Texas Twists and Turns: Day One of the PDGA Amateur World Doubles Championships

The first day of the 2018 PDGA Amateur World Doubles Championships was a thrilling ride for competitors at Selah Ranch. Despite initial predictions of thunderstorms, the skies remained clear, allowing players to tackle the Texas Twist course with ease. The Advanced Division saw some exceptional play, particularly from Alex Ferreira and Luke Humphries (North Dallas Development Program), who shot an impressive 4-under par 64 on Friday afternoon to take the lead.

Their closest rivals were Brandon Malecek and Andrew Brown (Ultra-Stars), who began the day in second place after a strong morning round. Although they held onto their position by day's end, their Alternate Throw round of 3-over par 64 left them five strokes behind the leaders. The Alternate Throw format, also known as "Hate Your Partner," is notoriously challenging and requires teams to strategize and work together in order to succeed.

Meanwhile, on the Trey-Deuce course, Albert Bravo and Joe Cotez (West Texas Zombies) of the Advanced division B-Pool took charge with an 8-under par 56 in the morning round. However, they struggled to a 5-over par 73 after lunch, finishing the day in third place alongside Jeff Plaisance and Jacob Horning (Jeff and Jacob). As the afternoon wore on, the Texas wind picked up, making mistakes costly even for the experienced players.

The other divisions also got off to an exciting start. In the 40+ Am Masters, Adam Bailey and Mark Berry (Dos Gringos) took a two-stroke lead after shooting 1-under par during the morning round and following it up with a 4-under par in the afternoon. The Intermediate division saw John Davison & Caleb McKearan (Chain Bombers 2.0) put together solid rounds to end the day at -17, three better than the teams tied for second place.

A lightning delay forced players from the Intermediate, 50+ Am Masters, and 60+ Am Masters divisions to take a brief break midway through their morning round. Despite this interruption, all divisions managed to complete their rounds without further incident. As the competitors head into day two of the championships, they will be facing new challenges on the beautiful Selah Ranch courses.

The top teams in each division will compete on Sunday for the coveted title of PDGA Amateur World Doubles Champion. The championship combines three formats: Best Throw, Best Score, and Worst Throw, ensuring that only the most skilled and strategic players can claim victory. The 2018 PDGA Amateur World Doubles Championships is presented by Innova and HouckDesign and supported by various local organizations.

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This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/alternate-throw-leaves-only-seven-teams-under-par-after-am-world-doubles-opening-day