Introducing the PDGA Directors Poll | Professional Disc Golf Association
Date Published
The world of professional disc golf has a new way to gauge the pulse of the sport: the PDGA Directors Poll. Inspired by college football's AP Coaches Poll, our weekly rankings will survey some of the most dedicated tournament directors and state coordinators in the sport to provide a fresh take on who's performing well at any given time.
For our 2018 preseason rankings, we asked 15 top directors to weigh in with their opinions. They started with a list of the top 25 Open players and top 15 Open Women's competitors, using an aggregation of player ratings, world rankings, and 2017 standings on both the National Tour (NT) and Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT) circuits.
The results show that last season's champions are still a force to be reckoned with. Ricky Wysocki took home 80% of the first-place votes in Open, while Paige Pierce dominated the Women's division, garnering nearly 95% of the tally. Other notable players who earned high marks include James Conrad, Melody Waibel, and ageless wonder JohnE McCray.
While some fans may agree with these rankings, others might be surprised by the absence of certain players or the high expectations placed on newcomers like Jeremy Koling and Nikko Locastro. Whatever your opinion, we invite you to join the discussion in our comments section and stay tuned for fresh rankings after each professional event.
For now, here are the top 20 Open players and top 10 Open Women's competitors as ranked by our PDGA Directors Poll:
2018 Preseason Directors Poll: Open
1. Ricky Wysocki
2. Paul McBeth
3. Nate Sexton
4. Simon Lizotte
5. Jeremy Koling
6. Nate Doss
7. James Conrad
8. Paul Ulibarri
9. Philo Brathwaite
10. Chris Dickerson
11. Josh Anthon
12. Eagle McMahon
13. Cale Leiviska
14. Michael Johansen
15. Gregg Barsby
16. Nikko Locastro
17. Austin Turner
18. JohnE McCray
19. Zach Melton
20. Devan Owens
2018 Preseason Directors Poll: Open Women
1. Paige Pierce (14 first-place votes)
2. Catrina Allen
3. Sarah Hokom
4. Valarie Jenkins
5. Jessica Weese
6. Lisa Fajkus
7. Jennifer Allen
8. Melody Waibel
9. Hannah Leatherman
10. Zoe Andyke
This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/introducing-pdga-directors-poll