Dynamic Duo Triumphs: Ferreira and Humphries Win Am Worlds Doubles Title
Date Published
The sun-kissed courses of Texas proved to be no match for the skill and determination of disc golfing duos competing in the 2018 PDGA Am Worlds Doubles. After three days of intense competition, Alex Ferreira and Luke Humphries of the North Dallas Development Program were crowned the new champions in the Advanced division.
The road to victory was far from smooth, however. The pair faced stiff competition from top teams, including Michael Grummert and Michael Robinson (RobiMert) and Trevor Ely and Tom Gilberg (Eagle and the Kiwi). But Ferreira and Humphries' experience and teamwork proved to be the deciding factors.
In an interview after their win, Ferreira reflected on their struggles in the opening round. "That first round was tough," he said. "We had a lot of chain-outs and just couldn't get going." However, the duo quickly adapted and found their rhythm, moving from second place to the top of the leaderboard by the end of Friday's Alternate Throw round.
Saturday brought back-to-back rounds of Best Throw at Selah Ranch Creekside and Selah Ranch Lakeside, with strong winds and gusts making conditions challenging. Despite not shooting hot rounds, Ferreira and Humphries managed to maintain their lead, thanks in part to solid performances from other top teams.
The final round on Sunday was a nail-biter, as the Advanced division champions faced off against each other in the Worst Throw, Best Score, and Best Throw formats. Ferreira and Humphries were paired with Ely and Gilberg for the finals, teeing off with a lead of four on the Selah Ranch Lakeside course.
The turning point came when Humphries carded back-to-back-to-back birdies on Lakeside's holes 5-7. "Luke just went on fire," Ferreira said. With their double-digit lead secure, they marched to victory, finishing eight ahead of the chase card's Ultra-Stars.
Other divisions saw closer battles, with Adam Bailey and Mark Berry (Dos Gringos) edging out Robert Hammond and Russel Shoffner (Shouldalaidup) by three in the Amateur Masters 40+ division. Jack Tabor and Kevin Curran (On Any Sunday) pulled off a stunning comeback to win the Amateur Masters 50+ title, while Bart Taylor and Fred Needham took home the Amateur Masters 60+ victory.
The Intermediate division saw an exciting come-from-behind performance by Ethan Aleman and Justin Pena (Mando Commandos), who overtook Billy Rodgers and Brad Miller (B²) in the Final 9 to secure their championship win.
Congratulations to all of the PDGA Amatuer World Doubles Champions, and thank you to HouckDesign, Innova Champion Discs, Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, and the staff and volunteers at Selah Ranch and Trey Texas Ranch for hosting an unforgettable event.
This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/2018AWD-wrap-up