1000 Rated Disc Golf Players, News, scores, and more

1000 RATED: Val, Congratulations on your recent win at the 2008 PDGA Disc Golf World Championships. How does it feel to join Marie Jackson, Vanessa Chambers, Chris O’Cleary, Elaine King, Juliana Korver, and Des Reading as a two time World Champion? Did you often look up to any of these women while you were honing your skills?

VAL: It’s truly an honor. My mom and Elaine have been playing together since I was very young, so we always joke around that Elaine is my Canadian aunt. I definitely looked up to her, and all the ladies golfers that have come before me. Its obvious how little the women’s field is now, but its actually increased since the years before us. They are the women that started the women disc golf revolution. So yes, I definitely look up to them, and hope to keep the disc golf women’s torch blazing.

1000 RATED: You were in the lead after each round this year at the Worlds, often by a hefty margin. During one stretch Liz Carr seemed like she was closing in, only to fall back and out of contention. What was the competition like during these rounds and what types of close relationships do you have with some of these fellow women you compete with frequently?

VAL: Even though I was gaining the lead round by round, I knew I couldn’t relax or let up because the competition is always on your tail. Worlds is an intense week of playing and you never know when you’re going to have an “off” day, so you have to do the best as long as you can. Anything can happen in a round, and I know from experience that you can gain strokes as easily as you can lose them. Even though the competition is always there, we keep it as easy going as possibly. I played with Liz every round and had a blast playing with her. She’s such a strong player and it was great to see her have amazing rounds one after another. She’s such a natural!

1000 RATED: This year has been pretty impressive for you. With 11 first place finishes so far, including The Bowling Green Open, The Minnesota Majestic, The Japan Open, The Vibram Open, and now The Worlds, are you fairly happy with what you’ve accomplished so far in 2008? Did you have any goals at the beginning of the year that you’ve surpassed at this point?

VAL: Yeah, I’m extremely happy about how my year has gone. My one major goal was to win Worlds again, but besides that I didn’t expect to win all the rest. My game has really come together the most this year, and it’s really paying off.

1000 RATED: The Japan Open must have been a very humbling and exciting win for you. Can you talk a little about this experience and how you were treated in Japan by the players and fans?

VAL: Japan is BY FAR the best tournament I have every gone to. Every year it just keeps getting better. The moment you step off the plane you are greeted with the smiling faces of the staff, and are completely taken care of for the entire week. The players meetings, the dinners, and the players parties are the most eleborate gatherings that I have ever attended. Getting to know the Japanese culture is a life changing experience that leaves you with a new way of thinking and being. If you get the chance to attend the 2010 Japan Open, I HIGHLY recommend it.

1000 RATED: At The Recent Kingston Open in Norwalk, OH you cashed in 6th place in the Open Men’s division just 2 strokes behind recent US Am Nationals Champion Daemon Stahlin. Has your relationship with your brother Avery given you a competitive edge to compete with the men in this respect? Were you two often competitive as kids?

VAL: Avery’s way more competitive than I am. I try my best, and if I don’t win then I don’t win. Avery feels that he should win everything, no excuses. That’s where our competitive natures clash, but at the same time it puts a little edge on my game listening to how intense he is about his own game. We are 8 years apart, so he always towered over me as a kid and usually won any game we played together. In school, we each grew up playing in a handful of sports which always kept us competitive.

1000 RATED: What kind of advice can you give to the women of the sport who are trying to raise their rating and play more consistently? Is there something specific you do to prepare yourself before each shot, or do you just feel more confident in your ability to get things done at this point?

VAL: Don’t give up! A lot of the time I encounter women that don’t play because they “can’t throw as far as the guys,” so they don’t even try. The guys they’re playing with didn’t quit after the first time they played, and neither should the women. Don’t be embarrassed in the first year, experiment and find a throw that you’re comfortable with. If this sport was easy it wouldn’t be as fun! I’m pretty confident with my game, but I still do a couple of mantras before each throw to get myself focused. I tell myself over and over again what I’m trying to do before I throw the shot, and that really helps me concentrate and throw the shots I intend to.

1000 RATED: We did a recent article on 1000 rated rounds by female disc golfers. At the Japan Open you threw a 1023 rated 2nd round en route to the biggest cash of your career. Your first round at the World’s this year was rated 1013 - pretty impressive indeed. You, Des, “Burl,” Angela, and Elaine have had a number of 1000 rated rounds during your careers. Do you think we’ll see a day with 1000 rated women? Are the ratings on your mind at any time, or are you more focused on winning within your division?

VAL: I have no doubt that there will be a 1000 rated women, Why wouldn’t there be? I don’t focus on ratings, unless someone tells be about them. They are so sketchy and I don’t understand why people get so worked up over them. Innova has recently added a 1000 rated round bonus for us women, so if I think a round is close I check up on if I achieved that bonus.

1000 RATED: Now that you are traveling full time to play and compete in disc golf tournaments, are there any interesting stories or funny moments that have happened on the road that you can enlighten us with? What often happens during the week before a tournament other than a long car ride?

VAL: Wow. Every weekend is a new and hilarious series of events. When I hang out with Avery, Nate, and Burl on the road I always laugh the hardest. You never know what’s going to come out of Nate’s mouth, what crazy people Burl’s going to attract, or what random things happen to Avery. We’re quite the set of dancers, so that is what is popping into my head at the moment. Any time music strikes up, you know we’ll be dancing or singing.. Any place at anytime.

We relax. People think that we’re out there playing golf everyday, and that is so not the case. We let our bodies relax on the days we don’t play. Traveling, practicing and playing takes such a toll on the body that a day or 2 of rest is nearly mandatory. We also do our best by scoping out the towns that we’re stayin in. This summer Avery and I happened to see the Cure play in Kansas City, and Kid Rock play in Des Moines. We’ve also hit a handful of baseball games around the US.

1000 RATED: What were you doing right before you started touring professionally?

VAL: I had just graduated high school. I would play as many tournaments as I could during school, but it wasn’t until I graduated when I jumped on board and traveled with Avery. I stayed with them for a couple of weeks in 2004, just before the World Championships in Iowa. The next week they were going to Japan, and my mom asked me “Why aren’t you going Val?” That next week, I got my passport and went to Japan for the first time! The real tour began in 2005 when Burl got the Spirit and we began traveling full time for the next 3 years.

1000 RATED: One aspect of your game that seems to surpass most women is your putting. What have you done to develop this, and what advice can you offer to both men and women who are fighting with this?

VAL: My putting comes and goes, and when it goes, it’s gone. Putting is the most important part of this game. That’s the whole point, to put it in the basket. My main focus is fully extending towards the basket. That’s what really helped me out a lot this past week. I tried not just throwing it at the basket hoping it goes in, but fully extending my arm towards the pole, allowing my arm to go straight at my goal. The best advice is to go out and practice. Get comfortable with a simple rhythm and repeat it over and over until it seems natural.

1000 RATED: Can you tell us a little about how your family got you involved in the sport?

VAL In 1985, my dad’s co-worker told him about the course in town and he went over and checked it out. My mom was pregnant with me at the time, and had 8 year old Avery running all over the place. She didn’t want to sit at home while my dad was out playing so she started playing too. Avery started playing a lot when he was a teenager. I would travel everywhere with my parents and Avery but I despised playing until I was about 15. I was in my teen years, and doing what my parents did was definitely not cool. When I stopped being lame, I realized I was good enough to compete with the other Am ladies. The rest is history..

1000 RATED: Before we ask one of our favorite questions, let it be known that your answer is not allowed to be ‘Avery Jenkins’. Who is your favorite 1000 rated player and why?

VAL: It’s gotta be Nate. That kid is my second brother and makes me laugh harder than anyone. Such a great guy.