adjusts headset with the enthusiasm of someone monitoring a train approaching absolute zero Welcome to Week 8 of The Culling, where the Polar Flexpress rolled into The Trails under genuinely hostile conditions and ten passengers discovered that approaching true north means trusting lines that shouldn't exist.
Absolute Zero, Maximum Drama
The temperature dropped to 32°F at its coldest—actual winter disc golf, not the metaphorical kind—and the course responded by turning into a proving ground for belief over skill. Episode 8's "Polar Approach" promised that "discs behave strangely, curving in ways that defy explanation," and honestly? Five players shot 30+ points above their rating, so maybe the impossible geometry of faith has statistical receipts. Ten competitors across three divisions (MA3, MA4, MA40) showed up to discover whether they could trust the flex lines when physics gets weird. Spoiler: some could. Some... could not. 🥶
The Leaderboard Had Commitment Issues
MA3 saw EIGHT lead changes across four players, which is the disc golf equivalent of a relationship status set to "it's complicated." Matthew Case finally sealed the deal with a clutch birdie on hole 18 to claim outright victory at -1 (904 rated, +56 above his 848 rating), but not before the leaderboard cycled through more candidates than a reality dating show. He took the lead on hole 3, lost it, watched it bounce between three other players, then reclaimed it on the final hole like someone who'd been reading the Polar Flexpress playbook about trusting impossible lines.
Drew Little turned in a +2 round (866 rated) that was +69 above her 797 rating—a massive surge that earned her the Hard Mode achievement for six consecutive events. She recovered from a double on hole 6 with an immediate birdie on 7, proving that the train doesn't slow down for one bad hole. Her sole birdie on hole 12 (a par 3 playing +0.7 average) was the kind of clutch execution that makes the arena cameras lean in. 📸
Jonathan Armstrong posted +3 (853 rated, +45 above his 808 rating) with his sole birdie on hole 15, while Caleb Starnes struggled to +3 (853 rated) despite being -29 below his 882 rating. The higher-rated player couldn't find his rhythm in the cold—winter disc golf respects no one's credentials.
Wire-to-Wire Like the Train Itself 🚂
Gage Schatz took the lead on hole 1 and never looked back, mirroring the Polar Flexpress's unstoppable journey north. His +2 finish (866 rated) represented a +149 rating surge above his 717 rating—the kind of personal best that announces you've learned to trust the impossible lines. He improved from last week's +5 to this week's +2, a +61 rating gain that shows momentum building at exactly the right time. His clutch birdie on 18 sealed the wire-to-wire victory like someone who'd been studying the train's blueprints.
Richard Hurley posted an identical +12 to last week but showed +28 rating improvement (741 rated), proving that consistency in winter conditions counts as growth. Nine pars anchored his round, though three doubles reminded everyone that The Trails collects tribute from all passengers.
Christopher Hinton battled to +16 (691 rated, -61 below his 752 rating) but showed grit with a recovery birdie on hole 13 immediately after a double on 12. The train doesn't abandon passengers who stumble—it just asks them to keep moving forward. ❄️
Last week, Scott Branyon posted -7 (962 rated) and we crowned him the "former doubter turned conductor" after his revelation round. This week, Abe Mills (-4, 941 rated, +30 above his 911 rating) proved that transformation isn't exclusive—the student can absolutely surpass the teacher. Mills claimed his personal best and the MA40 crown after multiple lead changes that saw the two players trade positions like they were negotiating track switches.
Abe took the lead on hole 1, Scott reclaimed it on holes 5 and 7, Abe's bogey on 9 created drama, then Abe's final surge after Scott's bogey on 15 sealed the deal. Scott's -1 (904 rated) represented a -58 rating swing from last week's revelation round, but honestly? Still solid work in conditions that tested everyone's faith. The arena respects both performances—one player rediscovering his peak, another defending it with everything he had. 🏆
Michael Draper posted +5 (828 rated, -13 below his 841 rating) after last week's -2 (897 rated), a -69 rating swing that hurt. His front nine was three strokes better than his back nine, suggesting the cold got chattier as the round progressed.
Five Players Found Lines That Shouldn't Exist
The Episode 8 theme promised that "players realize the final course isn't about skill—it's about believing in lines that shouldn't exist." Five competitors shot 30+ points above their rating, which is either statistical anomaly or proof that conviction beats aerodynamics when approaching true north:
- Gage Schatz: +149 🔥
- Drew Little: +69
- Matthew Case: +56
- Jonathan Armstrong: +45
- Abe Mills: +30
Meanwhile, the course humbled others: Caleb Starnes (-29), Christopher Hinton (-61), and Michael Draper's week-over-week -69 swing all suggest The Trails demanded payment for those impossible lines.
Sole birdies emerged on five holes where only one player found the circle: Matthew Case (hole 3), Caleb Starnes (hole 4), Scott Branyon (hole 10), Drew Little (hole 12), and Jonathan Armstrong (hole 15). These weren't lucky shots—they were proof that trusting the flex line works when you commit. Recovery stories abounded: Drew Little's double-to-birdie on holes 6-7, Christopher Hinton's double-to-birdie on holes 12-13, and Matthew Case's 2-under finish after a double on 15 all showed that the Polar Flexpress doesn't abandon passengers who stumble. 💫
The Chains Kept Their Secrets This Week
No aces, no CTP winners—the chains stayed quiet while presumably the ace pot grows heavier with each passing week. The arena's metal judges demand more belief before they reveal their secrets. With two weeks remaining before FLIPT Terminal, the pressure builds like steam in the engine room. The 600-foot basket awaits, and the chains know who's ready. 🎯
The Flex Smith (#1 overall) sits with Aiden Lane, who didn't play this week—but its lore haunts every impossible line attempted on The Trails. "Hammers belief into reality at the anvil of impossible angles," the tag promises, and it "grows heavier with doubt but becomes weightless when conviction is absolute." Five players this week proved that forging shots through faith isn't metaphor—it's measurable.
Scott Branyon holds the Frost Navigator tag after finishing 2nd in MA40. With only two weeks remaining before FLIPT Terminal, every tag position matters. The train approaches its final destination, and the tags know who's been forging belief into flight paths versus who's still carrying the weight of doubt.
The Train Doesn't Stop for Doubters
Week 8 of 10 complete. The Polar Flexpress has entered its final approach, and Episode 9's "Cooper Echo" awaits—the penultimate stop where The Trails' layout appears in pure ice, where every throw creates resonances that affect future shots. The 600-foot basket becomes visible in the distance, suspended over black ice and swirling aurora, demanding complete faith in lines that shouldn't exist.
Five players this week proved they can trust the impossible geometry. Others discovered that doubt still weighs them down. The train doesn't slow for anyone—it just keeps moving north, collecting believers and leaving hesitation frozen in the fairway. Two weeks remain. The chains at FLIPT Terminal are waiting. 🚂❄️
From the broadcast booth, I'm Flippy—your reluctant guide through this spectacle of faith-based aerodynamics. The sponsors want me to remind you this is building to something. The sponsors might actually be right this time.
Flippy's Hot Take