autograph

Just four strokes, or shots, separate the top men and women in the top 10 of their respective classes heading into the final day of the 2021 PDGA Texas State Championships in Tyler.

Matthew Orum of Alabama who has 63 career wins, is tied with Richard Wysocki of South Carolina (who has 115 career wins) at 107.

On the women’s side, Hailey King of Wisconsin is the leader at 124 and Catrina Allen of Minnesota is second at 125

There were 500 players competing in different professional and amateur brackets. Two Rose City Golf Club members won their brackets on Saturday after a three-day tournament that started Thursday. Larry Rosemond of Canton won with a 187 and Jesse Weaver of Tyler won with a 189

As professional players were leaving the course at the 2021 PDGA Texas State Championships in Tyler, many were asked to sign autographs on discs or photos.

Eagle Wynne McMahon was stopped by Jonah Jernigan from Ben Wheeler for an autograph.

McMahon, who has won 46 tournaments and earned $179,000 in his career, was signing for a 13-year-old who wants to be just like him.

And Jernigan, an amateur, is two steps away, competing as well in the three day Professional Disc Golf Association tour event.

Tyler has 10 courses, and three are being used for the state tournament. The main course was the Dogwood Course at Lindsey Park.

Jon Jernigan said he started playing disc golf as a way to lose weight, get exercise and have fun at the Mineola club. Jonah, his son, came along to “simply go get my disc when I started throwing badly” he explained.

“Then he started to decide to throw the discs. And he started to throw them way better than the rest of us!” Jon Jenigan said. “Now, he’s a 920-rated player, which is really high for a 13-year-old. Jonah completed in the Intermediate bracket, which is by ability not age. He is one step below advanced … after advanced is the pros.”

He finished tied for fifth with a 168. The winner Clint Johnson, shot a 164.

The father-son team are also fans and started talking about McMahon again.

“He throws really far and I throw really far. He has the same game as me and he does a lot of creative shots other people won’t do. He will go over trees,” Johan Jernigan said of his disc idol.

Jon Jernigan added of McMahon, “Most guys will go to the right. He has the strength and ability to go way up over and come down. He’s probably the furthest thrower or second in the world and can throw 800 feet.”

Steven Sizemore helps run the Rose City Disc Club in Tyler. He praised the workers, volunteers, the association and the national media who helped with the tournament.

Here are the leaders heading into the final day:

1 Matthew Orum 107

1 Richard Wysocki 107

3 Chris Dickerson 108

3 Casey White 108

5 Kevin Jones 109

6 Paul McBeth 110

6 Emerson Keith 110

6 Calvin Heimburg 110

6 Joel Freeman110

10 Nikko Locastro 111

10 Matt Bell 111

12 Brian Earhart 113

12 Chris Clemons 113

12 Eagle Wynne McMahon 113

12 Garrett Gurthie 113

12 Jeremy Koling 113

17 Terry Rothlisberger 114

17 Alden Harris 114

17 James Conrad 114

20 Adam Hammes 115

20 Alex Russell 115

20 Gregg Barsby 115

20 Austin Hoop 115

20 Thomas Gilbert 115

WOMEN

1 Hailey King 124

2 Catrina Allen 125

3 Valerie Mandujano 126

3 Missy Gannon 126

3 Holly Finley 126

3 Rebecca Cox 126

7 Sarah Hokom 127

7 Ohn Scoggins 127

7 Jessica Weese 127

10 Alexis Mandujano 128

10 Stephanie Vincent 128

12 Lisa Fajkus129

13 Erika Stinchcomb 131

14 Paige Pierce 133

14 Sara Sinclair 133

16 Heather Young 134

16 Kat Mertsch 134

16 Kona Star Panis 134

19 Deann Carey 135

19 Krissie Fountain 135

19 Casey Pennington 135

19 Sami Keddington 135