Disc Golf's Big Three Make Waves in Las Vegas with New Sponsorships

The Las Vegas Challenge, the first PDGA Elite Series stop of 2022, kicked off with a bang as three top players made waves by adopting new sponsorships. Catrina Allen, Chris Dickerson, and Ricky Wysocki all switched to different disc manufacturers ahead of the tournament, but it's clear that they've been putting in the work to get familiar with their new gear.

Allen, who is tied for first place after the first round, credits her offseason field work as the key to her success. "I loved learning the new discs and realized that DGA has a lot more molds than I realized 12 years ago," she said. The experience of practicing with her new discs seems to have paid off, as Allen shot an impressive 8-under par opening round.

Meanwhile, Dickerson is thrilled to be competing with his new Discraft bag, which he says wasn't too much on his mind during the first round. "It was more of an excitement thing," he said. The Tennessee native led the tournament by one stroke after a bogey-free 11-under opening round, and it's clear that he's feeling confident about his new gear.

Wysocki, who won two PDGA World Championships with Trilogy plastic, is enjoying the challenge of adapting to his new Dynamic Discs and Trilogy lineup. "There is a little bit of pressure but I'm still the same person – different contract, same person," he said. The added pressure hasn't seemed to affect him too much, as he's currently two strokes back from the lead.

All three players acknowledged that building a new bag and competing with it at the highest level can be a learning curve, but they seem to be adjusting well. Dickerson noted that different styles of play require different discs, and he believes that elite players should be able to take any disc and compete. However, implementing new discs does make a difference, particularly when it comes to adapting to different release angles.

As the tournament continues, fans will be eager to see how these big-name players perform with their new gear. Will it be the archer or the arrow that makes all the difference in the competition? Only time will tell.

The Las Vegas Challenge is set to continue on Friday, with Paige Pierce and Kristin Tattar leading the charge in the FPO field, followed closely by Allen. In the MPO division, Dickerson takes a one-stroke lead over Eagle McMahon and Gannon Buhr. Live coverage of the tournament will be available on the Disc Golf Network.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/new-discs-no-problem-leaders-vegas