Feldberg & Reading Win Players Cup
The 2007 Players Cup may go down in history as one of the most competitive Majors in PDGA history. Going into the third and final round on Sunday morning, there were nine players within a stroke of the lead in the Men’s Open division. Dave Feldberg, Garrett Gurthie and Markus Kallstrom were knotted up at -12, with six others just one stroke off that lead. Billed as the “Elite Eight”, the top two cards teed off under sunny blue skies and it would be anyone’s title for the taking.
World champions, Ken Climo and Nate Doss started out smoking hot from the second card with -5 on the front nine and they looked to be in control early but couldn’t match that pace on the back nine. Dave Feldberg started out steady and then got red hot through the middle of the course with six birdies in a row on holes 8 through 13. A bogey on hole 14 was the only thing that kept him from running away with it, but he maintained his lead with a birdie on one of the last four holes to finish at -8 for the round to claim the title and the $10,000 first place check. One of the stories of the event had to be Garrett “Double G” Gurthie, who had an amazing three days. Garrett, who is still in high school, had the home state Florida crowd cheering him on with every shot. He finished in a 3-way tie for second with Markus Kallstrom and Nate Doss, just a single stroke back of Feldberg.
The Women’s race was not nearly as close as Des Reading went into the final 18 holes nine strokes ahead of second place Valarie Jenkins and eleven strokes ahead of Elaine King. Des easily cruised to the title, maintaining her nine stroke lead and claiming the trophy and the $1,000 winner’s check. Elaine King had the best round of the day with a +3 to tie Valarie Jenkins for second place.
The Red Hawk Disc Golf Course is one of the most beautiful venues in disc golf with beautifully manicured fairways and ample amounts of water and other OB. Red tailed Hawks soar high over your head, while alligators and other fauna bask in the warm Florida sun. The Plantation Inn and Resort in Crystal River should be on every disc golfers list of courses to play. If these are not reasons enough to attend, The 2008 Players Cup will be the final tournament of next year’s National Tour Points Series with the year end awards being distributed at the event.
Tournament Director, Mike Barnett, and the hard working staff and volunteers from the Fabulous Florida Tour are to be commended for creating and hosting a high quality event worthy of its Major status. This is a shining example of what can be accomplished when many disc golf clubs and promoters from a single state join forces to host a top level tournament. Of course, none of this would be possible were it not for the generous support of presenting sponsor, Discraft and the Plantation Inn.