Double Champions Crowned in Thrilling PDGA Major

The 2018 PDGA Major has come to an end, marking the crowning of several new Amateur World Doubles Champions. The three-day event, held on four challenging HouckDesign courses in Texas, saw 87 teams of amateurs compete in various doubles formats amidst unpredictable April weather.

Advanced division teammates Alex Ferreira and Luke Humphries, winners of the Texas Amateur Disc Golf Doubles Championship just a month prior, were among those vying for top honors. However, their opening round at Trey-Deuce did not go as planned, with several chain-outs and a three-stroke deficit going into the second round.

Ferreira attributed their initial struggles to "a tough time getting started" and noted that things only seemed to get worse from there. Humphries concurred, adding that it was like "everything was working against us." Fortunately for the pair, they excel under pressure, and their afternoon round on Friday of Alternate Throw at Texas Twist allowed them to move into first place.

The competition remained fierce throughout Saturday's rounds of Best Throw at Selah Ranch Creekside and Selah Ranch Lakeside, with strong efforts from other teams narrowing the gap. However, Ferreira and Humphries managed to hold onto their position as overall leaders by the end of the day.

Sunday's final round saw the Advanced division competitors face off in a 12-hole split format consisting of Worst Throw (1-4), Best Score (5-8), and Best Throw (9-12). Pitted against Trevor Ely and Tom Gilberg, Ferreira and Humphries teed off with a four-stroke lead on the Selah Ranch Lakeside course. As the competition wore down the players in the Worst Throw segment, the pair opened up their lead significantly.

Humphries then sealed the deal himself by carding three consecutive birdies on Lakeside's holes 5-7. "Luke just went on fire," Ferreira noted. "Once that happened, after those three birdies we felt like we had secured something."

Secured indeed – with a double-digit lead and only four holes of Best Throw remaining, they marched their way to victory, finishing eight ahead of the chase card's Ultra-Stars.

The rest of the divisions also saw closely contested battles. In the Amateur Masters 40+ division, Adam Bailey and Mark Berry edged out Robert Hammond and Russel Shoffner by three strokes after a nail-biting Final 9. Jack Tabor and Kevin Curran of the Amateur Masters 50+ pulled off a stunning comeback victory to win their fourth Amateur World Doubles Championship title.

Bart Taylor and Fred Needham took home the win in the Amateur Masters 60+ division, while the Intermediate division saw Mando Commandos come from behind to take the top spot. Ethan Aleman and Justin Pena's Final 9 score of 34 secured their victory over B² by just one stroke.

Congratulations are extended to all the PDGA Amateur World Doubles Champions, with thanks to HouckDesign, Innova Champion Discs, Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, and the staff and volunteers at Selah Ranch and Trey Texas Ranch for organizing a top-notch event. More photos from the competition can be viewed on the Amateur World Doubles Facebook page.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/2018AWD-wrap-up