Ready for some exciting Silver Series action?
The 2022 Santa Cruz Masters Cup will take place this weekend at the historic DeLaveaga Disc Golf Course in Santa Cruz, Calif. It should be a good time – Chris Dickerson and Calvin Heimburg won’t be there, but most of the other “big-name” disc golfers will be.
Oh! And one more thing …
At this year’s Masters Cup, there will be no “two-meter” rule in effect. If you’re unfamiliar with what the two-meter rule is, courtesy of UDisc, here’s everything you need to know:
“Disc golf’s two-meter rule is an optional regulation that makes it so a player whose disc comes to rest two meters (about six feet, seven inches) or more above the playing surface is penalized one stroke. The player can continue play from directly underneath their disc on the playing surface.”
The rule is “optional” in that tournament directors have the right to determine whether or not it’s in effect. The majority of the tournaments you play in won’t feature this rule. In fact, these days, for some reason, the rule’s almost exclusively used within the state of California …
The rule wasn’t even invented in The Golden State – go figure.
For years, the Masters Cup was one of the biggest disc golf tournaments in the world to feature the rule. Then, every year, without fail, players would take to social media to complain about how unfair the rule is, calling upon the PDGA to take swift action and get rid of it …
That’s super dumb – here’s are four reasons why:
1. Risk vs. reward
I’m not a course designer, but one of my favorite things to see is a hole that tempts players to go for an eagle when a mega-easy birdie is on the table. Play it safe, and the birdie’s yours for the taking. Roll the dice, and your eagle bid could EASILY turn into a crippling par or bogey …
How is that kind of gamble not entertaining?
At DeLaveaga, if Kevin Jones & Co. wants to launch a grenade over the trees for a tap-in birdie, I’m all for it – especially if the two-meter rule is in place to make him think twice about it.
2. Good throws don’t end up in trees
Like ever …
That’s not a thing.
Never should a thrown disc that gets stuck in a tree be considered a good shot.
— Verdarrick (@Verdarrick) May 10, 2022
Yeah, at DeLaveaga, there are a few holes with questionable fairways, but for the most part, it’s easy to tell where the original course designer wants you to throw your disc. And while I don’t know Tom Schot, my guess is that squarely through the center of a tree isn’t one of them.
3. If you’re okay with OB, this won’t rock your world
You hear the occasional gripe about “artificial OB” on disc golf Twitter, but by and large, people get that OB is a thing – and a good thing at that. It protects fans, staff and players on nearby holes. It also forces golfers to throw accurate, intentional shots – there’s strategy involved.
Okay, so if THOSE concepts don’t sound all that outlandish to you, take them and apply them to a new, innovative kind of OB line that’s elevated – two meters off the ground, believe it or not.
No, the two-meter rule doesn’t make for better disc golf, but the idea is FAR from insane.
4. Literally everybody is playing under the same set of rules
If there’s one thing that hardcore gets my undies in a bundle, it’s the idea that ONE person has been severely wronged when the wind picks up at a bad time, a teepad gives way in a clutch moment, a basket spits out a good putt or an awful rollaway happens after a great shot …
Do these things suck beyond belief?
No doubt.
Is it a crime against humanity for which everyone must pay the price?
Not in the slightest.
One of the few courses left on tour that require touch and angles. Most bad rolls happen or shots that are off line not in the fairways.
— Paul McBeth (@Paul_McBeth) May 11, 2022
Two or three rounds at DeLaveaga covers a crap-ton of shots: There are good breaks and bad breaks, but you know what? EVERYBODY is getting ‘em both ways – the math checks out.
Pros, don’t blame it on the two-meter rule: You’re better than that.
5. Every year, the best disc golfers continue to win the Masters Cup
No joke – check this out:
- Paige Pierce or Catrina Allen have won the Masters Cup every year since 2013.
- Paul McBeth has won the Masters Cup five times in his career.
- He’s only finished outside the top two three times.
If the two-meter rule is SO criminal, SO vicious and SO unfair, year after year, how is it that some of the best players in MPO and FPO history continue to “miraculously” perform well?
Regression to the mean, friends – the “gimmicky” two-meter rule has nothing on it.
Let me make one thing abundantly clear …
I couldn’t care less if the two-meter rule is a thing or not – really.
Keep it. Get rid of it. Strap it to a rocket and send it to space …
I don’t give a rat’s rectum.
What I DO care about, however, is uniformity within the rules that govern competitive disc golf. If the PDGA feels it’s in the sport’s best interest to kick the two-meter rule to the curb, awesome. If they think it’s necessary for fair competition, great – keep the rules the same everywhere.
Enjoy Santa Cruz.
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