Philo Brathwaite Crowned Champion at Disc Golf’s High Plains Challenge X in Colorado

This weekend in northeast Colorado, over June 9-10, 2012, several World Champions and some of the best touring professionals across the planet came out to compete in Fort Morgan at the High Plains Challenge X Disc Golf Tournament. This PDGA A-tier and CDSA Thin Air Tour event, had the biggest and most competitive field in Colorado disc history.

With 150 disc golfers in the competition, it was three-time SoCal Series Champion Philo Brathwaite of Tujunga, California  who emerged the winner in the men’s open division with a final score of 22-under par. Brathwaite is also the founder and director of Team Philo, which was “created to bring awareness, enthusiasm and Disc Golf Clinics to new communities around the world.”

Devan Owens of Owasso, Oklahoma followed Brathwaite at second place scoring 20-under par. Owens was the winner of the recent National Players Challenge Championship and also had a recent victory at the Tye F Cunningham Memorial Disc Golf Tournament.

Tyler Liebman of Fort Collins, Colorado captured third place with a final score of 18-under par while 2008 World Champion Dave Feldberg of Portland, Oregon took fourth place scoring 16-under par. Jared Roan of Greenwood Village, Colorado and Cale Leiviska of Saint Paul, Minnesota came in at a tie for fifth place at just a stroke behind, both scoring 15-under par.

Paige Bjerkaas of Denver, Colorado was crowned champion in the women’s open division scoring 27-over par. She had a recent victory at the Spring Fling and won a number of events in 2011, including the Colorado Open and the Mile High Classic.

Tony Shirley of Arlington, Texas took the win in the masters division in overtime, after finishing in a tie with Tom Carillo of Tabernash, Colorado, while Peggy Berry of Laporte, Colorado won the division for the women.

The grandmasters division victory went to Geoff Hungerford of Louisville, Colorado and Gary Barron of Austin, Texas was the winner of the legends division.

Jonathan Kamm of Denver, Colorado won the tight race in the advanced division with a final score of 7-over par, just a stroke ahead of second place finisher, Michael Newman of Arvada, Colorado who scored 8-over par. Susan Lande of Laporte, Colorado won the women’s advanced division.

The advanced masters division victory went to Danny Austin of Thornton, Colorado while Dave Schierling of Fort Collins, Colorado won the advanced grandmasters division and Jerry Smith of Grand Junction, Colorado captured the victory in the advanced senior grandmasters division.

The intermediate division wins went to Ben Ray of Lakewood, Colorado and Michelle Burghardt of Littleton, Colorado while Zane Littlefield of Thornton, Colorado and Kathy Brasby of Fort Morgan, Colorado were the winners in the recreational division.

Congratulations to all the winners and competitors on a great weekend of disc golf!