-
Discover new ways to elevate your game with the updated DGCourseReview app!
It's entirely free and enhanced with features shaped by user feedback to ensure your best experience on the course. (App Store or Google Play)
Am world BAGGERS
- Thread starter MrRaider
- Start date
Just out of curiosity, what would be the line you would draw? Is there a rating above which you would force players into pro, even though no other sport forces amateurs into being professionals? I thought am worlds was supposed to be the pinnacle of amateur competition, I would be pretty disappointed to see 950 rounds winning worlds.
18Down
Par Member
970 is just a "guidline" not a requirement to be pro. PDGA doesn't force you into pro.
I think you misunderstand that 970 criterion. That's the level where a pro player is allowed to play amateur, not the level where amateurs are pushed into pro. No amateurs are ever forced into pro regardless or tournament history or rating. Advanced is basically an open amateur division, as long as you're an am or a pro with a rating <970 you're allowed to play advanced.
Also, sandbagging is intentionally holding down your rating to play in a lower division than you'd be otherwise eligible for. What you're talking about is just being better than most of the people in that division combined with having a good tournament. Again, I would rather see 1000 rated golf required to win such a major title than watering it down by forcing out the best ams and seeing 950 players like me winning.
DiscinFiend
* Ace Member *
In threads like this, I always like to point out that Tiger Woods won THREE US Amateur Championships (after winning three US Junior Championships) before he turned pro. He probably wouldn't have gotten to two Junior Championships if you translated his career to disc golf. He'd have been brow-beaten into playing Open at age 13.
Where do you draw the line? Kick him out, and there will be a new top player. You can keep doing that until you're only left with the intermediate guys playing up, or you can just understand that advanced means you have to shoot high level advanced rounds to compete in the biggest events.
discgolf4lif3
Birdie Member
if your good enuff to win the next division up why the hell would you not just move up?
throwfromthewoods
Double Eagle Member
He likes being the big fish in the small pond.
Have you looked at the scores that at Pro Worlds? 1000 rated golf might cash, it would come nowhere near winning.
i completely agree nobody should be forced to move up.
i also agree if you're a 1000 rated player and playing Adv you've earned every drop of ridicule that comes your way. ridicule is just the American way to say "Hey, you've succeeded! Now do something better"
i also agree if you're a 1000 rated player and playing Adv you've earned every drop of ridicule that comes your way. ridicule is just the American way to say "Hey, you've succeeded! Now do something better"
What's worse is the guy who plays Am-3 to win plastic when he's been playing for years and probably should be in Am-1 or Am-2.
throwfromthewoods
Double Eagle Member
And that's the big problem with disc golf. Ams hang back because there's no incentive to seriously turn pro unless you're one of the top 20 touring names. Unlike other individual sports like tennis or golf, where "journeyman" pros are respected. Middle of the pack pros pay higher entry fees than ams with little chance at making it worth it. At least a 1000 rated Am probably pulls in so much swag he sells it for more money than he could hope to cash at a serious pro event.
You're still ignoring the point I made twice before that. No sport forces players to leave the amateur side and go pro. Do you think disc golf should? Advanced is not a ratings protected division, you have to beat the best amateurs to win.
If a college track star runs world-class times, do they kick him out of college?
How bout a high school kid with a 96 MPH fastball?
How bout a high school kid with a 96 MPH fastball?
gdub58
Birdie Member
Exactly - the current system does not provide much incentive for people like this to turn pro. If Am events were trophy only, would this guy stay an amateur for all these years? If so, I think the opinion expressed by the OP would be harder to defend.
