Pro Worlds: McCray is just getting better and better

Team Latitude 64° had a very successful 2017 Pro Worlds in Augusta, Georgia. Ricky Wysocki won his second title and there were a lot of team players with solid performances. JohnE McCray was definitely one of them. After winning the Pro Worlds Masters division in Emporia 2016 he set an even higher goal for 2017. JohnE, 45 years old, has again and again proven he is among the top players in the world, and really showed he is a contender to win the Pro Worlds Open division.

Ricky Wysocki was however a bit too strong this time, and Paul McBeth found his beast mode for the final round and surged to second place. JohnE McCray finished strong and tied for third place, once again showing us that age is just a number.

Congratulations, JohnE! Third place at Worlds is a great achievement. How are you feeling right now?
“I’m feeling proud but a little disappointed, but I’m super happy for Ricky and the rest of Team Latitude 64°”, JohnE says.

You started with the hot score (-12 and 1066-rated) for round 1. What was the key to that great start?
“Being prepared to playing Jackson was the key. I knew where I needed to land to set myself up for the next shot. Knowing all the lines to hit and execute it. ”

Starting round 3 you were tied for the lead but had a rough round and lost eight shots to Ricky. How was that round to play and how was it to re-focus for the final round?
“As hard as I tried,  I could not stay focused through a few unfortunate distractions”, JohnE says. “I allowed myself to go through the anger process for about an hour. Then I was over it and enjoyed some fun campground fun with my friends.”

In the last couple of holes you were battling back and forth with Simon Lizotte for third place? Were you aware of the scores?
“I absolutely was aware of the scores. My goal was to finish up as strong as I could. I was clapping for Simon when he hit that great birdie putt on 18. That was an awesome putt.”

What kind of discs was most important for your game in these wooded and tight courses in Augusta?
Fuse, Saint Pro, Cutlass, Giant and Stiletto. I needed the flight patterns of these discs to help maneuver the wooded areas.”

What does your disc golf schedule look like for the near future?
“Very very very busy. I have 11 scheduled competitive events and six Latitude Sponsored Clinics. We haven’t scheduled anything yet for November or December though. We are working on that schedule soon.”

Pro Master Worlds is held in Grand Rapids in August. Will you defend your title and what are your thoughts about that tournament?
“I’m certainly going to try and defend my title and I will be glad to play a regular worlds layout. Us older guys will be playing more than the open did.  I’m so excited, let’s do this thing”, he says.

Thanks JohnE and good luck in the Pro Master World Championship and the rest of the season!

Full results from 2017 Pro Worlds >

See all the Open videos from 2017 Pro Worlds here >