Des Moines Challenge: Gannon Buhr Captures Title On Home Course
Iowa's Pickard Park and the Des Moines Challenge have quickly become a favorite on the Disc Golf Pro Tour, and Team Prodigy also has strong feelings toward the Hawkeye State.
A nearby Urbandale local, Gannon Buhr grew up playing at Pickard Park and knows the course well. He also looked more comfortable with some of the weather elements that came into play over the weekend. After tying for the hot round on Friday with a 1082-rated, 13-under par, Gannon had to wait to separate from the field as Saturday's MPO round was canceled and the event was shortened to two rounds. Winds gusts were up on Sunday and Gannon was one of only five players in the field to record only one hole over par.
A 6-under par final round gave Gannon a three-stroke margin of victory for his second Elite series win of 2023, the third win of the season on the DGPT, and the fourth season win overall.
At the Des Moines Challenge, Gannon led the division in Strokes Gained from Tee to Green, Circle 1 in Regulation, Circle 2 Putting Percentage, and Birdie rate. He was second in Fairway Hits and Parked rate, and top 10 in Circle 2 in Regulation and Scramble rate.
To commemorate the homecoming win at Pickard Park, Gannon’s third DGPT title of the year, you can pick up a limited edition A2 in 750 Color GLOW plastic sporting his new Jolt stamp. Jolt immortalizes the weather-stricken event with thunderbolts surrounding a cunning fox, a nod to the DMC Coyote logo designed by Prodigy teammate Katie Bicigo, and a dual-foil design showing off the split skull separating geometric and organic lines from one another.
Gannon Buhr Disc Golf Collection
Isaac Robinson matched Gannon's 6-under par round on Sunday to move up eight spots on the leaderboard into solo second place at 16-under par for his fourth Elite/Major podium of the season. He finished first in Circle 1X and Circle 2 Putting, and Strokes Gained in C1 and C2. Isaac did not miss inside the circle over 36 holes and added five makes from outside 10 meters.
Completing the Prodigy Podium sweep and making it into a family affair was Ezra Robinson, who finished tied for third place at 15-under par while wearing a matching green Momentum polo as Isaac. It is Ezra's best Elite series finish of his career and he finished top four in four UDisc Live statistical categories.
Kevin Jones shook off a tough opening hole to the final round and moved up four spots on the leaderboard into ninth place. He was second in the division in Fairway Hits and Parked rate.
Top 50 Results
All four FPO players in attendance - Caroline Henderson, Lydia Cochran, Chantel Budinsky, Alyssa Pierson - played together on a card for the third and final round. The FPO division did not cancel its second round.
Lydia's four final round birdies delivered her best Elite event finish of the season at 26th. Chantel was just behind in 27th to also record a season-best result. Alyssa (30th) and Caroline (35th) round out the results.
An ace on the 345-foot hole 7 helped Harper Thompson jump up 20 spots during the final round into a tie for 38th place.
Luke Humphries, Alden Harris, and Matt Hammersten tied for 45th place.
