Des Moines Challenge 2024 Preview: The Final Stop Before Europe

Could we be seeing a Gannon sweep?

July 3, 2024 by Justin Westfall in preview with comments

With just two weeks to go until the European Open, the final U.S. DGPT event before the Ledgestone Open in August will begin this Friday, July 5. The TruBank Des Moines Challenge, played at Pickard Park in Des Moines, Iowa, has been a staple of the Disc Golf Pro Tour since 2021. Several tour pros have already made the trip overseas and will not be competing this weekend; in fact, there is not a single European player in the MPO or FPO field.

Last year, weather delays in the second round forced the MPO division to shorten its tournament to 36 holes, playing its second and final round on Sunday. The FPO division had to finish its second round on Sunday morning and immediately play a third and final round afterward. Kristin Tattar finished the second round with a three-shot lead over Missy Gannon and was able to gain three more shots in the final round, giving her an easy victory. In the MPO, Gannon Buhr was tied with Gavin Babcock after the first round, and both players had a two-shot lead over Gregg Barsby and Simon Lizotte. Buhr was able to pull away from the rest of the lead card, but Isaac Robinson made a strong push from the third card. Robinson took a triple bogey on the final hole, and Buhr was able to walk away with a three-shot victory.

Past Winners

	PDGA Level	Open	Open to women
2023	DGPT	Gannon Buhr	Kristin Tattar
2022	DGPT	Simon Lizotte	Kristin Tattar
2021	DGPT	Paul McBeth	Missy Gannon

Four things we’ll be watching for

1. Defending champion Gannon Buhr knows Pickard Park very well; he lives just 30 minutes north in Urbandale, Iowa. With a somewhat limited field this week, Buhr is the heavy favorite after a 5th-place finish at the Preserve and back-to-back wins in the previous two events. There will still be some good competition, including the 2022 champion Simon Lizotte and both Isaac And Ezra Robinsonwho finished 2nd and 3rd respectively last year. Another name to watch this weekend is Kyle Kleinwho is coming off a 2nd place finish at the Preserve. Klein finished 61st at last year’s DMC, competing at less than 100% in his first event back from injury. In 2022, however, Klein finished one shot off the podium.

2. About Scoggins, Missy GannonAnd Saint Handley The FPO Division players are not only the top three finishers this weekend, they are also the only players in the field with previous wins this season. Gannon has a chance to win a second straight title after a victory at the Preserve. She is also a former champion of this event, having won the trophy in 2021. For Scoggins, this will be her first time playing in this event. Handley finished 17th last season after a very poor performance in which she struggled with her putts and keeping the disc in bounds. Given these factors, it is hard to bet against Gannon this week, who would become the clear favorite for Player of the Year with her fourth win of the season.

3. Hailey King, Kat MertschAnd Valerie Mandujano are the next three highest-ranked players in the FPO division competing this weekend. While none of them have won yet this season, all three have won at least once in 2023. King has the most career wins of these players and was in a playoff with Missy Gannon at the Dynamic Discs Open earlier this season. However, she has yet to make a strong showing at the DMC, finishing 20th in 2022 and withdrawing from the event last year. Mandujano finished 6th here last year, and her game appears to be returning to form after two consecutive top-10 finishes. Mertsch is perhaps the most intriguing of this group, with three career top-8 finishes at the DMC.

4. The DMC has quickly become known for having one of the largest purses on the circuit for a standard Elite event. After surpassing a $100,000 purse in 2022, the DMC team led by Tournament Director Ty Tannatt was able to surpass $110,000 for last year’s event. Title sponsor TruBank will once again provide additional liquidity to create equal payouts for the FPO and MPO winners. In a year where purses have remained relatively flat, we’ll be curious to see where this year’s total stands.

The lesson

Originally designed by five-time World Champion and Iowa native Juliana Korver, Pickard Park has been in operation since 1999 and hosted the 2004 World Championships. Pickard Park offers a wide variety of open, wooded holes with multiple water features and island greens.

This year, the course has undergone a few changes, starting with the 7th hole. Fans will remember this uphill par 3 with a hexagonal green, with the fairway outside the green considered dangerous territory in the MPO division. This year, the FPO teepad has been moved 100 feet and will now play similar to the MPO, with any shot landing off the green being in dangerous territory. Hole 16 has been removed from the layout and replaced with the previous 17th hole. The new 17th hole is a unique par 4 that requires players to hit a hole out of the woods and then take a second shot 250 feet above the off-the-green territory onto an island green shaped like the state of Iowa. Hole 18 has also been shortened this year and will play as a par 4 rather than a par 5.

2024 MPO: 9,609 feet Par 64

2023 MPO: 9,752 feet Par 64

2024 FPO: 8,132 feet Par 64

2023 FPO: 8,424 feet Par 64

Extended forecast

A bit of everything this weekend with warm temperatures but also stronger winds and a risk of rain in the forecast.

Friday: Mostly sunny with highs near 80. Winds 15 to 25 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny with highs around 80 degrees, isolated showers or thunderstorms possible. Winds 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Showers in the morning then partly cloudy in the afternoon, highs around 80 degrees. Winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

1. Justin Westfall
   

   

   Justin Westfall is an Ultiworld Disc Golf contributor who enjoys living in Southern California where he can play disc golf year-round. Off the course, he works in the film industry and is a proud lifelong Buffalo Bills fan. You can find Justin on Twitter and Instagram @PDGAStats.

TAGGED: Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT), Des Moines Challenge 2024, Des Moines Challenge, Ty Tannatt

PLAYERS: Ezra Robinson, Gannon Buhr, Hailey King, Saint Handley, Isaac Robinson, Kat Mertsch, Kyle Klein, Missy Gannon, About Scoggins, Simon Lizotte, Valerie Mandujano