Article by Gabe from No Chains Needed YouTube channel.
This is what I believes to be the TOP 10 MPO storylines going into the 2023 Season. With the Las Vegas Challenge just around the corner I thought there was no better time to dive into the best storylines this season will have to offer.
Number 10 – Chasing their 1st Elite Events victory
There are a ton of big name players always making their way to the top of the leaderboards who have yet to secure that long awaited Disc Golf Pro Tour Elite event victory.
I’m looking at guys like Matty O, and Joel Freeman who have been top 10 players for quite some time, who have been so close to getting it done. I also look at Chris Clemons, a top 20 player who is due for a big one. There are also some up and comers who are more than capable of taking home a big win.
Number 9 – Brodie Smith on the rise
Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that his rise in the ranks over the last few years hasn’t been impressive. From being a straight up beginner over 3 years ago, to now solidifying himself as a top 30 player in the world has been pretty remarkable. He was able to get a top 3 finish last year at DDO, it would not surprise me if he was able to take down a Silver Event or even an Elite Event this season.
How to watch the 2023 Disc Golf Pro Tour?
To watch live disc golf you will need to subscribe to Disc Golf Network, which is the official Disc Golf Pro Tour live broadcast. Click here to subscribe to Disc Golf Network!
PS! PDGA members can enjoy a 50% discount on the monthly subscription by using their PDGA number to generate a 50% discount code! Click here to learn more about the 50% discount!
Number 8 – The return of Nikko Locastro
After what happened with Locastro at the European Open last year, Nikko was first suspended for 9 months, later it was reduced to 6 months by the Professional Disc Golf Association. He lost his sponsorship with Clash Discs, and now Nikko has signed with Lone Star Discs, and is ready for a comeback. Nikko is a fiery and competitive player, and sometime that can be to his strength, and could also be his downfall.
Do I think what happened at The European Open was blown way out of proportion? … Yeah.
Do I think that his suspension was fair? Also yes.
I think that the time off might have done some good, and maybe he will come back with a fresh perspective, and will be ready to prove a lot of people wrong.
Number 7 – JC, Klein, Hammes and KJUSA
Will the All-Stars of recent years find their way back to the winner circle?
There are a handful of All-Stars from the last few years, who are looking to get back in the conversation of players, who can win on any weekend. I’m looking at players like James Conrad, who hasn’t had a win since … hmmmm … what was that thing he did in 2021?
Kevin Jones, who hasn’t had an elite series win since the Disc Golf Pro Tour Championship in 2020, and players like Kyle Klein and Adam Hammes, who had massive breakout years in 2021, but were unable to get back to the top spot last year.
Number 6 – Heimburg chasing his first Major victory
Calvin is a top 5 player in the world… But that is now starting to get debatable. With Eagle back next year, Simon playing better than he ever has, and with Gannon already winning a Major title of his own, Calvin might fall back in those debates moving forward.
I feel like the question with Calvin is not will he win a Major, but When? Could this be the year he breaks though and gets it done, I guess we will see.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjn-FwcJVL5/?hl=en
Number 5 – The year of the young Prodigy
Speaking of Gannon Buhr… yeah, the kid is an absolute unit of a player. Almost winning his 1st Elite Event on the 1st tour stop last year, to ending the year off with a USDGC title. Hh yeah and he also just graduated high school… Yikes! This dude is going to be scary for a long time.
In addition, Prodigy has a lot of talented players in their Core Team, such as Alden Harris, Isaac Robinson, Ezra Robison, Väinö Mäkelä, Manabu Kayijama, Lykke Lorentzen, Luke Humphries, Kevin Jones and Cale Leiviska.
Number 4 – McBeth chasing Climo
With Paul Mcbeth having 17 Major titles, and the competition getting more competitive by the year, the clock is ticking on him catching Climo’s 18 major titles. I do believe he will before his career is all said and done, but its defiantly something to watch for over the next couple seasons.
Check out the full 2023 DGPT schedule here – https://discgolffanatic.com/how-to-watch-dgpt-2023-disc-golf-pro-tour-schedule/
When will the 2023 Disc Golf Pro Tour start? How to watch DGPT? + DGPT 2023 Schedule!
Number 3 – Eagle McMahon IS BACK?!
With the brutal injury to his shoulder before the 2021 DGPT Championship in which he had to drop out, Eagle has not been the same player. Eagle McMahon used bomb 500+ ft with his forehand throws. And this is Eagle’s sidearm in the beginning of 2023:
A long a lengthy rehab has had him attempt multiple comebacks over the last 2 years, but he has not been able to play more then just a handful of events since the injury. Eagle was somehow able to win his 2nd Major last year at the European Open, in which he took down Paul Mcbeth in one of the most incredible battles I have ever seen. Seriously, if you haven’t seen the coverage go watch it, Eagle and Paul demolished everyone in the field.
Will Eagles Sidearm ever return to where it was pre injury, or will he just prove that he doesn’t even need it, and just lets his world class backhand, and putting get the job done? We’ll see.
Check out the European Open 2022 final round here:
Number 2 – Ricky’s Major title drought
Ricky Wysocki has been an absolute force, and unarguably the 2nd best player of the last decade, but even with all of his Elite Events dominance he has not been able to win a Major since his 2017 World title. Yes, you heard me. Ricky has not won a Major title since 2017.
This drought is starting to be talked about more and more throughout the community, and I’m sure Ricky is feeling the pressure with every Major tournament that passes him up. Will we see him Raptor leg his way to another major title? Time will tell.
Who earned the most prize money in disc golf during the 2022 season?
Money talks. In the 2022 season we saw multiple cash records being broken. For example, Kristin Tattar was the first EVER disc golf player to reach a total of $100,000 in tournament prize money earnings & Ricky Wysocki set a new PDGA record with the most money ever earned in a single season.
Continue reading here – https://discgolffanatic.com/top-10-prize-money-earners-in-disc-golf-in-2022/
Number 1 – Simon Lizotte to MVP!?!
When you think of Discmania, you immediately think of players like Avery Jenkins, and Eagle Mcmahon, but the 1st player that usually pops into everyone’s mind is without a doubt Simon Lizotte. He was with Discmania for 10 years! And now, in the beginning of the 2023 season, he signed with MVP for what just might be the largest contract in disc golf history!
There will definitely be some growing pains with throwing a new bag, but I think with how long Simon has been playing, and the fact that he is a literal god of angle control, I think he will be fine. I know he won 4 Disc Golf Pro Tours last year, but do not be shocked if he doesn’t snag an Elite Events win this year.
Look, I love Simon, he is one of my favorite pros in the game, but there are so many great players on tour right now, and maybe even 30 plus players, who are capable of winning every single week. I would love to see Simon have the success he had last year, but I think even Simon himself would be pumped to snag at least 1 win in 2023.
What MVP discs does Simon Lizotte use? Check out Simon Lizotte’s in the bag here – https://discgolffanatic.com/simon-lizotte-in-the-bag-team-mvp/
Thank you all for reading! If you think I left out any good storylines be sure to leave them in the YouTube video comments for me. I’m super excited for the start of the season, February 23rd, to roll around and kick this season off!
Make sure to follow us on Instagram, like the YouTube video and subscribe if you enjoyed & want to see similar content in the future, and I will see you guys in the next one.