An AF Tournament Profile
Thursday Oct. 5th through
Championship Sunday Oct. 8th
A PDGA Major Event
Tournament Director: Jonathan Poole
Assistant TD: Chad Sullivan
Supporting Club:
Innova Disc Golf
and The US Disc Golf Team
Title Sponsor: Innova Disc Golf
Course in play for 2023
Winthrop University Arena Course
A & B Pin Positions
Course Designers:
Current: Andrew Duvall
Original: Harold Duvall
Course established in 1992
Located in Rock Hill, SC
This is the 25th anniversary of USDGC
72 holes in play
during the 4 day event
Mainly concrete tees, some grass tees, and one wooden dock tee – hole 18
DISCastcher baskets
Winthrop is supposed to be incredibly emotionally engaging.
Course Designer, Andrew Duvall
Winthrop University plays as a par 64 for the MPO’s USDGC. There are 2 layouts that change during the tournament based on pin positions, A & B. The front 9 (4571 feet) plays same pins all 4 rounds. The back 9, plays 100 feet longer for A positions (5241 ft), compared to the B positions (5141 ft). Rounds 1 and 4, play A layout, and Rounds 2 and 3, play the B layout.
Hole Lengths – Includes both layouts
• 9 par 3’s = 249 to 413 feet
• 8 par 4’s = 539 to 901 feet
• 1 par 5 = 1025 feet
Most of the athletes have more than enough ability to score well on every hole. Winthrop does make a simple request: respect on every shot, you can not lose focus even for one throw. That level of emotional and mental pressure sneaks up on you and can wear you down over time. It is a test of mental fortitude as much as physical prowess that only grows stronger with each passing hole. Winthrop does an amazing job turning simple, achievable shots into some of the most exciting, emotional and pressure packed moments in disc golf.
Andrew Duvall
Stay Gold
Withrop is a course that since its inception in the 1990’s, the fairways were designed to be tight. Compact, while making excellent use of space. Course designers Harold and Andrew Duvall, along with TD Jonathan Poole and Dave Dunipace set out to create a course for the future of disc golf. In 1999, USDGC launched at Winthrop, with room for the spectators, as an objective of design. A way to grow the the sport, and immerse fans of the game in a PDGA Major. All relatively new at the time. And all part of a growing tradition.
A championship level disc golf course on a college campus. With enough water and elevation changes to rival top courses on tour. Being a campus ‘rec area,’ the course design makes use of many elements. Which, it pretty much has to with tennis courts, baseball field, and a multipurpose park in the mix. The 2023 layout, like many years before it, makes use of extensive OB, well sprinkled hazard areas, 8 holes with a single mandatory (mando), 1 hole (hole 1) with a double mando, and then 2 more holes with triple mandos.
The focus is always creating the best course for the players. If we felt that the course played better backwards, I don’t think we’d be scared – for a total redesign.
The diabolical Andrew Duvall
Beyond the many holes with mandos, and the extensive OB, and hazards, and tight fairways – 7 holes, of the 18, that for MPO are 640 feet or longer. Including the longest hole, and only par 5, hole 5 at 1025 feet. OB on both sides, with water to the left. The shortest of these long distance holes, is hole 18 at 647 feet, a par 4. A slightly diabolical hole that carries water off the tee, playing to a sloping right to left hill, and of course OB on both sides, into a green that is featured image of this profile, often creating death putt scenarios that can decide the event.
But I say slightly diabolical, since it is the hole before that, which is shortest hole on the course at 249 feet, that is truly diabolical. During 2022 USDGC, there were 8 MPO rounds in the 4 days, that took an 8 on hole 17. And of the top 5 finishers for MPO last year at the Major, only one played all 4 rounds without getting a bogey on hole 17, Gannon Buhr, the 2022 Defending Champ.
No lead has ever been safe until you are past hole 17.
The honorable Andrew Duvall
US DG Team Delivers Good Times
Backed by a major disc sponsor (Innova), set on a bustling college campus, with lots of food and lodging nearby, the Winthrop Arena offers 4 days of elite competition. MPO playing a prestigious Major and FPO playing in a very strong field, while bringing disc golf’s awareness toward ending breast cancer. The Team takes great satisfaction in hosting the elite players during a season ending extravaganza.
Add to the tournament, a nightly jazz, funk and bluegrass music at Championship Village on the same grounds. A place for fans and players to congregate. Where rows of vendors and days of clinics entice the roaming spectators. There’s a traditional, famous skins match, plus in 2023, an additional Legend’s skin’s match with Ken Climo, Nate Sexton, Barry Schultz, and Will Shustrick – all previous winners of USDGC.
Like most events on tour, prepping the course for the big event is half the battle. There’s of course ongoing maintenance, final touches, and tweaking layouts based on slight changes to hole designs. Without a organized effort by a dedicated team and many volunteers, these best of the best events wouldn’t happen. On a course that makes use, of water, grass, wood chips and sand, the upkeep routinely displays an immaculate course. And yet, it’s still a course that is evolving, with challenges that are unique.
Photo credits
All logos and graphics courtesy of US Disc Golf Team Media
All images credited to Chad LeFevre Photography
Hit the Links
- USDGC Tournament webpage
- PDGA Event page
- USDGC 2023 Caddie book
- UDisc Live page
- 2023 Highlight reels
- Round 1 – Back 9 (Jomez Pro)
- Round 2 – Back 9 (Jomez Pro)
- Round 3 – Back 9 (Jomez Pro)
- Final Round – Back 9 (Jomez Pro)
- Best 5 Shots at event (DGPT)
Nearby Attractions
The shortest, most direct version of what to do in the area is perhaps best found on the York County visitor guide webpage.
There are hotels within 5 miles, and camping within 10 miles of Winthrop University. Or just 8 miles away is another course, Camp Canaan, that also has camping.
In terms of good places to eat nearby, here’s a short list offering variety:
- Slow Play Brewing – adult beverages with Cibi Cibi food truck
- official beer sponsor of USDGC
- The Dixie Pig – great BBQ with southern hospitality
- Groucho’s Deli – gourmet subs and sandwiches
How USDGC fits within the 2023 Pro Tour
- 32nd Prominent event of the 2023 season
- 4th PDGA Major event of the season
- 4th and final Major for MPO division
- after Carolina Clash (A Tier)
- before DGPT Championship (Elite finale)
- Sixth of 6 tournaments during the east coast swing at end of the season
- USDGC does not play in standard fantasy leagues
How Many Pros Play
- In 2022, USDGC had 96 pros play
- 90 were 1000+ rated (94%)
- In 2023, USDGC had 109 registered pros
- 100 were rated 1000+ (93%)
- 39 of the 108 are rated 1025+ (36%)
- Tied for 15th largest field of 2023 for MPO out of 34 events tracked
Best Average Finish
in Past 5 Years
| Order | MPO Player | Prev Order | Avg Finish | Times Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ricky Wysocki | 1 | 6.0 | 4 |
| 2 | Niklas Anttila | UR | 4.5 | 2 |
| 3 | Joel Freeman | 6 | 6.8 | 4 |
| 4 | Chris Dickerson | 2 | 8.8 | 5 |
| 5 | Eagle McMahon | 4 | 8.3 | 4 |
| 6 | Isaac Robinson | T12 | 10.6 | 5 |
| 7 | Bradley Williams | 9 | 11.5 | 4 |
| 8 | Kyle Klein | 11 | 13.8 | 5 |
| 9 | Gannon Buhr | 5 | 13.3 | 3 |
| T10 | James Conrad | 7 | 15.6 | 5 |
| T10 | Chris Clemons | T12 | 15.6 | 5 |
| Klein is 2023 Champion. Buhr won in 2022. Paul McBeth won in 2021. Dickerson won in 2020. Conrad won in 2019. | ||||
2023 Results – Top 10 Finishes
| MPO PLAYER | 2023 PLACE |
|---|---|
| Kyle Klein | 1st |
| Bradley Williams | 2nd |
| Isaac Robinson | T-3rd |
| Simon Lizotte | T-3rd |
| Calvin Heimburg | T-5th |
| Joel Freeman | T-5th |
| Niklas Anttila | T-7th |
| Aaron Gossage | T-7th |
| Eagle McMahon | T-9th |
| Chris Clemons | T-9th |