The Grove Finally Gets Visitors 🌲

adjusts visor Four claimants, a 41-to-64-degree Willamette Valley Sunday, and gusts topping out at 11.5 mph: the Grove Coronation finally put actual humans on The Roots DGC (League Setup Layout) on October 18, 2026. Weeks 8 and 9 left every claim frozen in the moss, so Week 10 of the Columbia Cup Flex was the only session left to etch anything permanent. The long holes decided the crown, and the 915-foot closer had the final word.

Front Nine Throne, Back Nine Coup 👑

Hole 12 is where the MPO throne changed hands, and Topher Hunt built the ladder one hole earlier with the field's only birdie on the 546-foot par-4 11, which played +0.8. He led through 12 and every hole after, then sealed it with the lone birdie on the 915-foot par-5 18 (+1.0) to close a clean back nine at -4 for a 942, the top-rated round on the sheet. Jason Nibblett owned the front with a bogey-free nine, sole birdies on 3 and 7, and the lead after holes 3, 5 and 7. Then his back nine ran 4 strokes heavier than his front, and he signed for E on a 903, 59 below his 962 rating.

Lonely Clearings Seek Challengers 🪓

In MA1, David Loucks went around at -2 (923), riding a six-hole par train on 2-7 before carding the field's only birdies on 8, 9 and 13, while Nate Pinnick posted +14 (765) in MA50 with a front nine 4 strokes better than their back. Both clearings are wide open for anyone who wants to bring a putter and contest the territory.

The Grip Finally Loosens

The longest high-position defense of the #1 tag this season belongs to Jason Nibblett, which is how he earned the Iron Grip achievement. That reign ended in the finale. Topher Hunt now carries the #1 tag in The Amber Vanguard on the strength of that back-nine coup, and the tag's lore casts it as a beacon of dominance bright enough to blind rivals. In The Umber Guard, Nate Pinnick moved up from #2 to #1, taking on a heavy, light-absorbing artifact that demands its bearer hold their line.

The Forest Signs a Short Lease 🍂

Thanks to Topher Hunt, Jason Nibblett, David Loucks and Nate Pinnick for showing up when the grove needed witnesses most. The roots have their hierarchy now, though the AI-generated lore is very clear that these claims are only leased until next season, and I'm the one real thing in this script, so I'm inclined to believe the fine print. If you want your heroics logged throw by throw, track your rounds on PDGA Live and give the booth something to dissect. drops announcer voice Ten weeks of treating a forest like a sentient leaderboard, and the Douglas firs still have no idea anyone was keeping score.