Gurthie Seeks Elusive First PDGA National Tour Win at Santa Cruz Masters Cup
Date Published
Professional disc golfer Garrett Gurthie is one step closer to achieving a long-held goal as he heads into the final round of the Santa Cruz Masters Cup with a two-shot lead. The Florida native has been competing at the top level for 16 seasons, but this weekend marks his first opportunity to secure a coveted PDGA National Tour victory.
Gurthie's impressive resume boasts three top-five finishes on the National Tour circuit, including a second-place finish at the Discraft Great Lakes Open in 2013. His most recent success came in 2018 when he finished third at the Beaver State Fling, following a three-year hiatus from professional competition. Now, Gurthie is eager to break through and claim his first major win.
On Saturday, Gurthie carded a 7-under par 66 at DeLaveaga Disc Golf Course, propelling him into the lead with an 18-under par 128 total through 48 holes. Matt Bell maintained second place at 17-under, while Simon Lizotte and Eagle McMahon are tied for third at 16-under.
The challenging conditions, however, proved to be a different story for some competitors. Rain inundated the Santa Cruz Mountains, causing players to struggle with wet and cold temperatures. German pro Simon Lizotte found himself faltering after a strong start, while defending champion Ricky Wysocki and four-time Masters Cup winner Paul McBeth both struggled in the soggy conditions.
Matt Orum made a significant jump on the leaderboard, moving 14 places with an impressive 8-under par hot round. The Alabama native attributed his success to some extra pants from his Prodigy teammates and a return to his former putting form. "I went back to my old school putt since I haven't used it in like 10 years," Orum explained.
As the players prepare for the final round, Gurthie expressed confidence but acknowledged the pressure of competing on such a historic course. The Santa Cruz Masters Cup has been running for 34 years, and Gurthie recognizes the significance of a win at this event. "This tournament's always got some nerves behind it just because of how big it is and what it means to us to win this tournament," he said.
The final round is set to take place on Sunday, with Gurthie and the rest of the top players teeing off at 2:40 p.m. at DeLaveaga Golf Course.
This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/im-ready-gurthie-aims-first-national-tour-title