Anthony Barela’s Disappointment in Portland

If you watched the very end of the Northwest Disc Golf Championship in Portland, Oregon this past weekend, you might have felt like you were watching a funeral.

Gannon Buhr was being presented as the winner of the event. But only moments before, Anthony Barela had been leading the tournament—and seemed likely to win the whole thing.

Somehow, Barela’s par putt on the 18th hole went into the basket…and then popped out. It was a stunning moment—Barela seemed to have made the putt. But suddenly, he was left with a bogey. And that gave Buhr the victory.

As Buhr accepted the winner’s award, he seemed to be shaking his head “No…no…” And in the post-event interview, he admitted to being “kind of in shock.”

What’s commendable is that Buhr didn’t gloat. He seemed aware that Barela was nearby—and was still literally crouching on the ground, trying to process the moment.

Indeed, Barela was crushed. And the crowd didn’t seem ready to celebrate either.

It had been a heck of a day. Buhr and Kyle Klein had dueled with Barela over the final nine holes of the tournament. But Barela had a two-stroke lead going into the 17th hole.

If you want to see what makes Barela such a talent, check out his second throw on the par-four, 830-foot 17th hole. He faced a 418-foot shot to the green, and needed to thread his way through a long cluster of trees. (You can watch it at 3:13:08 into the final round coverage on DGN).

Barela absolutely nailed the shot—an incredibly long, straight backhand that commentator Ian Anderson described as “an unbelievable gap hit.”

It’s what Barela does best—power, precision, distance.

Unfortunately, his disc finished up with a tree partially blocking the basket. Barela needed to putt from one knee—and missed the tricky birdie putt.

And then things unraveled on the par-five, 1,000-foot 18th hole. Barela’s drive flew low. But it was his second shot on 18 that was really problematic; he threw a forehand that hit a tree. (You can see it at 3:28:10 on DGN.)

It sometimes seems that Barela can be a bit casual when throwing his forehand. This was evident at times a few weeks ago, during the PDGA Champions Cup. Forehands are tricky at high velocity; they can hook off. In Portland, Barela seemed to once again misjudge his side-arm.

The errant forehand took away a chance at birdie. And then Barela’s third throw—another forehand—barely squeaked into bounds. That left him with a backhand chip shot to the green, which he landed 20 feet from the basket.

If Barela could make his par putt, he’d go on to a playoff with Buhr.

You can see the putt at 3:36:40 on DGN. Somehow, Barela’s putt kicked out of the basket. And you can see how instantly crushed he is when the putt tumbles out.

The audience is amazed, too. Spectators can be seen gasping in shock.

After that, the crowd grew deathly silent. Buhr putted in to finish the tournament, and clinch a one-stroke victory over Barela and Klein. But it was a subdued celebration. Barela’s missed putt still hung in the air, even as Buhr was accepting the winner’s jacket.

Barela is a vastly talented player. And the loss has to hurt. But he’s young, and he’s learning. All of these tough tournament moments are helping to mold him into the even greater player he’ll be in the next few years.

A post-script: Check out this video of Barela's putt on 18. Gannon Buhr seems just as stunned.