The final stop on the 2018 Disc Golf Pro Tour took the action to the east coast for the MVP Open at the championship caliber Maple Hill Disc Golf Course in Leicester, Massachusetts.
The MVP Open marked the return of Team Discmania’s Simon Lizotte and Eagle McMahon to DGPT play, but it was Grady Shue with the highest finish for Discmania.
Shue’s fourth place finish not only was one of his best of the season, it also helped secure a bye into the DGPT Semifinals at the upcoming tour championships. In fact, Shue has some company with a number of team members right behind him.
Shue Stays Safe, Finishes Fourth
He isn’t the flashiest disc golfer on the course, but Grady Shue is certainly one of the most consistent. With a number of top 10 finishes to his name on the DGPT this year, Shue, the 2017 PDGA Rookie of the Year, knew another strong finish would not only be rewarded in the tournament payout, but in the overall DGPT standings.
Shue’s MVP Open began on a positive note with a 56 (-3), but was five shots behind the leaders. On a course like Maple Hill, every shot matters and with two rounds remaining, there was plenty of time to shoot up those standings.
As the weekend began, Shue’s second round saw him catch a few more birdies and card a 53 (-6) to jump up a few spots in the standings to 7th.
For the final round, Shue began very hot with five birdies on the front nine. Three more on the back nine saw him jump on the leaderboard one spot at a time. The second consecutive 53 (-6) was better than the score showed after a double bogey on the final hole of the tournament. The two bogey strokes ultimately didn’t change his fourth place finish.
Lizotte, McMahon Return to DGPT Play
After a European tour and a little time off, both Simon Lizotte and Eagle McMahon returned to play on the DGPT at the MVP Open.
The duo both got off to a slow start with Lizotte’s 57 (-2) and McMahon’s 58 (-1) putting them mid pack after the first round.
Lizotte rebounded with a 51 (-8) to leap up the standings before a 55 (-4) in the final round put him in a tie for fifth at the end of the tournament.
McMahon saw improvement in each round starting with a 54 (-5) in Round Two and ending with a 52 (-7) in Round Three. McMahon ended in a tie for eighth, just one shot behind Lizotte.
Team Discmania Results
4. Grady Shue (-15)
T5. Simon Lizotte (-14)
T8. Eagle McMahon (-13)
T26. Nate Perkins (-6)
T43. AJ Carey (E)
T52. Bart Kowalewski (+2)
T67. Colten Montgomery (+6)
DGPT Tour Championship Update
The Disc Golf Pro Tour Championships won’t be held until October, but five members of Team Discmania have earned automatic invites.
While seven of the nine events count in the DGPT standings, Eagle McMahon finished in fifth after only playing in only five tournaments. The fifth place comes with a bye to the Semifinals of the Tour Championship.
Grady Shue will join McMahon in the semifinals after finishing in the eighth and final semifinal spot.
Nate Perkins finished the DGPT in 12th place and a bye into the quarterfinals.
Simon Lizotte only competed in three DGPT events, but found his points total strong enough to finish in a tie for 16th. As of this writing, Lizotte holds the final spot to get into the quarterfinals.
Sixteen other disc golfers have qualified for the Tour Championships with Colten Montgomery being one of those fortunate to make the cut. Montgomery’s 25th place finish secures a spot into the tour’s finale.