The 2023 Elite Series debuts in Las Vegas

February 23, 2023 by Justin Westfall in Preview with comments

The 2023 Disc Golf Pro Tour season is finally upon us as the Elite Series kicks off this Thursday in Las Vegas, Nevada for the third consecutive year. After yet another offseason of big sponsorship changes, plenty of old faces like Simon Lizotte and Paige Shue will be throwing new plastic competitively for the first time. Notably absent this week are the 2022 Players of the Year as Ricky Wysocki rehabs a wrist injury and Kristin Tattar will wait for the Texas swing to make her season debut.

In the past, players have taken issue with having to practice three separate courses for this event. While all three courses will be featured this weekend, each division will only need to practice and play two of them this time around. Any players who were hoping to escape winter weather for sunny Las Vegas however will be disappointed to see rain, heavy winds and near freezing temperatures in the forecast.

Past Winners

• 2022 DGPT Drew Gibson, Catrina Allen
• 2021 DGPT Eagle McMahon, Paige Pierce
• 2020 A-Tier Nate Sexton, Catrina Allen
• 2019 NT Calvin Heimburg, Paige Bjerkaas (Shue)
• 2018 NT Eagle McMahon, Paige Pierce
• 2017 NT Ricky Wysocki, Paige Pierce
• 2016 A-Tier Philo Brathwaite, Jessica Weese
• 2015 A-Tier Paul McBeth, Paige Pierce
• 2014 A-Tier Nikko Locastro, Catrina Allen
• 2013 A-Tier Dave Feldberg, Catrina Allen
• 2012 A-Tier Nikko Locastro, Valarie Jenkins

Five Things We’ll Be Watching

1. After taking most of the 2022 season off to rehab his throwing shoulder, Eagle McMahon is finally back on tour. Aside from his long-term health, the question on everyone’s mind is will he return to the power sidearm, or continue throwing only backhand shots. In his first four career starts at the Las Vegas Challenge, McMahon never finished worse than 3rd and earned two dominant wins. His hyzer sidearm played a major role in those wins, and it would certainly benefit Eagle to have it available to him this weekend. It’s worth noting that McMahon won the Challenge at Goat Hill earlier this month without throwing a single sidearm. Even if the forehand is in play, he’s certainly taking load management into consideration. Of course Eagle won the 2022 European Open and averaged the highest event rating in PDGA major history while only throwing backhands. Regardless of whether he…