“Definitely the best shower I have ever gotten,” National Champion Jesse Longenecker said after his team drenched him with water following his first place finish at the College Disc Golf National Championship in Rock Hill, SC at the historic Winthrop University course. “Immediately after winning I was mostly shocked. I couldn’t believe I actually accomplished a goal that I have had for years. It was an unreal experience having my team and family there to celebrate with me.”
It all started to come together for Longenecker after he hit a fifty foot birdie putt in his final round, which gave him a three stroke lead with just two holes to play. Kalan Schat, who was the player in second place applying a lot of pressure, went out of bounds on that hole and was in position to get a bogey. “I guess I smelled some blood in the water and decided to attack. It paid off and made it very easy to walk my way through 17 and 18 for the win,” Longenecker said.
However, much of the work was done the day before. Logenecker had an “unbelievable” showing in round one, he said, scoring an -9 with 10 birdies and one eagle, which put him three strokes ahead of second place after day one. “I put a lot of pressure on myself to come out hot because I knew it was a short amount of holes to decide a championship. But honestly, I feel like I perform my best under that pressure,” he added.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Longenecker. He did have five total bogeys over the two rounds and moments that didn’t feel good. He was lucky enough to have the steady presence of his dad caddying to keep him calm and make sure he got back on track, he said.
Entering the second round with a three-stroke cushion allowed Longenecker to play more conservatively on a course that can be costly if not careful. “Having a solid lead going into the final nine holes made it so that I could play things safe and make my competitors get aggressive,” he said. “Winthrop is not a course you want to have to get aggressive. There is so much out of bounds and getting birdies means you have to test that, so it gave me some confidence.”
Following the win, Trevor Oyer, the head disc golf coach, expressed how proud he was of Longenecker for his calm and collected demeanor during the final round. “To see him not chasing birdies when he could have but instead continuing to play smart golf was amazing to watch,” he said. “It showed he was more than ready for that moment.”
Longenecker spoke on the importance of his victory. “Getting this win means a lot for my personal career. It is by far the biggest event that I have ever won. I can’t believe the amount of publicity it has already gotten me,” he said. “I am more proud though of how much this means for the EMU program. There is so much family history for me here, my grandpa taught here, my parents and siblings came here. Being a part of making a name for EMU in the college disc golf world is so special to me.”
Teammate Beck Jantzi, who competed in the team rounds with Longenecker, said “I am beyond proud of Jesse, not only by putting EMU on the map but by representing EMU in such a positive manner. We know how hard he works and it was gratifying seeing him accomplish such a feat.”
EMU also competed on the national stage as a team with Jantzi, Longenecker, Eli Stoll and Theo Andreas. They finished with a -14 over four rounds, which was good enough for a top 20 finish. Jantzi said, “Being able to compete at Nationals on the DI stage is a blessing and an honor. I am proud to wear the EMU logo on my chest and give 110% to represent my school the best I can.”
The Royals team showed their caliber throughout the weekend, especially in round three when they shot a -10, which was tied for the best score of any team that day. “Our team dynamic is so supportive. When one person doesn’t succeed on their shot, the other person comes in clutch and makes a play,” Jantzi said. “Our 3rd round showed that especially, where we tied for the hot round and really played our brand of golf.”
