USADGC Kicks Off with Registration, Doubles, and Lizard Games

The sun shone brightly at the Toboggan course near Ann Arbor, Michigan, as players gathered for the 2010 U.S. Amateur Disc Golf Championships. The event got underway with registration check-in, followed by a day of doubles matches on the challenging course.

As part of the check-in process, each player had their picture taken by Discraft Marketing Director Brian Sullivan, which will be featured on a custom Super Color Buzz disc as a keepsake from the tournament. Below is Steve Slater, a player from Joliet, Illinois, intently studying his shot from the tight gap off the tee box on hole #7.

The doubles matches were overseen by Mark Ellis, known for his expertise in organizing random pairings through the Lizard games system. This unique format allows players and marshals to familiarize themselves with the course before singles action begins. In one such pairing, Ellis teamed up with local player Ken Parks, who went on to win a spot among the top 18 teams.

Parks and his partner took first place, earning a respectable score of 53 on the demanding course. Local players Mike Raley and Garin Wootten finished second, just one stroke behind the leaders. The Player Meeting was also held during the day, which drew a large turnout due to the promise of free dinner, valuable disc giveaways from Lizard Games, and the opportunity for players to learn their tee times.

The player field showed great enthusiasm as they participated in the Lizard games, which involved various CTPs (closest-to-pin) using mini discs. The shot below illustrates Ellis directing players to shoot their minis over a volleyball net towards a target mini buried in the sand.

As the tournament progresses, players will have different tee times depending on their rating and position in the standings. The lower-rated early risers may be heading to bed earlier, while higher-rated players might be enjoying more relaxed schedules with late morning and afternoon tee times on Friday. On Saturday, the groups remain unchanged, but with a reversed order of play for the top-rated players.

There is also a possibility that live scoring will be introduced on Saturday, depending on how well the top-ranked teams perform on Friday. Live scoring is planned for Sunday's final round once the standings have been adjusted based on player scores.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/usadgc-check-in-day