Catching Up on Three Weeks of Disc Golf

(JOSEPH GARLAND CAPTURED TOP HONORS AT SUNDAY'S SHELBYVILLE SUMMER TIME CLASSIC)

The past three weeks have been very busy in disc golf, including two local players competing at the national level.

Joseph Garland and Mark Jones of Effingham took part in the 2021 US Amateur Disc Golf Championship, a three-day event in Milford, Michigan.

156 players competed at the Advanced Level. While a -14 score won the tournament, only six players finished under par. 

Garland finished in a tie for 111th at +22, while Jones finished 135th at +28. It was a learning experience for both players. Although I'd like to be corrected if I'm wrong, this could be the first two local players to compete in the national tournament.

The week prior, Garland and Jones competed in the Tennessee State Disc Golf Championships in Morristown, Tennesee.

Garland tied for sixth place among 86 players in the Advanced Division, finishing -25 with rounds of 65, 48, and 60. Jones finished 21st at -15 with rounds of 65, 50, and 68. 

In a flex tournament the day before the weekend event, Jones finished 14th at -5, while Garland finished 18th at -3. 

While Garland and Jones were at Nationals last week, other local players took part in the Van Man Discs Southern Illinois Tour #4 in Collinsville.

Bob Feldhake of Dieterich won the Recreational Division at -10 with rounds of 50-50=100. 

Meanwhile, Noah Lohman of Effingham finished second at -6 with rounds of 47-57=104. Ben Feldhake of Effingham finished 16th at +13 with rounds of 61-62=123. 

Marvin Lindsay of Vandalia finished 10th in Novice Division at +21. 

That brings us to this past weekend.

Joseph Garland of Effingham won the Open Division at the Shelbyville Summer Time Classic Sunday at Lake Shelbyville. 

Garland and Adrian Chevalier of Urbana finished tied at -27 at the end of regulation. Garland had rounds of -14 and -13, while Chevalier had rounds of -12 and -15. Garland won the playoff on the fourth hole with a birdie. 

Chevalier had just won the Open Division of the Lines of Paign Tournament in Champaign on Saturday.

Marty Ellison of Olney finished eighth in the Intermediate Division at -9 with rounds of 53-50=103. 

In the Recreational Division, Andrew "Butter" Miller of Effingham finished tied for second at -12 with rounds of 51-49=100.

In the Novice Division, Kyle Miller of Stewardson was the winner at -5 with rounds of 55-52=107. Lindsay finished 11th at +16, and Bradley Livingston of Effingham finished 13th at +20.

Meanwhile in Evansville, Mark Jones competed in a three-day event, the Evansville Open XIV, Friday through Sunday. Jones took fourth place in the Open Division, finishing-18 with rounds of 46, 52, and 53. 

In the aforementioned Lines of Paign event in Champaign Saturday, Cole Mintert of Mattoon finished fourth in the Intermediate Division at +10, with rounds of 60-72=132, while Lindsay finished tied for 10th in the Novice Division, and Livingston finished 12th.