PDGA 2016 WC Tees Off

In Disc Golf, Events, Official Communication, Press Release * Official Communication, Sports by WFDF

[lead]PDGA-WFDF 2016 Team Disc Golf World Championships Tees Off Today[/lead]

The World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) is pleased to announce that the first ever PDGA-WFDF 2016 Team Disc Golf World Championships, presented by DGA, is being held from August 18-21, 2016 in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. Six countries from the Americas, East Asia and Oceania, including Japan, USA, Brasil, Australia, New Zealand, and the hosts, Canada, will be competing for the medals and the honor of being crowned the inaugural Team Disc Golf World Champions. WFDF is co-hosting the event with the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA).

Read the full Press Release as pdf here.

Hosted by BC Disc Sports, this historic event will take place on two courses. The 2,277 m (7,470 ft) layout in downtown’s Queen Elizabeth II Park, which features manicured fairways and mature trees, will be the scene of the Match Play and Doubles competitions. In sharp contrast, the Team Total Score round will be held on the rough, tough ski slopes of the 2,385 m (7,825 ft) Grouse Mountain course, challenging the players with severe elevation changes while wowing them with amazing views of the city and lower mainland below.

“WFDF is really happy to be working with the PDGA to showcase a truly international disc golf event in this unique format for the sport,” stated Robert “Nob” Rauch, WFDF President. “As the second largest disc sport discipline, disc golf is growing rapidly beyond its North American base and we expect that featuring national teams in competition will catalyze even further growth in current countries that have an active community as well as in new countries around the globe.  We thank the local organizing committee led by Dan Laitsch, BC Disc Sports, and the event sponsors for all of their support in making the event successful.”

In this team competition format, each country will field four players in each round, including two men (MPO level), one woman (FPO) and one masters (MPM) competitor. A maximum of 70 Team Points will be available in regulation play, which will be held Thursday through Saturday, as follows:

1.    In 9 hole Round-Robin Match Play, each team will play four matches against their counterparts from the other five countries. A match won is worth 2 points, a draw 1 point apiece, and a loss garners 0 points. A country who wins all 20 of its matches would garner 40 points.
2.    In Total Team Score the country with the lowest cumulative score by its four players will be awarded 15 points, 2nd place will receive 12 points, and so on down to 0 points for 6th place.
3.    In Doubles each country will field an MPO divisional team and an FPO/MPM mixed team. They will do battle in 9 holes of Modified Best Shot and 9 holes of Modified Alternate Shot. Based on score each 1st place team will receive 7.5 points, 2nd place 6 points and so on down to 0 points for last place. A country winning both MPO and Mixed Doubles will earn 15 points.

The four teams gaining the most points in regulation play will face off in 18 holes of Match Play in the Semifinal rounds on Sunday morning, with the winners advancing to the Gold/Silver medal final and the losers teeing off in the Bronze medal match.

The favorites in this championship may well be Team Japan, whose roster includes the event’s highest rated MPO, FPO and MPM throwers in Manabu Kajiyama , Yuki Fukuhara , and wily veteran Kazuo Shirai . However they are likely to be hard pressed by the USA’s Pacific North-West contingent starring 1015-rated Tim Skellenger , and the home course familiar Canadians who include BC’s, Alberta’s and Manitoba’s top disc golfers. Making the long journey from the Southern Hemisphere, the Aussies and Kiwis are also bound to be in the mix, led by Dave Bandy and Simon Feasey respectively, while upstart Brasil will be looking to upset the other more seasoned squads.

Further information about the event can be found here and here.

Team Standings will be posted daily here.