Not qualified

During the home stretch of the 2018 season, I realized that I was closing in on the 500 point mark which would qualify me for the 2019 Amateur Worlds and was able to reach it on a day my right knee barely allowed me to finish.

For 2019, the idea of getting to the 500 point mark was not part of the plan from the beginning as my trip to the Amateur Worlds was planned to be "last in a lifetime" and Orlando in late July 2020 does not seem too great. As I compare my results to 2018, I noticed the played schedule was similar:

Though MA3 played at the IOS Rockford event the same day, that division played one of the two rounds on a different course than MA50+ did and the scores can't be compared.

There was going to be a second chart showing the mathematical chance of me not winning an event in 2019 but made it invalid by winning my last event of the season which was the first ever win at a sold out tournament.

Other than playing bad from March through July, there are other reasons I had significantly fewer points than in 2018.

Fewer opponents in many events in 2019. (including the one I won).
Playing the major injured on courses that I was not familiar.
Playing all but one tournament in an age protected division.

I realized there are four possible ideas to get to the 500 point mark from 2020 to 2023 to qualify in MA55 for future worlds events and I want to post them here for future reference just in case.

The first thought is to get better. Duh. The question is how much can I reasonably expect? In an October event, those who were in my group were impressed by my putting from distances up to and including 50 feet. However, due to a bad stretch of six holes of the 36, my score was exactly what a person with my rating was expected to get.

Looking at every rated round in 2019 I figured out how many more points I would have earned had I been 2 shots better every round, which could be done with better health and smarter play. Including three second place results that would have become wins, two shots better per round in many events would have still only moved me up one position in the standings (including the major where I placed 53 out of 58) and with one additional event played after the original post, would have reached the 500 mark..

With 4 wins in five MA50+ events including one A tier and a B tier IOS event, the idea of having a game worthy of a second Am Worlds would become plausible especially being among the youngest in the MA55 division.

Play in large events out of the area. The closest ones would be the Bowling Green, KY event in April, the Masters in Columbia, MO in May, and the Peoria event in August all having an MA55 division where I would be among the youngest there. Any of those would require a multi day hotel stay and be expensive.

Play events in non age protected divisions. Points per player are the same in MA3 as in MA50 and MA55 and there are usually 3-4 times the players if not more as well as beginners. Most of my events had an MA3 division where I could compare my scores and I would have easily reached 500.

Though the concept of MA3 would work, playing a full schedule in MA3 would be more difficult personally as my opponents would be younger (including the 11 year old who won an MA3 event I was in by 6 shots beating me by 24) as well as being able to throw a disc much farther than I can.

Though tobacco, alcohol, and weed are used by players in age protected divisions, it is far more frequent and far less courteous in MA3 and with recreational weed becoming legal in Illinois in 2020, it might be worse. My last three events (2 B tier and one unrated) not in an age protected group, I have seen 3 very drunk players (including one who after withdrawing from the event mid-round belched, cracked open a beer, and told me he had a soft penis) and 8 using weed. Since the smell of weed gives me a headache, I ask that it is used when I am not downwind of them but I usually end up in the wrong spot at least once anyway. At my last event, I mentioned to someone my displeasure with others using weed there and was reminded that I am "playing disc golf".

I have been told by another player who treats disc golf as a sport more than I do that I should not allow any of it and report it to the TD. I don't want to be "that guy" but if I might have to be that guy if I want to qualify for a future worlds events.

Play more rated league rounds. Since many leagues are treated as MA1, I get 2.5 points for finishing and 2.5 for any rated player that does not beat me. Since league play is generally cheaper, this would be a more financially prudent way to earn points.

Since the reconfigured Masters Worlds will be in Peoria, IL in 2021, getting to 500 points to qualify for the event will be worth the time and effort especially since how the 2019 worlds went for me.