Nikko Locastro
| Nikko Locastro | |
|---|---|
| — Disc golfer — | |
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Nikko Locastro |
| Born | September 16, 1988 St. Louis, Missouri |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Residence | Grass Valley, CA |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 2006 |
| Current tour(s) | PDGA National Tour Disc Golf Pro Tour Disc Golf World Tour |
| Professional wins | 100 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PDGA National Tour | 4 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| PDGA World Championships | 3rd: 2013, 2016 |
| USDGC | Won: 2009 |
| European Masters | 14th: 2016 |
| European Open | 7th: 2013 |
| Japan Open | Won: 2010 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| PDGA Male Player of the Year | 2009, 2010, 2011 |
| National Tour Series Champion | 2009, 2011 |
Nikko Locastro (born September 16, 1988) is a professional disc golf player from St. Louis, Missouri. He has been playing the sport professionally since 2006. As of May 2023, Locastro is ranked 54th in the world, and has the 40th highest rating, currently at 1027 .
In 2009, and then again in 2010, he broke Barry Schultz's season winnings record. He was previously sponsored by Gateway Disc Golf, Dynamic Discs, Innova Discs,[1] and Prodigy Disc.[2] by Westside Discs through 2021, and as of December 27th 2021 announced that he is leaving Westside for the 2022 season. In 2011, Locastro was awarded the Player of the Year award, for the third consecutive year.[3] In 2022, he was disqualified at the European Open due to an incident involving Nikko threatening a tournament official.[4] He was subsequently suspended by the PDGA for 9 months, followed by 15 months of probation. [5]
Amateur career
Locastro ascended quickly through the amateur ranks. In 2004, he worked his way through divisions, starting in Juniors and ending in Advanced, where he would stay until turning pro in 2006. While he was not dominant as an amateur nationwide, he was competitive. In 2005, he placed 34th in the Bowling Green Amateur Championships, held in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the largest disc golf tournament in the world. 2006 was his best year as an amateur. He won three tournaments and finished third at Bowling Green and sixth at Worlds. After worlds, Locastro decided to play professionally.
Professional career
2009 season
Locastro's 2009 season is without a doubt his breakout season. In this season, he played 43 events and won 16 of them. Of these wins, six were A Tier tournaments, and one was a National Tour event. His most notable event, however, was his win in the United States Disc Golf Championship, his first major. His win made him only the fifth different winner in this tournament. He also bested the previous record for earnings in a year, beating Barry Schultz's total by over $2,000.
2010 season
Somehow, Locastro improved upon his previous year. In fewer events, he managed more winnings, besting his previous record by nearly $4,000. In addition to earning more, he was much more consistent, finishing no lower than 13th. Among his fourteen wins were 5 A Tiers, a National Tour event, the Vibram Open, and his second major, the 2010 Japan Open, held in Tochigi, Nasu Highlands, Japan. He also finished second at the USDGC and Scandinavian Open, both majors.
2011 season
While no majors were won this year, Locastro still had a very solid year. In 31 events played as of November 11, he has won 15. Of these 15 wins, 5 were A Tiers, and two were National Tour events. One of the A Tier wins included the Stockholm Open, held in Stockholm, Sweden. This was Locastro's only international win in 2011. As of the September and August updates, Locastro's player rating reached 1045, at that time the second highest rating yet, behind David Feldberg's 1046.[6]
2012 season
Locastro started out his 2012 season by winning the 13th annual Gentlemen's Club Classic. Averaging a 1070 rating over the three rounds, he took home $1,400 for his first A Tier win of the year. Shortly after on May 5–6, Locastro won his second A Tier win at the St. Louis Open tournament held annually each year. This years tournament took place at the Jefferson Barracks, Sioux Passage, and Endicott courses. Another notable win in 2012 was his in the "Ledgestone Insurance Championships Super Tour", where he took home $2,500 in winnings. Locastro finished 15th at World Championships.
Professional wins
Notable wins
| Date | Tournament | Tier | Location | Earnings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 5, 2009 | The Memorial [1] | NT | Scottsdale, Arizona | $2,500 | Results |
| October 7, 2009 | US Disc Golf Championship [2] | M | Rock Hill, South Carolina | $15,000 | Results |
| June 10, 2010 | Japan Open [3] | M | Tochigi, Japan | $5,450 | Results |
| August 13, 2010 | Vibram Open [4] | NT | Leicester, MA | $3,000 | Results |
| April 2, 2011 | Texas State Championships | NT | Hitchcock, Texas | $1,410 | Results |
| May 13, 2011 | Alabama Disc Golf Championship | NT | Athens, Alabama | $2,065 | Results |
| July 5, 2020 | The Preserve Championship | DGPT | Clearwater, Minnesota | $4,200 | Results |
| March 14, 2021 | Waco Annual Charity Open | DGPT | Waco, Texas | $5,000 | Results |
Major, NT playoff record (1-0)
| Year | Tournament | Tier | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Japan Open | M | David Feldberg | Won with birdie on first extra hole [7] |
Summary
| Competition Tier | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-25 | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Championships | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 11 |
| Other Majors | 2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 18 | 21 |
| National Tour | 4 | 6 | 8 | 30 | 53 | 58 |
| Disc Golf Pro Tour | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 27 |
Annual statistics
| Year | Events | Wins | Top 3 | Earnings | $ / Event | Rating† | World Ranking† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 15 | 2 | 5 | $2,646 | $176.40 | 996 | - |
| 2007 | 21 | 2 | 8 | $5,535 | $263.57 | 1008 | 37 |
| 2008 | 26 | 8 | 18 | $13,848 | $532.62 | 1024 | 12 |
| 2009 | 42 | 15 | 29 | $40,926 | $974.43 | 1032 | 2 |
| 2010 | 36 | 14 | 27 | $45,256 | $1,257.11 | 1040 | 1 |
| 2011 | 33 | 16 | 23 | $29,859 | $904.82 | 1044 | 4 |
| 2012 | 22 | 5 | 9 | $14,618 | 664.45 | 1037 | 19 |
| 2013 | 29 | 6 | 19 | $25,343 | 873.90 | 1041 | 6 |
| 2014 | 21 | 6 | 11 | $18,320 | 872.38 | 1033 | 21 |
| 2015 | 32 | 14 | 21 | $27,119 | 847.47 | 1036 | 4 |
| 2016 | 37‡ | 12 | 22 | $31,364 | 847.68 | 1028 | - |
| Career | 314 | 100 | 192 | $254,834 | $811.57 | - | - |
The above information was gathered from Locastro's player page. [5]
†At Year End
‡Includes Disc Golf Pro Tour Championship (not PDGA Sanctioned)
References
- ^ "Team Innova Dominates the Start of 2012". 27 February 2012.
- ^ Giggey, B. "Prodigy Disc and "Vested Interest"".
- ^ PDGA (February 22, 2012). "2011 POY/ROY". Retrieved 2012-02-25.
- ^ PDGA. "2022 Statement Regarding Nikko Locastro's Disqualification at the 2022 European Open".
- ^ Charlie Eisenhood. "Nikko Locastro Suspended for Nine Months".
- ^ PDGA (March 29, 2011). "He Made It!". Retrieved 2011-11-14.
- ^ "2010 Japan Open--Dramatic Disc Golf Finals".