Borelli Blog: Aug 12, 2009

Busy Thursday kicks off the VO

There are plenty of things going on Thursday to satisfy your disc golf cravings. We've got golfers playing for a chance to sneak into the VO, an afternoon of Pro doubles matches, an NT Clinic taught by pros, and multiple chances to rub elbows with your favorite pro golfer. And don't forget the all-important players meeting to end the day.

Five Spots
First off is the Five Spots competition with several golfers vying for the last five spots in the tournament. Tee off is at 10:00 AM. Pre-registration is required.

Practice rounds
The course will be open for practice rounds throughout the day, but please avoid any holes that are being used for the Five Spot or Doubles matches.

Pro Doubles
The rest of the afternoon features three modified doubles skins matches. This is a great time for spectators to get up close to the world's greatest disc golfers. Although they are playing for some serious bucks, the atmosphere is usually more relaxed than what you'll see on Sunday.

Champion's Dubs (1:00 PM):

Kevin McCoy and Geoff Bennett
Cale Leiviska and Peter Wyngaard
Avery Jenkins and Christian Dietrich

Women's Dubs (2:00 PM)

Valerie Jenkins and Courtney Peavy
Des Reading and Liz Lopez
Elaine King and Sarah Stanhope

Ace Dubs (4:00 PM)

Dave Feldberg and Jay Reading
Nikko Locastro and Brad Hammock
Barry Schultz and Luke Butch

NT Clinic and Meet the Champions (6:30 - 8:00 PM)

This is the perfect time to get some advice from the pros! Free and fun for all! The clinic will be followed by a meet and greet with World Champs Avery and Valerie Jenkins and others. Bring a camera and a disc for signatures!

Player check-in (7:00 PM)
Come get your players pack and any questions answered.

Mandatory player's meeting (8:00 PM)

Good morning Leicester!

TD Steve Dodge will be hitting the airwaves tomorrow to promote the Vibram Open. Yep, Steve's going to be on the radio!

He'll chat on air with Peter Blute, host of Wake Up Worcester, on WCRN-AM 830 at around 6:50 AM EST.

Later, Steve will talk with Ray Shackett on his Livin' for the Weekend program some time between noon and 1 PM EST on WCAP-AM 980. (Listen live)

Mandatory player's meeting Thursday 8 PM

Don't forget about the mandatory player's meeting Thursday night at 8 PM.

If you can't make it, email Steve now!

A night at Maple Hill league

I hopped in the truck tonight and headed down for league at Maple Hill figuring that there would be a good turnout. I was right. The usual locals were there -- LaForce, Ala, Whitey, Cuzz -- as well as several out-of-towners getting in a preview round. I recognized a few touring pros like Jay and Des Reading, Nikko Locastro, and others. Definitely a great pre-tournament turnout despite the 85 degrees and humidity.

I got there about 5:00 and there were a few people milling about. Grandma came over with a box of freshly-picked peaches to share and we dug in.

Misty and the girls enjoy some fresh peaches from Grandma

More golfers rolled in off the course. Shawn Mullen looked like he was about to explode. His face was bright red and he was chugging water. "I went through two bottles of water before I even finished the front nine!" he said.

Steve called everybody in, we threw our 8 bucks in the bucket and drew cards to see who our partner would be. I got paired up with Sean from Austin, TX who was going to caddy for his wife during the VO. As we started for hole 16, this guy turns around and says, "You guys going to 16? I'm Barry."

As he was saying this, my brain was firing at record speed trying to figure out why I know this guy. Then it dawns on me. It is two-time world champ Barry Schultz! How cool is that? My first time playing with a big name pro and it's with him. Nice.

Barry's partner was Lindsay from MD. They seemed to know each other and overall we had a pretty fun card.

Sean and I hung with them for a couple of holes, but after a while they started to click and took advantage of some birdies while we didn't. It was fun to watch Barry crush his drive on hole 1. Over the pond, over the trees. The hole is a 760 ft par 4 and a 480 ft drive is required to clear the center of the pond. No problem.

Barry launches one on hole 1

I decided to lay up in front of the pond while Sean went for it. Crap! I went OB by an inch and barely ended up in the water. To make matters worse, I left the disc there after my second shot, which I ended up losing in the grass somewhere in the field. Not a good hole for me!

The highlight of the round for me was on hole 9. The first shot is a blind one up and over a sizeable hill. Barry easily drove up and over and I gave it a successful huck. When we got up to our discs, Lindsay joked, "John totally outdrove you." It was true, I had thrown my disc about 20 ft farther than Barry, but the only difference was that he had used a Roc at 75% while I had thrown an XL driver at 100%. I thought it was funny.

By the time we got to hole 11, major storm clouds had moved in to the North and things got dark. We played 11 and then 12 in near total darkness. Once we got to tee 13 and couldn't see our fingers, we decided to call it quits with four holes to go.

We hurried back to the barn for burgers and hot dogs. Thankfully some kind soul had brought in my OB disc, but it looks like my lost Starfire will spend the night outdoors on hole 1.

Pro Open players Des Reading and Geoff Bennett shot a record 50 to win first place while locals Jerel Davis and Dave Boliver took second with a 51. Nice job NEFA!

Jerel and Dave