A Champions Cup Post Not About Caddying Rules
By measure of online engagement, the inaugural PDGA Champions Cup was a huge success. There has been more post-tournament chatter than after any event I can remember in the last ten years. Unfortunately, the two most common topics of discussion are a round shot by the ninth-place finisher, and of course caddying rules, with a heavy emphasis on the latter. As great as Paul McBeth’s 1091 rated final round was, and if you’ve ever stepped foot on WR Jackson, you know it was, and as dramatic and saddening the FPO finish was, I’d like to talk about something entirely different: The MPO winner.
In the offseason, Chris Dickerson signed a four-year contract with Discraft. A few months into that contract, it’s easy to see why the Michigan-based disc giant wanted to sign him. He does everything well. It’s as simple as that. He was no worse than 20th (C2 putting) in any uDisc-tracked statistic. He was 1st in C1 in regulation, C2 in regulation, and birdie rate. He was 10th in strokes gained putting, and 9th gained in C1X. He isn’t the furthest thrower on tour, but he throws far. He isn’t the best putter on tour, (Hello Corey Ellis), but he putts well. He isn’t the most accurate driver on tour, (5th at CC) but he’s pretty damn accurate. If the shot calls for a forehand, he’s got a good one. Roller? Ditto. The robot comparisons may be overdone at this point, but they aren’t inaccurate.
Chris doesn’t seem like the type of guy to get upset that he isn’t being discussed as much as a now 2x major winner should be after a big win, but let’s pretend. As the final 18 holes progressed, Calvin struggled off the tee, Ricky struggled on the green and Chris…well Chris laced fairway after fairway and played bogey free golf. Down the crucial final stretch of 15–18, as his opponents scrambled to keep pace, he put himself in the fairway, in the circle, and in the bucket. For a final nine as exciting as it was, it was very nearly uneventful.
Good shot or bad, Dickerson walked back to his wife, said two or three words, and picked up his bag. The lack of fanfare for his win was foreshadowed on the final hole when it was all locked up. He didn’t ask his opponents to finish up to allow him to be the final tap out as is tradition for the winner. He played the hole just like he did the other 71 holes of the week. After the drama on the same green a few hours earlier, it may have seemed anti-climactic to some, but to the Robot-Chicken appreciators, it was a thing of beauty.
