Boy, my perception of Catrina Allen’s changed a bunch this season …
Seeing as how she’s not only the third-best FPO disc golfer on the planet, but a legit, two-time World Champion, as well, how much of an overhaul could a person’s perception of her need?
Well, for a good while, here’s where I was at:
- Fun Fact No. 1 – She rocks some sick, half-sleeve ink.
- Fun Fact No. 2 – She used to be married to Paul Ulibarri.
- Fun Fact No. 3 – She played second fiddle to Paige Pierce.
For years, within a deplorably shallow FPO field, the headliner was “Pierce vs. Allen.” Given Paige’s total dominance of the sport, however, whether true or not, it FELT like Catrina was nabbing W’s when 1) Pierce wasn’t there, or 2) she was clearly having an off tournament.
But none of the above really generates much “laughter,” right?
Of course not.
But air-mailing a 15-foot putt for $2,400 on CBS does. And shaky, tap-in putts with a bag on during the 2019 Pro Worlds certainly qualify, as well. These are merely two isolated incidents, though. Take to YouTube, fire off a quick search for “horrible putts disc golf” and you’ll find more than a few high-quality compilations – most of which PROMINENTLY feature Allen.
Like this one …
Her putt takes center stage in eight of 12 “lowlights” over the course of a six-minute video:
I thought Catrina was a headcase.
In 2022, that couldn’t be further from the truth: Cat’s rock-solid.
You’d think taking down Pierce on the final hole of last year’s World Championships would’ve convinced me otherwise. Or perhaps the fact that, to date, she’s finished in the top five in 15 of the 16 events she’s participated in – that includes two clutch Elite Series wins, as well.
But you know what REALLY made the change in my mind?
Yeah, yeah, yeah – she won Idlewild (sorry, LWS) this past weekend. But did you happen to catch what happened on the 7th hole during the first round? It was Cat’s first hole after a rain delay. She came back from the break and immediately took an untimely eight on a par-four …
Two days later, she was heading home with hardware.
She was calm. She was composed. After the dumpster fire of a hole, she steadied herself. Cat can beat ANY FPO player in the world – that’s been the case for most of her career. In 2022, though, she doesn’t have to rush through a putting routine to trick herself into actually believing it …
Therein lies the difference.
Following her tap-in on the 18th green during the final round, speaking with Terry Miller, she referred to herself as a “lioness.” Initially, I thought it was corny. Presently, I still find it corny. But when you’re slinging frisbees the way Cat is right now, call yourself whatever you want …
She’s earned it.
Cut the laugh track – it’s no longer needed.
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Editor’s Suggestions:
- The sudden decline of Paul McBeth’s putt
- The key to playing confident disc golf in the rain
- Your forehand doesn’t have to be perfect to be effective
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