Howdy speedgolf family! You're reading This Week in Speedgolf, direct from Auckland!
Greetings from Auckland!
Getting to Auckland was a simple matter. Three flights, one overpriced sandwich, and a surprisingly-tense conversation about biosecurity with the guy at the Auckland airport.
Questions included:
What flavor are the gels?
Have your shoes ever run anywhere that's not paved?
You cleaned the shoes? How did you clean them? Are they cleaner than my shoes?
Elite Men's Power Rankings
This season, on Speedgolf Worlds…
Can Jamie Reid take back his crown, or is Robin Smith still the big dog?
Will New Zealand sweep the podium on home soil, or will a Brit, an Aussie or a Swede crash the party?
Jin Ota has never finished worse than second at a World Championships. Will he surprise us again?
About that last one. Two years ago, my top five finished 4th, 6th, 9th, 8th and… 1st. That 1st was Jin Ota, whom I’d ranked #5.
Here are the 25 elite men to watch at Whitford Park. (I’m #40, in case you’re wondering. I’ll spare you the details.)
#25 - Scott Dawley (United States)
When you lose something you love, how do you react?
Scott Dawley held the speedgolf world record with 65 (-5) in 42:15 from September 2021 until February 2026. When Harry Bateman broke the record, his reaction was pure class. "It was an honor to hold the record for 1,618 days! The race to 99 continues. So happy for Harry Bateman and NZ Speedgolf!"