Top Players Lead National Tour Standings After Strong Season Start

Calvin Heimburg's name is at the top of the list for those leading the PDGA National Tour points standings, but he wouldn't have it any other way. The Florida native has made significant improvements to his game and has taken advantage of being on the road full-time this season, allowing him to compete in more events.

Heimburg's strong start to the season began with a win at the Las Vegas Challenge, followed by a fifth-place finish at the Dynamic Discs Glass Blown Open. He then climbed from 10th place to solo fourth at the Santa Cruz Masters Cup, earning him a total of 270.33 points in the NT standings. This achievement has propelled him into the lead in the National Tour points race, just ahead of last year's champion Eagle McMahon.

Despite his impressive performance, Heimburg doesn't feel like he was expecting to be leading the way at this point in the season. "I don't think anyone that's going on tour for the first time thinks they'll be leading a points series," he said in an interview. "It definitely helps that I got the win at Vegas and I've played pretty good at the other two."

Heimburg attributes his strong start to the work he put in during the offseason, rather than simply competing more often. He notes that the constant movement of the tour actually makes it harder for him to fine-tune specific aspects of his game.

Meanwhile, Catrina Allen is dominating the Open Women's field, having won two out of three National Tour events this season. She has taken a nearly 20-point lead in the standings and is looking back at her past seasons for inspiration. In particular, she cites her winning percentage from 2014 and 2016 as evidence that her hard work in the gym is paying off.

Allen's reformed putting style has also contributed to her success this season, with a significant improvement in circle one putting percentage. She credits her confidence in her new approach for giving her an edge on the course.

Off the course, Allen's relationship with fellow touring pro Austin Hannum has added to her balance and support system. "Austin and I just do really well, and his support -- when I do have a bad round, I have someone there who is talking me through it and pushing me to be better," she said.

The PDGA National Tour resumes on June 7 at the Beaver State Fling, where Allen will look to continue her winning streak as defending champion.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/2019-national-tour-mid-season-standings