitting with us, make sure you check out his Signature Collection to support his tour!
Early Season 2023
During a limited season in 2022, including a two month period nursing an injured shoulder, Eagle still managed to secure himself a European Open Championship title. With this amazing achievement, disc golf fans around the world awaited the return of a healthy Eagle McMahon in 2023.
Starting off the year, things were a little uncertain coming off a weird 2022 season. There was a huge highlight, winning European Open, but everything else was a year off compared to past seasons.
Coming back in 2023, I was mainly focused on getting through rounds. I put in a lot of work at the gym to make sure I was durable enough to play and it took a while to find a groove. Going into a round I still didn’t know what to expect. I was trying to keep the body together and feel confident I could finish a strong round.Gaining trust that his body could perform to his expectations led to top finishes early in the season. He grabbed himself back to back 2nd place finishes at Champions Cup and Jonesboro Open.
The turning point to getting my confidence back on the course was at Champions Cup. Once I started gaining momentum and confidence, I realized what I needed to do. I knew my limitations and had better strategies to overcome them.
With this momentum, Eagle became 2023 Beaver State Fling Champion - even following that up with a top 5 finish at the following event, Cascade Challenge.
Portland Brings a New Challenge
Almost any disc golfer can tell you that the physical mechanics of the sport are just a piece of having a great round. Even the greatest athletes in the world need an effective mental approach, including Eagle McMahon.
Portland Open - the mental side was the challenge. Reinjuring my shoulder was a pivotal moment because I knew my mental game had to change to propel forward. Mental health is so important. So, I got some help with the mental side. Ever since then I’ve gained confidence in the gym and on the course. I’m living with intention, and it’s been showing in my play.
Reinvigorated by new mental strategies and a game plan to recover his shoulder, Eagle returned to competition looking dominant as ever.
Mastering the Mental Game
Eagle was kind enough to give us a glimpse behind the scenes, and into his specific mental strategies.There are mantras I call back to. ‘Never give up’ is cliché, but it’s true. Not many people can say they never gave up, and I've been tested on that. A round is never over and you never know when it might change for you. That showed at Worlds - starting slow round 1, then shooting a course record, and tying for the hot final round.
The momentum has built where I can see these triumphs and have them be a compounding factor in my game.
And compound they have.
Top 5 finishes at; The Preserve, PCS Open, and European Open. Third place at World Championships. Second place at; Aland Open, DGLO, and MVP Open. Discmania Open Champion, and Putting World Champion.
Eagle has finished within the top 5 in all his solo play events since Portland Open.
Flush it, next decision. Let it go and focus on the next decision. That’s been a big thing I go back to.
Finishing Strong
Being held as the current best disc golfer in the world by multiple media sources, all eyes seem to be on Eagle for the last two big events of the season; USDGC and DGPT Championship. Eagle remains focused on his own play, and his expectations lay in the process - not the results.Everything revolves around this - I want to feel good and I want to be confident. Going into USDGC I'm checking boxes that get me to a confident state. Once I get there, anything is possible.Eagle even had words of wisdom he wanted to share with us all, in light of his journey this year.
Trust your heart of hearts in anything you do. If you want success, trust your gut and don't be afraid to do the right thing. Put in the work, stick to a process, and it will pay dividends in the future.
We want to thank Eagle whole-heartedly for sharing his journey with us, and the world. We wish him luck at USDGC and DGPT Championships!
To support Eagle on tour, check out all the great discs and gear in his Signature Collection. You can also support and watch his journey by following his YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
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