PDGA Power Rankings
DISClaimer: This only accounts for this year’s statistics and performances, your reminiscence has no value here.
Quite clearly, ratings don’t matter. Do you know what the MVP Open, WACO, PDGA Championships, Memorial Championship, and DGPT Championships have in common? The highest rated player at the tournament did not win. There are many crucial factors that are omitted from a proper rating algorithm but, nevertheless, that article is for another day. Let’s jump into the top 10 professional disc golfers in 2018:
10: Cale Leiviska tore up local tournaments in 2018, netting himself 11 victories, 2 of which being A Tier events: The Minnesota State Championships and the Cedar Creek Open. During DGPT events, Cale performed exceptionally well off of the tee, hitting 73% of fairways and 43% of greens in regulation. Professional disc golfers have recognized Cale’s uncanny ability to make circle putts for years now and that is reinforced by his 93% success rate from inside circle one and 24% from circle two. However, Cale has the same rating at the end of this tour year as he did at the end of last year’s, effectively making him the most consistent disc golfer of 2018.
9: Gregg Barsby had the most important year of his career, winning the 2018 PDGA World Championships. Being one of the most experienced disc golfers on tour today, the community couldn’t help but feel like this was a long time coming. Outside of his victory in Vermont, Barsby won 3 events, 2 of which being A Tiers: The CCR Open and the Sula Open. At DGPT events, Barsby hit 72% of fairways and 43% of greens in regulation while putting 92% inside circle one and 30% inside circle two. After a brief stint in the 1010’s, Barsby climbed up to a 1028 rating to end the 2018 season.
8: Calvin Heimburg is without a doubt the most improved professional disc golfer of 2018, jumping 17 rating points over only 7 months (1015–1032). While Heimburg only had 1 A Tier victory (The Sizzler), he won 3 B Tiers handily, and placed top 20 at all events besides the Hall of Fame Classic and USDGC. Calvin also notably finished 3rd at the MVP Open. At DGPT events, Heimburg hit 72% of fairways and 39% of greens in regulation. While his GIR may be lacking compared to other competitors, he made up for it by putting 92% inside circle one and 32% inside circle two.
7: Matt Orum has had an outstanding year. Not only has he finished the year with a 1037 rating (started 2018 at 1030) but he has also won 7 tournaments, 3 of which were A Tiers: Kentucky State Championships, Greater Hartford, and The 2018 Open at Tallahassee. He finished in the top 5 at all events except for 4; at 3 of them he placed inside the top 20. Orum hit 74% of fairways and 38% of greens in regulation at DGPT events and putted for 93% inside circle one and 33% inside circle two. Matt Orum showed in 2018 that his disc golf prowess lies in the woods.
6: Simon Lizotte started the year off impressively with a win at the 2018 Memorial Championships; a tournament at which he has grasped defeat from the clutches of victory several times. Simon finished the year with 3 wins, all of which being A Tiers: The Memorial Championship, Battle of Seattle, and European Disc Golf Championships. At DGPT events, Simon seemed to struggle off the tee compared to his peers but thrive inside circle two. Simon hit 68% of fairways and 44% of greens in regulation while carding 92% of his putts inside circle one and 29% of his circle two putts.
5: James Conrad has had a pivotal year for his disc golf career, finishing top 20 at all but 3 of the events he played. Even then his worst finish was only 35th at Masters Cup. Conrad won 3 A Tiers this year: The Open at Flat Creek, Salmon River Disc Golf Tournament, and MVP Open at Maple Hill; all helping his rating jump from 1029 to 1034 over the course of the year. At DGPT events, Conrad hit 71% of fairways and 43% of greens in regulation while putting 91% inside circle one and 31% inside circle two.
4: Chris Dickerson is a name to remember. He does’t tour much on the circuit but he has certainly established himself by winning 26 tournaments, 7 of which were A Tiers: Huk Central, Tennessee State Championships, BHMO, Charlie Vettiner/Wendell Moore Open, The Music City Open, Seth Burton Memorial, and DGPT Tour Championship. Dickerson also finished in the top 20 at every event except GBO where he placed 27th. At DGPT events, Dickerson hit 71% of fairways and 41% of greens in regulation while putting 93% inside circle one and a whopping 36% inside circle two. Chris Dickerson finished the tour season rated 1037, a 5 point jump from his rating, 1032, at the beginning of the year.
3: Ricky Wysocki had a quietly stellar year. He finished every event of the season inside the top 10 with the exception of WACO. That being said, all but six of his finishes are inside the top 10 and only four of those are outside the top 5. Ricky Wysocki won 6 tournaments this year, 5 of which were A Tiers an the other an NT: Jonesboro Open, Utah Open, Latitude 64 Tyyni, Skellefftea Open, The Open, and Masters Cup. At DGPT events, Wysocki hit 70% of fairways and 49% of greens in regulation while making 92% of circle one putts and 37% of circle two putts.
Inarguably, one of the hottest debates in the disc golf community is who the best disc golfer in the world is… Some are Paul McBeth loyalists and other support Eagle or Ricky… And all of them have had incredible seasons. That being said…
2: Paul McBeth won 9 tournaments this year: 2 NT’s, 1 Major, 5 A Tiers, and a B Tier. He took convincing firsts at: The Hall of Fame Classic, Delaware Disc Golf Challenge, USDGC, Idlewild, DGLO, SFO, Nick Hyde, The Jacksonville Open, and Throw Down the Mountain. McBeth only finished outside the top 5 six times and only one of his top 5 finishes was outside the top 3. At DGPT events, Paul McBeth hit 76% of fairways and 50% of greens in regulation while making 93% of putts inside circle one and 29% of putts inside circle two.
1: Eagle McMahon won 6 tournaments this year: 3 NT’s, 1 Major, 1 B Tier, and 1 C Tier. He claimed victory at: The Las Vegas Challenge, GBO, Beaver State Fling, Konopiste Open, St Patty’s Day Meltdown, and GENESIS. He only had five finishes outside the top 5, one of which was outside the top 10. The result of this phenomenal season was a 17 point rating jump from 1031 to 1048, tying him for the highest rating (Paul McBeth) in the PDGA. At DGPT events, Eagle hit 73% of fairways and 47% of greens in regulation while making 93% of circle one putts and 28% of circle two putts. Eagle McMahon finished with the most high tier accolades in 2018 and was narrowly shy of Paul McBeth’s stat line making his season, the best of 2018.