Sai Ananda: Texas State Champ
The 2023 DGPT season is just getting under way, and there have already been some big story lines. This weekend The Innova Open at the 28th Texas State Championships was held in Houston, and it did not disappoint. There was lots of action on both sides, but today I want to talk about Sai Ananda and her definitive win. For many in our community, this was their introduction to this player hailing from the Northwest US. This is her first year where she can tour ‘full time’, and it will be no surprise to see Sai continue to perform well throughout the year.
Sai has been a PDGA member since 2013 and has had great success playing in tournaments in the NW region. In 2022, she came in the top 20 in 6 of her 7 events, with three first place finishes and a very notable 7th place performance at the 2022 USWDGC in Madison. It comes as no surprise that she would be a contender this year on tour. She has all the shots, and can sink putts from both circles consistently, as she proved this weekend in Houston.
Perhaps it was her extensive experience playing in the rainy northwest that helped her in rounds one and three when rain and heavy humidity was a major factor. She proved that even in perfect conditions she can put together a great round. Even more impressive was her ability to play through her ‘fan girl’ moments. She said during a post round interview that she was playing disc golf with her heroes, and for her to maintain her focus and composure and pull out the victory made a statement to the whole world that she’s here to compete at the highest level.
I also wanted to spend a paragraph talking about Sai’s style. There are plenty of well-dressed players on the tour, but Sai is bringing her own special look to the course. When I first discovered Sai back in Madison last year, she left an indelible impression on me because she just had this ‘rockstar pixie goth girl’ aesthetic. Her outfit on Sunday was exactly that. The bandana around the knee, the sleeveless shirt, the braids, the hat, the whole thing just perfectly reflects her personality. I’ve decided to call her style ‘Disc Goth’.
I did try to reach out to Sai to get some quotes from her, but she did not respond. It seems like she’ll be taking the next month off and will be back on tour when the tour heads to the west coast beginning in May. Maybe in the future I’ll be able to do a full feature article with her, but until then I’ll say keep up the good work, enjoy your time off, and we all look forward to watching you compete in the coming months.
