2026 MVP Bottle Lake Open | MPO Final RD B9 | Stout, Humphries, Blair, Latta

The final nine holes of our Tour Down Under season are right here and we're crowning a champion. This is the 2026 MVP discs Bottle Lake Open from Christ Church, New Zealand. I'm Luke Humphre joined by Sir Tall Paul Omen. We only got nine left and I catch a flight in literally 12 hours. >> It breaks my heart to see you go and I hope to see you soon. >> You still don't have that ticket. >> Um, no, but I'm formulating a plan and I think it's going to come together beautifully. >> I know it will. It always does. This is our second event down here that we are going with Gothro Tour points. these players accumulating, then we'll go back to the states and eventually crown a tour champion after we go from Alabama to Georgia to Colorado to Missouri to Yeah, we're going everywhere. Ending up in Pennsylvania, actually. But, uh, Levi Stout's in the lead by five at this point. What do you think it'll take? >> I think it'll take maybe him like tripping on a pine cone or something and like really injuring himself for someone. That's able to catch him. Yeah. I mean, >> he's comfortable. He's in front of the home crowd. >> It up >> a lot of the same disc, too. >> Yeah, that's very well noted. I mean, this is a part of the course where I guess if if a player is offline, there is some ground to make up. >> Mentioned that green A2. Jacob loves it. Rarely misss. He does there and kicks right. It'll be a bit of a scramble to get up and down for that par. Going 750 A3. >> Tight and tidy. Oh my gosh. Oh, somebody told me the pole earlier. They didn't say it was the last pole before you enter the basket. >> That's about 3 in low, bud. >> The little baby wire wrap pole. Look at this. >> A nice little skip. Didn't expect it to get that high, honestly. Nearly got lucky. Man, that was beautiful. And I feel like we were robbed as viewers. >> This is the other way to play it. >> Yeah. And I heard that that uh roar from the crowd. There was just an amazing gallery out today about a lake and I was probably a couple holes in front of you guys and I could hear that that roar and that was cool. >> Yeah, it was fantastic. I think Christ Church on average has the best galleries of our time in Auckland. Uh it's great as well, but it's really something special down here. >> Yeah, again the game is alive and well here. It's pretty nice. Things could go ary from there. Yeah, it's good for Jacob as well. This is kind of that, you know, you got to feed off of hole nine energy. It's right there. It's a >> It's not a gimme, but like you do not feel good missing that hole. And then you step up to this maybe the same disc, just a bit of different angle. I know a lot of players are throwing forehands on this as well, but um I mean after you get that birdie on nine, you just want to keep it rolling with this hole here. The next hole is a pretty tricky shape of a shot. But uh definitely a birdie hole and then you go into the super tight 12, but like this one kind of just like it's the beginning of the train. You got to keep it rolling. And then you're going into this one and just a beautiful shape of a shot that you need. >> And I not a must must get birdie. Not everyone I I don't know how this one is playing stat man, but >> it's it's playing over par whole 11. Not much over par just.12. >> That's over there. >> No, it didn't. >> He gives me the red, I believe. But I was in fact on the line. Oh, safe. >> I love it. >> It's as It's as good as being OB, though. >> Yeah, it's so bad over there. >> Yeah, an early kick. >> Very fortunate to stay in bounds. >> Oh, just a bit wide on the start. That was the shape it was. We talked about it yesterday. You get up there with the forehand. I think 15 20 feet short is the pure play. It is a backhand park job. Pure. And the way he throws this FX3. Oh yeah, that air space. Like he didn't have to keep the disc moving right. He flattened it and found a little more air space to work the disc. >> Gets the worst kick though. Kicked out of bounds. >> Did it really? >> Yeah. >> I didn't think that OB continued that far on the left. >> I didn't think so either. I kind of thought it dried up shorter. >> Fortunately, no. So, he's like 50 ft. They must have just stuck with the uh the practice of o being the blackberry brambles there. So >> there's two different lines to choose from. There's like a little mini flex I chose to go with didn't execute. So I'm like 55 for the bar. >> This is the pwaka waka. >> Yeah. Leaving itself about circle edge. Okay. I saw that whisker. But man, everybody working for the par here. >> No kidding. Yeah, like we've said it before. You knew it. >> Yeah, >> man. >> Not my best. Unfortunate. Yeah, this one got me all all week. >> Levi's got a little work to do himself, but >> good bid from Jacob with that PA3. >> Yeah, could have put a little pressure on him there. >> Jacob still, you know, >> not going to be able to get any closer to you. I I like what Isaac did there. He threw too fast of a disc, but he committed to it and he threw it because it was the proper shape. >> Yeah. >> And that matters more than the distance. Giving yourself that putt, allowing your putter to to even work at all, you know? >> Yeah. Instead of being halfway up the fairway. >> Yeah. >> Shoved on the left. It's something to to think about. The proper shape matters a little more than the distance sometimes. >> Definitely. Just get yourself the opportunity. You don't have to be parked. Feels good. >> Prodigy fellas taking the bogey. That one hurts. Especially moving into the tightest gap on the course. This one feels like a must get, but it also feels like I must get through that gap. >> Yeah, I don't think you think must get here. You're just like really focused on the line you're trying to hit. I'm not even looking at the gap. Just looking down the fairway at the basket. This is a beautiful ace run if you want it. That short left kick is just diabolical. He didn't get too far left, but still a lot of ground to cover on that second shot for par. >> A a pretty big moment to step up to this whole top of the box. Finally got the birdie on the fellas. Have to hit that gap. >> Hopefully he doesn't break anyone else's confidence. Levi's been throwing this overstable premium plastic takaoo. >> If they hung a line down the dead center of that gap, he would have hit it three days in a row. >> Yeah, like McBth used to do it. Equal equal, you know, bits on either side of the disc. >> It's not even straight down the middle of the gap. Gold A5 using some of that left airspace. >> Were you throwing this all weekend or did you switch it up? You did. >> I Yeah, I got it. Two of the days. >> We'll see what happens today. >> Well played. >> This is a little down tempmpo M5 from Jacob. >> Gets a nice pine straw skip and dude, it gets all the way up. Yeah, the low line here. Taking the big kicks out of it and getting the nose angle correct on that uphill. Look at this >> dude. Going to call the Pwaka again. Understaple mid-range. Both he and Levi use it the last two holes. Both of get up and down. >> Taking the back door. >> He's done that a couple times. Did it on hole nine. getting away with it. >> Nice and tidy. >> Yep. >> Staying on pace. Going to need to start chipping away here. >> Yeah, it was about this time I checked my phone just to see where we were at and I was like, "Okay, this is this is an uphill battle." But I also saw that Cory Ellis and Matt Bell were on fire. They were about eight or nine under through 13 holes or so. So, I knew that we really needed to not worry about Levi so much. Start protecting and start making some good decisions and not give away too much ground cuz six strokes with seven holes or six holes, excuse me. It's a lot. It's not much. >> Yeah. So, so when you checked your phone >> Yeah. do you think that helped you or do you think that hurt you at all? Do you think you maybe shouldn't have looked at it? Because I think at this point you've, you know, Levi hasn't made as many mistakes as you. You've kind of shared some birdies. Like why take me through like why you wanted to look at your phone at that point. I felt like we were on the back nine. I felt like uh knowledge sometimes makes you do stuff differently, but in this case, I just needed to know the situation. I need to know the scenario. I want I want to be more aware. Typically, I haven't been, but coming down the back nine of a final round, I think is the one time that you can check your phone. >> So then in checking your phone and seeing that other players were starting to get hot >> or were already hot and were continuing to be hot, like did that affect your thought process or your nerves or anything like that or like was there kind of an adverse effect of like looking at your phone and being like, "Oh, there's not even a chance. Oh, this is where I need to get aggressive. Oh, shoot. these guys are actually doing something like what? I don't know. I'm not trying to extract too much information. >> No, I I think I don't know exactly why I did it. Just felt like it was time. I did it right after my bogey on 11 and I birdied 12 and then I just birdied 13. So, it didn't affect my my game. Obviously got two park jobs in a row out of it, but it it could and has in the past negatively affected me >> thinking about Matt Bell and Cory Ellis on my heels. >> Yeah. But I I focused on the holes that were still available. >> Mhm. >> And in that found some comfort and relaxed a bit, I think. >> Good. Good. So, you got got some comfort out of the phone check. That's good. I'm just I'm just curious on the thought process. You know, I don't really >> But the kids these days, Ganon's on his phone every single hole, >> right? I've heard some crazy things like he's watching his shot land on coverage and checking out where he's going to throw before he even gets up to his lie. >> Yeah, I've been on cards with him. Jacob with the OB behind it. Let's run that back, please. And he knows, too. >> Oh, the early fist bump that was on the >> spot. He knows he's not going out of bounds. >> Yeah, it's definitely a sketchy one to run. >> Three out of four. Not a bad set. >> Progress. 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Dealer's choice. >> I Yeah, the forehand for the forehand guys, the backhand, the pure route again, which is I I feel like somewhat common here. You can get away with throwing a little flip up forehand, but it really does fit better if you can throw a nice mid-range like Levi can. I got to see somebody take the uh super low right route today. >> That's not a route. >> It was d way up there. Caught caught a late tree, but like he cured the Eli Swanson. No feed. No fear. Just really >> Oh yeah. >> Shout out to Eli. That is awesome. All right. You saw the backhand filtered missed some trees. Gets all the way into the circle. I'm going with my D3 here. Hitting it flat. getting all of it. No way, dude. Some funky like stick or something or like >> I wondered what happened. >> It was curling and like kind of redirected itself. >> Yeah, when you see him upside down, you kind of got to wonder. >> Man, you got all of that though. Fortune to miss some trees at the end. Is it >> nice? That is an OB corner. Stays away from It's going with the pew flippy mid-range. That would have been a crazy one to see. Not his best work, but he gets like a 100 ft of slide. So, >> yeah, >> he's got himself. >> Yeah. >> Look at that. Look at that part. >> That's a good looking stroke, too. >> Tree off the tea. Ground pretty early. Putting makes up for all. That's a good stroke. >> The great equalizer. All of a sudden, I've got a poor putt. Felt like a pretty good drive. Good boys treat me right. Love it. dialing those things in. Over these four weeks, I feel much more comfortable with that new set that I'm working. >> Yeah, they're finally getting worked in a bit. >> No, >> that is worst case scenario as well as a nice dodge by that spotter. >> Man, I feel like that's got to be like the course the course showing you some love somehow. I don't know. I don't know why, but you shouldn't have went out of bounds with that drive. It it did take a weird bounce. >> I don't know that that's a weird comment, but it just felt like, you know, he missed the putt. He didn't need to go out of bounds, but >> like a ball don't lie sitch >> maybe. I don't know cuz it didn't really worked kind of indirectly in your favor. Moving on. Hole 15. One of the spiciest lines on the course. Obie on the right, kicks to the left. They're just in Narnia. Yeah, >> pitch out, Bill. But, um, any eagles on this one today? I know we had an eagle count yesterday. >> Yeah, I'll tell you. >> I got to see it in person. >> No pre-shot eagle count, please. Statman, man. >> No pre-shot eagle counts, but okay, fine. >> Chihuahua, the one to beat was a little high. I love to see the low line on this. This is a fairway loaded with pine straw >> turned. Not good. Eagle count still very low for this card. Possibility >> OB count higher than the Eagle count. I'm out of bounds in the worst spot on the course. >> You boarded that little kid over there. He was like throwing sticks and stones. >> Give us the juice, Isaac. >> Look at this. >> Stop it. >> The dead center, bro. I don't know about that tree. >> Yo, it's dead and you need to navigate it. That was just a heartbreaker. >> He hit that thing so well. I love the height. Oh, so good. And oh man, I'd much rather have that left side kick. >> Do not love the heads peeking out in the fairway like that. Moving on >> this on this hole. Yeah, it is a lot. All right, so a lot of self-control, some hyperfocus on where he wanted to land this to give him that straight shot. He executes perfectly. Wow. This is now what I have. That was That was probably the gap that I was trying to hit. Honestly, it was like 2 and 1/2 ft wide. >> Got to be careful over here on the right side because >> you can just kick straight back out of bounds. I I'm not out of bounds, but I'm still just the worst place. >> Yeah, I saw some big numbers on this. It happened so fast over there. >> There's nothing. Just got to get back out into the middle of that fairway and throw the straight yellow taka poo shot. >> If you're in first place, that is a great play. >> Whatever. Yeah, I'm trying to grind this out. >> Yeah. All right. So, now I'm going back over the out of bounds because there's this prayer. >> You need to roll reverse with Levi right now. He needs to be on a knee chucking a turnover forehand through a forest. >> Yeah. >> And you need to be the >> No, honestly, we hit the same tree. He kicked left. I kicked right and they're different experiences. The next 15 minutes are defined by different >> I heard you took a number on this one. I hated to hear it. >> Yeah. Now I'm in a dead tree. >> Get out of town. Never give up. >> Anything is possible. >> Anything. >> Yeah. Unfortunate. So I'm looking like a double. almost. >> He's done that twice, three times maybe from from deep. They're not putts that you necessarily depend on making, but just a little low on that long bid. And this self-control, the game plan right there to pitch back out and take the part. >> Yeah, >> it was just executed like a genius. I like I like the composure on the face. He wasn't wasn't doing the grin. He wasn't doing anything. He knew how how big that was. And >> he's kind of walking it in right now. >> Indeed. Indeed. And man, second place, third place are totally up for grabs now. Cory and Mac coming on strong. We also have Jacob now believe tied with me or is he? That hole did not help your your cause for second place. >> That is very true, Pap. >> A good spot to get confidence back for these last three holes. >> Wide gap. >> The low line I'm loving out here in the woods. >> Little down tempmp tempmpo F5 from my guy. >> Kind of loved it. Man, that could have got that. OB comes up quick with that down slope to the basket. But he played it well. Looking for it to stand a bit more. You can't even see that branch until it's moving. It's literally invisible until you hit it. >> Yeah. Out here at bottle. I mean, you you've got to control the height. >> Yeah. It was a little high. >> Yeah. Yeah, and that was uh off. I at this point it's probably hard to stay motivated. I'm sure he's checking scores. He's like, "Dude, I could double every hole on the way in. >> I mean, he doesn't need more than that. He's not thinking about doubling, but he's like, if I hit this gap, I'm going to get a par, you know, I can give a couple strokes." The only real big trouble hole other than this one is 18. But it's not like he's going to compound a bunch of OB strokes there. >> That 85 flew so nice today. I didn't even notice it, but I think it's been bullseye every time I've thrown it. >> Yeah, just another circle edger and he's so good at them. >> Isaac almost nothing to do over there. This is a big putt now. I'm pretty parked. Jacob and I tied. I think that Jacob's aware of the situation >> 100%. He's been out here. >> He's getting some tournament knowledge. >> Yeah. I had >> He knows how big hole 15 was. >> No kidding. >> It's Yeah, it was a great par given the situation obviously. >> Yeah. >> I hadn't checked my phone again since I bogeied at 11. So, >> I'm not uh I'm not aware that we're tied. I think that it's probably Matt Bell and Cory Ellis that have come on strong and I'm thinking I could be in fourth place at this point. >> That's why I asked that question earlier. I wasn't trying to like put you on blast at all. I'm just trying to get a mindset in the game game time situations and I just seeing those guys scoring the way that they were like I feel like it just brings another element into the mental game. >> Yeah. when in reality just get birdies. >> FX2 finally gave it the width. Get a little caught up. So, I'm going to have to get down on knee to finish that one out. But pretty solid. >> The only way people used to know scores is if they saw like the leaderboard roll around like a big tournament or something. >> No doubt. >> Same disc, same line, same result right here. A little encumbered, but not much left. That's all you got to do. Good looking straight fairway shot there from Isaac. >> Isaac powers a disc. Yeah, he he really can pop him and he's really the only guy I've seen going with the mid-range this week. Kotoku to finish. I mean, he parked it twice. >> I thought he was just back there while Isaac was on the tea and he was just like, "You see this disc right here? You know what I'm about to do with this?" >> Yeah. He He was showing it to me telling me that Casey >> from Disco Fever dies. >> Oh, did she dye something on it? Well, she's going to do that one apparently. >> That's his baby. What he's going to put on there. >> Yeah, the I mean the red is a great little backdrop for some cool black art. >> You should put that Francis orange die that he she did for uh for Worlds last year. >> Yeah, that was cool. >> That'd be awesome. Nice and tidy for the bird. Doesn't matter for the man in the lead. >> No, it doesn't really. But Jacob has a chance to catch me now on hole 18 if I par and he birdies or something else happens. So some interesting scenarios still taking place in a great gallery gathered around these hay bales. Man, it was so cool to see Christ Church show up tour down under season being finished. It's It's kind of It was a sendoff. You could feel it. >> Yeah. I love the vibes down here. I know, you know, Mexico does something similar, but everyone sticks around for prize giving. Everyone is together, hanging out with everyone, sharing the vibes, watching the golf. >> It's really a special like old school feeling that doesn't really happen too much >> in the States. >> Not at all. >> In the bigger events, I should say. I've been to some really great A tiers. It happens when the community is still small. >> Yeah. >> When everybody knows almost everybody. >> Yeah, it's true. >> Nice little bounce out of that tree. He's going to have a straddle out forehand. Got a bunch of distance, too. So, >> yeah. Both some >> not great >> funky shots. This is a bit high and could punch through. Good. It >> did. It did. Most likely a layup. It's super frisky from there. It's a driving flat shot. >> Wow. >> He thought he was inbounds for a second and we discussed on the way up whether the trees or his yellow takapoos were the MVP of the week. >> Yeah. >> And turns out with that kick, he didn't get back in bounds. So, the yellow taka poos >> take the dub. They are the MVP. >> The way he threw his putters this week, he literally won because of it. >> Oh, 100%. in the woods slicing and dicing. >> Oh my goodness. >> But I feel like with this play like like six is like the worst you can take. >> Totally. Yeah. He's going to have a chance for a five without throwing a disc in bounds yet. >> Yeah. I mean maybe he skips off the top of the basket over a hay bale, but like six is like the worst you're gonna get with that play. Not that that's what he's trying to do. Lovely hay bale relief for Jacob. >> So I I stuck out of that tree which definitely tempted me into throwing at the green. I checked my scores again, realized that I did have one stroke over Jacob. Didn't know until that moment. Chose to lay up without knowing exactly where Jacob was. I assumed he was right bale, but I didn't see his shot. So I knew he had a putt. >> Wow. Definitely a good time to look at the phone. Throw the A5 one more time. Gets a little wind blown, but I played the backhand because the bales were right there. Left me a little closer. >> Yeah, the entry into this green because the way that they kind of cockeyed the bales was definitely more backhand friendly. >> Looking like it will be a double irrelevant at the end of the day. >> That was a silver takapoo. That might have rolled out. >> The white ones, they always sit. >> Sit. >> That was the tie for second bid. >> All right. So, you knew. >> Yeah, >> you guys both knew what was going on. >> Yeah, he must have. That That looked like a >> Yeah, he didn't do that all day. >> There was a lot of people in the crowd. Silvin running around being cuter than ever. >> No kidding. Tough to >> Yeah, that's a key focus. That's my ring bearer right there. Well, four-year-old Silvin climbed this mile and a half up the hill. Your champion, Mr. Levi Stout, able to take the dub and still win by three. >> Take the double bogey on the last hole and still win the tournament. He did some work all weekend. Did Yeah, that's exactly what happened. >> Ladies and gentlemen, we're back here at the 18th green after another great day here in Otahi Christ Church. And I'm joined by our champion. It is my absolute pleasure to introduce for the second time this season an MVP discs tour and under champion here at the MVP discs Bottle Lake Open. It's New Zealand's own Levi Stout. >> How about it? Well, mate, we're joined again here. It was 4 weeks since your last win on the tour and under there at the start of the season in Tatanaki and we finish it off with another win at the end of the season before you go onwards to a big year over in the US. Talk us through the day that was here, the final round of the uh Bottle Lake Open and the things that you look forward to now having finished a great TDU season. >> Going into today, I just knew if I got off hot, I'd be all right. Um cuz that three-stroke lead starts looking like a lot if you get to the back nine and you still got it. Uh so I put my foot down early and held it for most of the course and you know kept it together. Dude, I'm just looking forward to getting to the states because you know there's more competition out there. Um I'm always looking forward to the next one and uh it's been so awesome playing here. This is probably my favorite course in the South Island. I've got history here before, so it's like, you know, I feel a little bit of pressure to show up and I've just had the opportunity to, you know, show some of the Americans the beauty of the country in New Zealand. And now I get to beat them one last time before they go home. Not a bad way to finish things off. Levi, you spoke about the level of competition that you'll anticipate overseas, but I tell you what, this week here at Bottle Lake, we had some stiff competition coming from all angles. We had Americans and Luke Humphre and Jacob Blair making runs here at the Bottle Lake Open. And we had a Kiwi contingent throughout the weekend showing their stuff between Sergey Sandon opening the opening round with the hot round. We had Francis Orange and Isaac Ladder joining you on League Cards. What does it mean to you to see some of your fellow Kiwis, mates of yours here, join you on League Cards in front of this Kiwi uh crowd on what is the biggest disc golf tournament or tour here in the Southern Hemisphere. It's exactly as you say. It's so awesome to see because these aren't just fellow Kiwis, you know. Um we've all got history. Me, Francis, and Isaac, you know, our practice rounds out at Bottle Lake throughout winter. Um, you know, kept a little bit of hope for me, kept a little bit of fun in the game over the dark months. Um, so it's all so awesome to see them playing well out here. And I feel like this is fundamentally Kiwi course in Bottle Lake. We've got, you know, nine open, nine woods, and it's kind of it's kind of takuoo territory if you ask me. >> So, three wins now to your name on the two and under. Two of them coming here at the Bottle Lake Open. And I think we've got a huge Kiwi Gallery that's been so excited to see you rise up the ranks over the last few years. And this is the culmination of a big couple of years on the tour than under before. We look forward to seeing you in action on the Disc Golf Pro Tour this year. Another time for your champion, New Zealand's own Levi Stout. >> No goose this time. >> Yeah. Yeah. The course record holder goose. Little reference to him. Man, what a four-week journey this was. We couldn't have done it without obviously our partners MVP Discs making all of this possible with their tour sponsorship, OTB being the retail partner throughout all of this as well as the PDGA Gothrow Boys, Bob, Gabe, Chris, and Conrad Acronun Pro joining in to make all of this possible, bringing you guys this content. It really does take a village. The village came together and this beautiful product is before you, man. Paul, anything else? >> I just love all the people that supported the uh the tour down under to make this possible. >> Um it's a really special thing to be down here. >> Sharing my time with my friends and making new friends and seeing new places, experiencing new things. >> Yeah. >> Just want to keep it rolling. Thank you to the tour down under. >> Yep. Henry Pearson, your vision, your hard work, it it's paying off and the world's getting to see New Zealand in a whole new light. For Tall Paul Omen, I'm Luke Humphre. It's been a pleasure being with you guys here on Gothro coverage. We'll be back in the States with Cactus Rock coverage coming to you shortly. So before you know it, you'll be seeing us again. Until then, go throw.