Simon Lizotte is a different disc golfer in 2022.
And you don’t need to be a hardcore student of the game to see it, either …
He’s winning.
And when he’s not winning, he’s (usually) still playing meaningful rounds of competitive golf. For the Dude Perfect fans who first fell in love with him for his trick-shot videos, it’s refreshing to see him succeeding at the thing he should be known for – making life hard on Paul McBeth.
Yeah, you’ll still occasionally see a “Simon line” or a circus putt, but by and large, those are reserved for his YouTube following. Instead, audiences are treated to layups, turnovers and placement shots off the tee. It’s not quite as flashy, but the “dad-bod” approach works …
It REALLY works.
In May and June of this year, Lizotte took down back-to-back Elite Series events: The OTB Open and Portland Open. Even nuttier, he almost made it three in a row at The Preserve Championship, finishing three strokes back of Bradley Williams in a tie for third place.
Buckle up for this part …
Before ANY of that, his last big-time win was at the 2018 European Disc Golf Championships.
That was over four years ago.
Many disc golf fans have attributed the sudden uptick in success to marriage and the birth of his son, Emmett Peter Lizotte. Back in May, I wrote this article – it reads like an after-school special.
However, as time’s passed, and given his recent, nail-biting takedown of the 2022 Des Moines Challenge, a NEW theory has emerged within the last 24 hours. And wouldn’t you know it, it has absolutely nothing to do with maturing, responsibility or even the people he loves most in life …
It took some clutch moments in the Final Round AND the playoffs for @LizotteDiscGolf to earn the W pic.twitter.com/u1DxWgQUls
— Disc Golf Pro Tour (@DiscGolfProTour) August 22, 2022
Moreover, ANY professional disc golfer can draw inspiration from it:
Disc golf mortality.
Remember: Simon’s experienced this first-hand.
His years-long battle with a shoddy right elbow produced season after season of “meh” Pro Tour performances – and few forehands. The talent was always there, but his body had failed him. Pro disc golf is no different from any other sport: Injuries happen, wear and tear takes its toll …
And Father Time waits for no man.
In exactly one week, Lizotte will celebrate his 30th birthday. Given the relative newness of disc golf, it’s strange to think about, but McBeth won’t ALWAYS be on lead- or chase-card coverage. There’s a pack of plastic-slinging wunderkinds lying in wait to take its place atop the sport …
Just ask Scott Stokely.
Later on, there will be plenty of time for pushing unusable plastic …
The time for winning is now.
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