In 2001 ex-Lincolnite Joe Hyberger won the Advanced division of disc golf in the Cornhusker State Games and another time in 2003. A decade later Suitcase Joe, now living in Hastings, is again playing disc golf regularly. These days it’s with the CSG runner up Brandon Oatman, also of Hastings, and Sr Grandmaster gold medalist Steve Stump of Grand Island along with the many other dedicated disc golfers in the Tri-City area.
In the second round of the CSG Joe scored the round record with a 47. This put him just one back of the leader, his relative Jay Thompson. Jay led with a combined score of 100 at the end of day one. There were twenty-three players in the advanced division and a total of eighty-six competitors for the weekend.
To begin the final nine the top card of Advanced Ams was selected. It includes Brandon Oatman and Joe Hyberger with a 157, Jacob Barber with a 159 and the amazing Sr Grandmaster playing in the advanced group for a second year in a row, Brad Ramsay at 160.
All four scored three on hole one, a good warmup hole for what was to come. On hole two Jacob got a bogey, this put him and Brad three back of Brandon and Joe with seven holes to go. Hole three Jacob and Joe scored birdies. On hole five, the long 2,100 foot South Side Monster shooting tee six to the practice basket, there was score seperaton. Brandon with 8, Joe 9, Jacob 10, Brad 12. By this time Brad had hit the wall on the hot and humid day and was not able to work through it in the remaining four holes.
Onto hole 8, the reverse snowman starting at the white tee 1 and passed a mando of two trees then across the creek and on to basket 27. To begin Brandon gets snagged in a tree and has a beautiful second shot landing in the center of the sidewalk to cross the bridge. Joe makes the mando on the drive and lands left, no chance of clearing the bridge on the next shot. Jacob and Brad are both lined up well for their second shot to clear the bridge. With three of the players across the creek it’s Joe’s turn. He sees a very small gap and pushes one through, gets a slight deflection but ends up pin high in two. His next shot was memorable too, a slight air-bounce run that skips across the rim of the basket for a drop in four. Hole eight ends with Brandon at 191, Joe 191 and Jacob 191. Brad is sitting at 199 and ready for that ice cold beer.
On hole 9, a longer version of 2 white, Brandon, Joe and Jacob all score 3. Time for a sudden death playoff. Chris Oien, an assistant tournament director who had a hand in designing the final 9, announces the playoff will be from the playground to the practice basket. If scores are the same after that the next hole is a repeat of hole 8, the reverse snowman. Repeat those two until places are decided. From the tee Jacob takes a risky shot right towards the basket which must clear the brush along Lynn Creek. His drive hits an iron leaf and lands in the water. The others clear the bridge gap and have an upshot to the basket. Brandon has a low ceiling and barely clips it forcing the disc down, Jacob is throwing out of the creek. Joe lands his upshot inside the 10 meter circle of bricks around the practice basket then at his turn calmly makes the putt for the win!
2013 Cornhusker State Games Final Nine Course Layout
View 2013 CSG Final Nine Course in a larger map
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