TY ON TOUR: What drives Central Oregon’s best MPO player?

When Ty Love won the North Umpqua Invitational at Whistler’s Bend last summer, it was his first win in over four years. If you’ve seen him play, that almost seems unfathomable. Most touring pros have dozens of wins under their belt, mostly local events. But Ty, who has nine career wins, seems more interested in proving himself on the pro tour. 

“In the next few years, I want to win and win a lot,” he said. 

Ty grew up in Powell Butte and played his first PDGA event in 2017, but it wasn’t long before he set his sights on the pro scene. He played only a dozen junior or amateur events — including finishing second to Gannon Buhr at 2019 Junior Worlds — before turning pro. 

“My goal was to beat the best, and the best were not playing amateur,” he said.

Ty played a handful of DGPT events in 2021 and 2022, then joined the tour full-time after graduating high school in 2023. He’ll turn 22 in September.

This is your fourth year on tour. How does this year feel different?

This year feels like it’s time to show what I’ve learned the other three years. I have been to all of the tour stops before. I’ve played good at most of the stops in at least one of the years. Now it’s time to let all the learning and figuring out pay off.

You shot great at the Big Easy Open in New Orleans in March, finishing 7th and tying your best finish. What clicked for you weekend? 

I was super sick headed into that week. Hardly ate any food the whole week. Maybe a couple hundred calories a day. Just couldn’t get anything down. 

I always seem to play well when I have family in town. My average finish with family in town is probably 15 to 20. I think expectations were pretty low, and the course fit my game well. Honestly, it was a perfect storm of a lot of things. 

Your thoughts on that course?

While the course was difficult, it wasn’t necessarily hard because it was good. It was a difficult course in the same way Hole 4 at Skyline is difficult. There’s just not a real gap that is clean and gets you close. The course has a ton of potential though. The property is incredible, and all the infrastructure and money is there. It just needs to be tweaked and, in some spots, redesigned. 

How would you describe your game?  

I play real aggressive from the tee in the woods, and on the open courses that have more OB, I play the tee shots pretty safe. 

A big part of my game is game planning. Some people don’t need many practice rounds and can navigate the course well in few attempts. There aren’t many players that get in more practice rounds than me — maybe none. I need that time to figure out as much information as possible. If everyone had to play the tournaments blind, I think I would struggle more than most. 

What are some of your favorite courses on tour?  

Bad Rock Creek in Kansas City is the most well-designed course I think we play. I enjoy almost every course we play. The Portland courses are always special. 

What are your goals for this year and the next 3 to 5 years? 

In the next few years, I want to win and win a lot. I want to very consistently be a top-10 player. I know that I can. 

I’ve put too much into this to not get some wins. I’ve dedicated my life to it and I’m unwilling to not see what comes of it. I am happy to be wherever God has called me. Right now, and for the foreseeable future, that’s in disc golf. That is where I feel called, and as long as that’s the case, I will do everything to see just how good I can be at this sport. 

I have no idea where that will take me, but I will work my butt off and give glory to God. 

A dream and my faith in the Lord might be all I have, but I can’t wait to see where it goes. 

How do you handle the mental grind of the tour? 

Pro tour courses are designed to take advantage of every weakness in one’s game. Every hole can be a blowup hole. You could take one of the easiest holes on any tour course and put it on one of our home courses, and it would be the hardest hole on the course. 

Rough days are bound to happen, but you better not linger on them. Everyone will have bad rounds and bad events throughout the season. Maybe the very best thing about our sport is that each day is a brand-new day, and it’s yours to do what you want. You just better not find your identity in small plastic circles. There is no hope there. 

I find my joy and fulfillment in Jesus Christ. I am free to work my butt off and give it all I have. Failure no longer becomes a problem because it doesn’t exist. There is just the learning, just the figuring out. I have nothing to fear.  

How did you first discover disc golf? Who helped you along the way?

I started watching Brodie Smith on YouTube and saw the video he did with Avery (Jenkins) and Simon (Lizotte). I then found Paul McBeth and I was absolutely hooked. 

There are so many people that were huge impacts on me playing. I can’t name them all, but I’ll name a few: Michael Beshore, Dustin Keegan, Nate Doss, Bryce Weaver, Augie Tobish, Shea Babich, Micah Moon, Jim Tobish, Brad Strickler, Michael Phanco and Jarod Gogal. But the biggest impacts on my career have been Elijah Riedell and Jason Lawson. I would not be where I am today without those two guys. I will forever be thankful to you all.

What’s some advice for new players?

Stay patient and positive. I’ve been on the journey of trying to find out just how good I can be for a while now. I know how it feels to be met with roadblocks and tough rounds. You have to stay hungry and excited while being okay with failing and not having it come together yet. 

Just keep working. Sometimes the progress is fast, and sometimes it moves at a snail’s pace. But understand this is how it works and that if you keep going with the right mindset, you can accomplish what you want in this sport.

Ty's Top Finishes on Tour

Your parents moved to Alaska a few years ago. Where’s home for you now?

I try to get there in the summer for the fishing and for a holiday in the winter. Normally they will get to two events a year. Always Portland Open and then whatever ends up working for them. Not entirely sure where home will be. I don’t have that answer yet. My mom always said home is where the heart is — I guess I’ll have to trust her on that one.

   — By Andy Wade