Raising Funds and Flights: The Return of the BHMO to Westerville

The highly anticipated return of the Brent Hambrick Memorial Open (BHMO) is set to take center stage in Westerville, Ohio, as it makes its way back onto the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) National Tour for another year. The event has a special significance, paying tribute to the memory of Brent Hambrick, one of the most respected tournament directors in the sport's history, who tragically passed away from leukemia in 1997.

The BHMO was founded by Jay Paul and the Columbus Flyers Disc Golf Club as an homage to Brent's contributions to the sport. The event has been a staple on the PDGA National Tour for nearly two decades, earning its reputation as one of the most well-known stops on the circuit. Each year, part of the proceeds from the BHMO go directly towards supporting The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, with an impressive total of over $55,000 donated so far.

The competition will unfold across two unique courses: the 27-hole permanent Brent Hambrick Memorial DGC and the temporary 18-hole Hoover Dam West course. The 27-hole course is set amidst the flat terrain surrounding the reservoir, boasting a diverse selection of open and wooded holes. This year's event sees significant changes to holes 10-13 after an influx of fresh topsoil was brought in for renovation. Jay Paul's experience with the USDGC has likely influenced the design, as many added holes (letters A-I) feature carefully marked out-of-bounds lines.

Meanwhile, the temporary Hoover Dam West course offers a thrilling challenge, playing up and down the dam's steep inclines and incorporating water hazards into play. Some tee pads on this course are strategically located to create obstacles for players seeking to reach the basket. For the safari layout reserved for the finals, competitors will face an innovative hole where they must tee off from within a small building situated on the dam.

The 2023 BHMO marks the second-to-last event on the PDGA National Tour before the Rochester Flying Disc Open in New York. With only their best five points from the first seven NT events counting towards their overall standings, competitors will be pushing themselves to achieve top performances over the weekend. Live scoring, pictures, and videos of both courses can be accessed through PDGALive.com throughout the event.

The tournament commences with a shotgun start on Saturday morning at 9:30 am EDT for professionals and 10:00 am EDT for amateur competitors as part of a concurrent A-tier event. The weekend will culminate in the safari finals, with updates on that schedule to be announced shortly.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/return-brent-hambrick-memorial-open