Disc Golf Pro Tour Heads to Clearwater, Minnesota for Preserve Championship Showdown

The Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT) has reached its third consecutive weekend of Elite Series events with the 2023 Preserve Championship Powered by Prodigy taking center stage in Clearwater, Minnesota. This highly anticipated tournament marks the fourth year that the Preserve Championship has been an integral part of the DGPT schedule.

Designed by touring professional Cale Leiviska, the Airborn Disc Golf Preserve is widely regarded as the #1 rated course in Minnesota according to UDisc. The Black Bear course, which was specifically designed with professionals in mind, will host the MPO and FPO fields for three rounds. This 9,648-foot par 67 course for women and an 11,041-foot par 67 course for men promises to provide a unique challenge for players.

The Preserve features a mix of long open fairways, tight wooded holes, and plenty of water hazards that will test even the most skilled players. Hole 10, a 1,000-foot par 5 for women and 1,158-foot par 5 for men, demands precision off the tee to navigate the wide-open fairway. The only player to take an eagle on this challenging hole was Calvin Heimburg, who achieved this impressive feat in both round 2 and round 3.

Leiviska's emphasis on preserving the natural surroundings while minimizing environmental impact has resulted in a course that seamlessly blends with its environment. As someone with a background in wildlife preservation, Leiviska aimed to create an experience where nature and disc golf complement each other perfectly.

In past years, Paige Pierce has dominated at the Preserve Championship. She won wire-to-wire in 2022, securing her second title after taking the inaugural tournament in 2020. Even under difficult conditions on the final day, Pierce finished five strokes ahead of Catrina Allen, who charged up the leaderboard with a 6-under final round.

Another standout performance came from Bradley Williams, who shot back-to-back 12-under rounds to establish a three-stroke lead going into the final round in 2022. His impressive play gave him his best finish of the season and marked exactly six years since his last win on tour at the 2016 Vibram Open.

This weekend, fans will be eager to see who emerges victorious as Williams is competing abroad at the PDGA EuroTour – Swedish Open. The Preserve Championship has all the makings of an electrifying competition, with hot weather and partly cloudy skies expected throughout the weekend.

Viewers can tune in live on the Disc Golf Network (DGN) or catch the simulcast on the DGPT YouTube channel for the first round only on Friday. The DGN is a subscription-based streaming platform that offers exclusive content, including post-produced coverage of select disc golf tournaments and feature shows featuring touring pros.

For those interested in watching the action unfold live, here are the tee times and live cards:

Friday's FPO Feature Card:

Paige Pierce

Caroline Henderson

Ella Hansen

Kristin Tattar

Friday's MPO Feature Card:

Ricky Wysocki

Gannon Buhr

Isaac Robinson

Calvin Heimburg

The tournament schedule also includes press conferences, where players will share their thoughts and insights on the upcoming competition.

Don't miss out on the excitement as the top players in disc golf gather at the Preserve Championship. Follow along with recaps of each day's action and engage with the community through social media using the hashtags #DGPT and #PreserveChampionship.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/cleared-takeoff-clearwater