Top Players Edge Closer to Championship Title
Date Published
As the 2011 PDGA National Tour Elite Series reaches its climax, the competition is intensifying among top performers. With the conclusion of the Brent Hambrick Memorial and the Kansas City Wide Open, participants have the opportunity to shed their worst scores from the five events held so far. This twist has added an extra layer of excitement to the series, according to Marcy Borelli, PDGA Office Manager. "Players now get to drop their lowest point total," she explained, "which means that their next three events can become even more pivotal."
Valarie Jenkins, who has won three consecutive NT events in Texas, Alabama, and Brent Hambrick, took advantage of this rule change. She dropped her tie for fourth at the Kansas City Wide Open, maintaining her position as the top-ranked female player with 395 points – the highest total among both men and women.
Paige Pierce made significant strides in the standings by securing her second NT win at the Kansas City Wide Open, rising to second place with 373 points. Sarah Hokom is just a point behind Pierce with 372 points after her strong performances at Brent Hambrick (second place) and KCWO (third place).
In contrast, Liz Lopez's inability to drop a score from her four-event participation keeps her in fourth place with 365 points, despite her second-place finish at the Kansas City Wide Open.
Meanwhile, in the Men's Professional (MPO) standings, Nikko Locastro capitalized on his performance by dropping his tie for fourth at the Kansas City Wide Open. He remains atop the leaderboard with 381 points.
Dave Felberg moved into second place after a third-place finish at the KCWO, while Nate Doss's win in Kansas City propelled him to third place – just one point behind Feldberg with 356 points. Paul Ulibarri's victory at the Brent Hambrick Memorial allowed him to maintain his fourth position despite a seventh-place finish at the KCWO.
The full standings for the Drive for the Championship are available on the PDGA website (www.pdga.com/national-tour).
The next event in the series will be the Beaver State Fling, taking place from June 24th through June 26th in Estacada, Oregon. The PDGA encourages fans to visit their website (www.PDGA.com) for updates on scores and photos throughout the weekend as players strive for points leading up to the Vibram Open – where they will vie for the coveted title of 2011 PDGA Tour Series Champion.
This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/nt-points