Some Memorable Moments in Professional Disc Golf

Many people consider James Conrad’s “Holy Shot” at the 2021 World Championships to be disc golf’s greatest moment to date. It certainly changed the trajectory of a major tournament—a “Hail Mary” pass that sent the big game into overtime.

For those who aren’t aware of it, Conrad sank a 200-foot birdie shot to tie Paul McBeth on the final hole of the 2021 World’s. And then Conrad won the tournament on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.

Conrad’s shot has been widely celebrated. But professional disc golf has also seen other memorable throws in recent years. They didn’t necessarily win a tournament, but they were significant in their own right.

Here are a few.

The Marwede-Heimburg Dual Aces

In the final round of the 2023 Discraft Ledgestone Open, Andrew Marwede threw a perfect forehand ace on the 275-foot par-3 7th hole. The disc sailed right into the basket, prompting a loud roar from the crowd.

Up ahead on the 425-foot par-3 10th hole, Calvin Heimburg heard the noise while preparing to tee off. He stepped up to the tee and unleashed a bomb of a backhand. It traveled all the way across the fairway and barely grazed an overhanging branch before dropping into the basket.

The two players had clinched aces within minutes of each other. And Heimburg reacted with an uncharacteristically exuberant display of emotion that helped land his throw on ESPN’s SportsCenter highlights.

Philo’s Blind Albatross

In the third round of the 2016 Beaver State Fling, Philo Braithwaite faced a blind, 450-foot second shot to the par-5 6th hole. As Philo later explained, he was simply hoping to get close, and possibly score his first-ever eagle on the challenging 850-foot hole. But his disc turned perfectly in mid-flight around a set of trees and landed in the basket for a stunningly rare albatross.

Ohn Scoggins Walks on Water

In the fourth round of the 2022 Throw Pink Women’s Disc Golf Championship, Ohn Scoggins faced a long approach over water to the 5th hole. She threw a hard flex forehand that started out over the water but didn’t quite make it back. The disc splashed into the lake. But then it somehow skipped up and kicked onto the green. In the video, Scoggins can be seen shaking her head in disbelief.

Eagle’s Standstill Forehand

In round two of the 2021 Great Lakes Open, Eagle McMahon unleashed a big drive on the 840-foot par-4 17th hole. But a strong wind pulled the disc far to the right, dropping it at the edge of a nearby road. It came to rest almost directly underneath a guard rail at the side of the road.

McMahon was left with a 430-foot throw to a partially obscured green on a distant hill. With the guard railing in the way, there was no way for him to run up. Instead, he had only one option—straddling the guardrail and attempting a standstill shot.

What did Eagle do? He uncorked a standing forehand that not only reached the green but bounced past the basket. He then sank the 12-foot birdie putt.

McMahon would go on to win the tournament by one stroke over Kyle Klein. A few years later, disc golf legend Scott Stokeley recreated McMahon’s shot. You can see Stokeley’s throw; it ended up 30 feet from the basket.

Paul McBeth’s “Cold Blooded” Putt

In the final round of the 2019 World Championships, Paul McBeth had a five-shot lead over Emerson Keith and Ricky Wysocki when they came to the par-3 425-foot 4th hole. Keith’s tee shot on the hole ended up out-of-bounds to the right, McBeth’s landed in the woods to the left, and Wysocki’s finished well short.

Both Wysocki and Keith were forced to lay up their approaches. McBeth trudged into the woods to find his disc.

As McBeth set up to putt his way out of the trees, he was barely visible amidst the surrounding foliage. But somehow, McBeth threw his disc out of the woods and sent it straight into the basket. In his Jomez commentary, Jeremy Koling muttered, “What a…cold-blooded…killer.” McBeth went on to win his fifth World title.

Eagle McMahon’s 700-foot Park Job.

Eagle McMahon is a big dude. And he’s thrown some big shots in his time. But nothing quite matches his drive on the 700-foot par-4 3rd hole of the 2021 Match Play Championships.

McMahon lined up a big drive and then went all-out to reach the green. Not only did his gargantuan throw turn over and flex back but it settled to within mere feet of the basket for a tap-in eagle.

Waden’s Double Aces

When Waden Sides stepped up to the par-3 313-foot 15th hole in the final round of the 2024 Jonesboro Open, he’d already made a name for himself. He’d aced the hole the previous day. But against all odds, he repeated himself—throwing an easy forehand to once again score a hole-in-one on the 15th hole for the second day in a row.