The Curious Case of Andrew Presnell

Andrew Presnell

In golf’s 1970 British Open, Jack Nicklaus played an 18-hole playoff against Doug Sanders. The two faced off in a playoff after finishing tied for the lead after the final round.

Nicklaus eventually won the playoff—and the tournament. But when golf historians look back on the 1970 British Open, they recall two things.

First, Sanders missed a short putt on the 18th hole of the final round. Had he made the putt, Sanders would have won the tournament outright—and avoided a playoff with Nicklaus.

Second, Sanders was a bit of an unconventional player. He wore flashy, colorful outfits on the golf course. But most significantly, he had an unusual, almost disjointed golf swing.

It seemed strange to golf fans at the time, seeing Jack Nicklaus—with his iconic, upright golf swing—competing against Sanders, a player who seemed to swat at the ball like a weekend golfer.

Sanders may have had an unorthodox swing, but he was an accomplished golfer.  He won 20 PGA tournaments in his career and also finished 2nd in four different major tournaments.

In some ways, Andrew Presnell is a disc golf version of Doug Sanders. That’s because Presnell has a bit of a quirky backhand. When he throws a disc, his arms flail around a bit. And he finishes in a manner that seems as if he’s almost falling to his right after releasing the disc.

For all that seemingly unusual motion in his throw, however, Presnell is a crackshot player. He’s found a backhand that’s consistent—and totally works for him.

Something in Presnell’s delivery is reminiscent of the famed golfer Arnold Palmer. Millions of golf fans felt a kinship with Palmer because he had a less-than-perfect golf swing. Watching Palmer hit a golf ball, fans saw some of the same herky-jerky motion that afflicted their own game. Arnie was “one of them”—he was fighting the same battle.

Andrew Presnell has some of that same Arnie charm. Presnell may not have the most graceful backhand in disc golf. But it suits him. And when he’s on, he can really dial it in.

Presnell is also an excellent putter. And realistically, championship level disc golf comes down to great putting. Which helps to explain how Presnell won the 2024 PDGA Champions Cup—including his shooting a -6 in the third round of the tournament.

As for his forehand, Presnell has worked to construct a good side-arm throw. Ironically, his forehand has some of the same idiosyncratic delivery as his backhand. But as he explained in a YouTube video, he wants something “serviceable.” He knows he’ll never have a long-distance “Barela forehand.” But if he can throw something reliable, he’s happy.

It’s fun to watch Andrew Presnell in action because his throwing motion may not be the most graceful, but it works. And watching him in a PDGA event, it gives encouragement to so many other disc golfers who are learning the game. Their backhand may not be as smooth as Gannon Buhr’s, but if Presnell can throw in his own distinct manner, so can they.

The lesson: Be true to yourself. Do what works best for you.