At the beginning of a new semester, a common question you will hear is: what did you do this summer?

For Jesse Longenecker, a sophomore environmental science major from Lancaster, Pa., the answer is competing against the best disc golfers in the world.

Just a few months removed from winning the D1 Singles title at the College Disc Golf Nationals for EMU Disc Golf, Longenecker took his pro disc golf career to the next level, making his first two career starts in the Elite Series of the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA). Longenecker stepped into the tee box at the Discraft Ledgestone Open on Aug. 14-17 in Peoria, Ill., followed by the LWS Open at Idlewild in Burlington, Ky., on Aug. 22-24.

Throughout the late spring and early summer, Longenecker trained and competed weekly to get ready for the best competitors and toughest courses disc golf has to offer, winning four A-tier PDGA tournaments in the process.

"Right away, after school was done, I had planned out my year so that I was traveling all throughout the east coast, playing A-tier tournaments, which are one step off the highest level," Longenecker said. "Then, I sort of decided to wrap up my summer by trying out some of the professional tour events, which are harder to get into."

At the Ledgestone Open, Longenecker got his first taste of the PDGA Elite Series. Though he eased into the tournament with an even-par opening round, Longenecker steadily surged up the leaderboard to finish 16th at 18-under-par, capped off by a 10-under-par final round with 11 birdies.

"My first round started out pretty rough," Longenecker said. "I was pretty far down the leaderboard after round one, but then each round just got progressively better and better. The last day, I put on one of my best rounds of the year."

Longenecker reflected on how special it was to reach the top level of PDGA competition for the first time after several years of playing the sport.

"It was just really surreal to playing with these guys that I've obviously watched for years and years growing up. It just felt like a dream come true."

Longenecker then made his way to The Bluegrass State for the LWS Open at Idlewild. Unlike Ledgestone, Longenecker leapt out of the gates with a 12-under-par opening round on a difficult course that requires precision with each shot.

"I think that's the most complete round I've ever put together," Longenecker recalled. "It was just such an amazing feeling to know where the shots were going and to capitalize on the good breaks I was getting."

Longenecker's hot first round put him in the featured group for round two of the three-round event at Idlewild, playing alongside six-time PDGA World Champion Paul McBeth, reigning PDGA World Champion Gannon Buhr, and perennial contender Gavin Babcock. For Longenecker, it was even more surreal than his pro debut at Ledgestone.

"That was nothing compared to playing the lead card," Longenecker said. "Paul McBeth is arguably the greatest of all time, and Gannon Buhr right now is playing disc golf at a level I do not know if this sport has ever seen. It was crazy to be there and have all of the cameras, all of the fans and everyone was there following us. That was just a huge adjustment for me."

Perhaps a little starstruck by the disc golf royalty, Longenecker got off to a slow start in the second round, going out of bounds on his first shot of the day on the way to an even-par front nine. However, he showed composure and resilience to birdie five of the final nine holes to complete a five-under-par round, entering the final round in a tie for eighth.

"As I got adjusted, I was able to catch a rhythm and finish up the back nine pretty well," Longenecker remembered.

In particular, Longenecker's highlight of the day came on the par-five 16th hole. After going out of bounds to the left on his tee shot for a one-stroke penalty, he zipped a long third shot that took a bounce off a rock and landed mere feet from the basket that marked the end of the long hole. That pinpoint shot earned Longenecker the Disc Golf Network Shot of the Day.



"That felt like such an honor," Longenecker said. "That was one of the craziest shots I've ever done. I just couldn't believe that happened in that moment."

Unfortunately, Idlewild did not end how Longenecker hoped, going two-over-par in the final round to finish in a tie for 41st. Though it was a tough moment, Longenecker did not let that final round damper his memory and experience of the tournament.

"It's hard for me to put too much weight into that round for who I am as a disc golfer," Longenecker said. "It was just a very emotional high after the first round and making lead card [for the second round], and then things just sort of came crashing down."

Longenecker now turns his attention back to his studies at EMU and the season ahead for EMU Disc Golf. The Royals are shaping up to be contenders again at the College Disc Golf Nationals, building off of a tie for 18th at the D1 level last April. Longenecker is excited for the season and ready to impart his experiences and lessons learned from the two PDGA Elite Series tournaments to his teammates.

"I feel like I gained a lot of experience this summer and in the past year with Nationals," Longenecker said. "One of my main goals for this year was to learn how to close out a tournament, playing with the pressure of knowing you're in it for the win. That's some experience that I feel like I will be able to bring. I am very excited for this college season, to get back and be practicing with the team. It's a really fun environment."

Longenecker continues to make a name for himself in disc golf and put EMU on the map. That seems like a great way to spend the summer.