The neon night of “Neon Initiation” at River Bottoms Disc Golf Course arrived shrouded in crisp chills and electric anticipation. Twenty-nine competitors emerged beneath hard neon skies—45°F, wind teasing at 7 mph, clouds drifting indifferently above—ready to claim their place in the City Heat underground. Amid stretches of rough wild grass and punitive OB lines, the battle for respect and reputation was about to begin. 🥏🌌
Division by division, the menu offered pageantry and drama to tempt even the most jaded palate. In MA50, Clinton Atwater (+3) seized the initiative with a hole-1 birdie—a rare amuse-bouche for this layout—and, despite ingredients nearly curdling mid-round, held off John Montague (+20). Montague’s cold streak thawed between holes 9 and 15, but Atwater’s clutch par save on 12 stopped his rival’s rally as decisively as a sous chef snatching salt from a novice’s hand. A one-dish contest, but with enough spice to keep the judges leaning in. 🧂🍃
The MPO division, though, was nothing short of a feast for the senses. Malachi Vazquez (–11) delivered a bogey-free round of such flawless technique it brought to mind a crème brûlée Wagyu Destroyer—rich, rare, and singed just so. He capped the meal with a final-hole birdie, sealing victory as the crowd murmured with the satisfaction of true culinary mastery. Tyler Waldo (–9) served up a late dessert course, devouring six birdies from 13–18, while Houston Finch (–8) tasted fleeting glory by snatching the mid-round lead at hole 8, only to learn that a hasty chef can spoil the broth—ten bogeys undone his ambitions. Add in Jason Rippon’s eagle on 18, a symphony of flavors that briefly electrified the back nine: this card was a true chef’s table for disc golf purists. “Ah, a putt with notes of oak and a crisp plastic finish—magnifique!”🎯🔥
MA1 brought its own blend of tension and redemption. Guy McAtee (–5) staged a dramatic comeback with a three-birdie flourish on holes 15–17—an elegant tasting menu that allowed him to overtake Craig Bennett (–3), who performed brilliantly but let the lead slip on a stray bogey at 16. Early, the spotlight shifted between Fox, Bennett, and Zack White, but it was McAtee’s finishing touch—like a chef returning to the kitchen to perfect the dessert—that settled the podium. 🏆📈
In MA2, Kieran Buhler (–2) rose from a three-way tie at hole 1, progressing smoothly as a soufflé in a master oven while rivals crumbled over-par. Houston Turner (+4) threatened until a late slip on hole 6, but Buhler’s steady hand left no room for upset. Dijon Alston’s abrupt departure on hole 2 was the kitchen hazard that set the tone for Buhler’s solitary march onward. ⚡️🥏
MP40 saw John Ashworth (E) pull away richly after recovering from a salty early bogey—proof that in this kitchen, the chef who keeps his composure wins the apron. Michael Dougherty (+14) rebounded gamely with a birdie on 5 after a double-bogey catastrophe at 4, but slipped at the finish, watching the lead spice escape like steam from an untended pot. The early tie was broken on hole 3, Ashworth maintaining a steady simmer from there. 📊🧰
Some commendations must be made for the solo gladiators: Riley Montague (+21) in MA4, who stumbled through a six-hole cold streak (6–11) but emerged uncontested; and Timothy Scholle (–4) in MA3, steering through a gauntlet of tough holes and notching clutch birdies on 3, 4, 5, 14, and 17—a one-chef show worthy of a starred review. 🥇🌠
Across the night, disc golf’s true artistry shone through. Vazquez’s bogey-free masterpiece capped by a final-hole birdie set the gold standard, joined by personal bests for Waldo (–9) and Finch (–8), cooked to the rare heights of thirty course records. The lone birdies on the course’s legendary hard holes—hole 1 (Atwater), hole 2 (Jamison), holes 3–5, 14, 17 (Scholle)—were the amuse-bouches that delighted the connoisseur’s tongue. Comeback moments for Dougherty (holes 5, 17), Oetker (7), Ashworth (15), and Cordy (15) added zest, though tough rounds for Dougherty (143 points below rating) and Collin Dyer (79-point slip) reminded us that not every night ends with dessert. “That drive was as uninspired as a limp gas station sandwich!”💨🥏
In the afterglow, “Neon Initiation” has done more than crown champions—it has forged new legends. Malachi Vazquez’s flawless run hints at a rising star in the City Heat underground, while early alliances and rivalries smolder beneath neon streetlamps, setting the table for mysteries yet to unravel.
With standings reshuffled and rookies staking bold claims, the City Heat season sizzles to life. Next up: “Street Showdown,” where territory disputes and lurking shadows promise an even spicier round. The night is young, and the kitchen is just heating up. 🚦🔥
Flippy's Hot Take