Philo Brathwaite Takes Home Gold at Samui Swine Classic
Date Published
The sun-kissed island of Koh Samui in Thailand played host to the prestigious Samui Swine Classic, now in its sixth year. This late winter vacation and early tour season event has become a premier destination for disc golf enthusiasts worldwide. The brainchild of Nigel Mills, a transplanted Californian barbecue maestro and his Thai wife Tiger, this A-tier level tournament offers an unparalleled experience.
With Dynamic Discs and local sponsors on board, generous amateur packages, added cash for pros, and mouth-watering Thai food and drinks available, the Samui Swine Classic is a first-class affair. Nigel's post-event tradition of roasting a whole pig on his massive smoker has become a beloved custom among participants.
Each year, Mills chooses a theme that combines a famous movie with pit BBQ. The 2019 "Hogfather" edition welcomed 70 amateur players and 51 pros from an impressive 20 countries, making it one of the most international celebrations of disc golf outside of the PDGA Majors. Notably, a group of 28 Finnish farang led the pack, while seven eastern Asian countries were represented.
Nigel has continued to enhance the course layout, now featuring an 11-hole track played twice for a 22-hole round each day. The circuit includes five birdie opportunities under 200 feet, five testing par 3s, and the signature 191-meter par 4 (hole 6). Each hole boasts out-of-bounds areas and/or mandatory trees to navigate.
The amateur spotlight shone brightly on Wednesday and Thursday as players vied for glory. British expat Nick Georgiou claimed the Advanced division title by a single throw over Terry "The Disc Golf Guy" Miller and Pejman Norouzi. Fellow Finns Minna Sellman and Ville Kolari topped their respective divisions, while Chuck Czepyha dominated the Amateur Masters 50+ field.
A historic moment was marked when Redha Fahmi Radzuan achieved the first hole-in-one ever thrown by a Malaysian player at a PDGA event with a smooth 43-meter forehand shot.
The professional storylines centered around Philo Brathwaite, who saved his best golf for showdown Sunday. He birdied 10 of 11 holes through a midrange shot and dead-center putts, pulling away from Nikko Locastro and Devan Owens to claim the title. Brathwaite's final round course record earned him a rating of 1063.
Other notable victories came from Swiss Miss Tabea Wallus in the Open Women's division and American retirees Johnny "Rumble" Pecunia and Jerry Stoken, who triumphed in the Masters 40+ and 50+ divisions, respectively.
SmashBoxxTV will soon be posting their video coverage of the Hogfather event, allowing players to relive the action or experience it for themselves in paradise. As many players depart Koh Samui, others are preparing for the next stop on the south-east Asian swing: Dave Lehmann's Hyzenbrownie event.
The organizers and participants alike would like to extend their gratitude to Nigel Mills and his family for hosting this unforgettable celebration of disc golf.
This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/snowbirds-flock-samui-swine-vi-hogfather