Local tops MVP Circuit event in Fort Q

The 2016 edition of the MVP Circuit Tournament held at the Fort Qu’Appelle Disc Golf Course Saturday would be a hotly contested affair.

After two rounds of the nine tonal course things were deadlocked at 55s, three under par for 18, with local Jack Talsma and Randy Boehm vying for the title.

Talsma established the course record for nine with a minus-three 26 on the par 29 course.

Rounding out the top card for the afternoon double round was Moosomin’s Chris Istace who shot a morning 60, and defending champion Dan Ashton of Regina with 63.

“It was near ideal conditions, and the competition was very close in the morning,” said Trevor Lyons, Tournament Director with the Parkland Association of Disc Golf, who himself missed the final card throwing 65 in the morning.

In the afternoon the fatigue of throwing 36 on the day, even after players headed up town to find lunch at various establishments, showed for almost everyone.

Only Ashton among the top card quartet bettered his morning total, tossing a 59, for a plus-six 122 total score.

That would pull the defending champ into a tie for third on the day with Istace who carded an afternoon 62 to also finish with 122.

Boehm cooled off in the afternoon throwing a 66 to finish a plus-five 122.

Talsma too cooled a little, throwing a 59 to finish the day minus-two on 36 with a 114 total.

The win gave the local teacher the championship trophy disc, as well as a bag full of MVP discs.

Talsma and Boehm, if they are PADG members, also earned an invitation to the ‘Champions Championship’ tournament to be held in October in Yorkton. The event will see the top two finishers from each PADG recognized event invited to what is planned as a 27- basket event.

“This is one of the reasons to belong to the PADG,” said Lyons, who explained the organization represents all courses with 125 km’s of Yorkton. Currently there are 19 courses which are now playable, or with installation expected in the coming weeks.

Lyons said numbers for this year’s event were down a little from 2015, but he added the good news was that there were Fort Qu’Appelle players.

“We know it’s a process. Not a lot of people immediately know about our great sport. So the PADG helps communities set up low cost courses, and then the player base builds one-by-one,” he said. “It may sound clichéd, but one person picks up a disc, hits the course, and finds out they like the sport. They tell a friend and a ripple begins.

“Hopefully next year local numbers will be up, and the event will grow.”