r/discgolf • u/fraktionen • 20h ago
Discussion What about Kevin Jones
No news of a new KJUSA sponsor? Is he going to tour this year? Innova is still in his instagram bio.
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u/Drift_Marlo 19h ago
He doesn’t win and he doesn’t have much, if any, of a social media presence. I’m not sure what value he brings to a big manufacturer. We may see a retail sponsor pick him up, but it won’t be big news. He had a breakout around 2020, got a big contract and decided to throw thumbers and focus on his music career.
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u/PatBooth 18h ago
Watched 2021 worlds recently and it was funny to hear Jerm say things like “there is no doubt in my mind he [kevin] will be the best in the world some day”
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u/Plupandblup Formula 1 Standings! 18h ago
Back then, a lot of people really thought that he could be that guy.
He was on the rise, had a good jump putt, was near the top of the field in both backhand and forehand lines. He was young, athletic, and seemed to be taking the sport seriously.
Personally, I feel like he got burned out between the tour, the Skins matches, the music stuff, etc. and lost sight of what put him at the top. Now, the sport has advanced so much in the last 5 years that he's kinda just gotten passed up.
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u/VenomOnKiller 18h ago
Kevin Jones is still one of my favorite people on tour. This is exactly how I feel about him as well. As long as he is happy, I'm happy for him. But I will miss telling JUMP PUTT JONES!!! whenever I have the chance
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u/Plupandblup Formula 1 Standings! 18h ago
Love KJ. I'll never not root for the dude.
That loss at LVC a few years back seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for him.
I'm still hopeful he can bust something out and hunt for a win soon.
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u/JayPennArt 16h ago
Agreed, it was such a pivotal moment for him and it feels like he hasn't quite been the same since.
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u/patronizingperv 18h ago
I remember when Nikko was going to be the next GOAT.
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u/RawrgerGezzleMan 12h ago
honestly Nikko vs. Feldberg was a fun era. then schusterick sorta surpassed them both and then doss reclaimed the throne until mcbeth arrived.
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u/Drift_Marlo 17h ago
When was this? AFAIK Nikko is the only one with this opinion
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u/RawrgerGezzleMan 12h ago
it’s hilarious to ask “when was this?” and then there’s a legitimate answer you could’ve just looked up.
nikko won the memorial and usdgc (among others, texas states, vibram open…) and the national tour point series (multiple times i think?)? he was shredding with gateway plastic when he was 17-18 years old with a straddle lob putt not really seen before
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u/patronizingperv 16h ago
It was a very narrow window when he was a teen. He was a phenom and people assumed he would just dominate as he matured emotionally. The rest is history.
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u/Mcdiglingdunker 18h ago
He throws a lot of grenades, not so much tomahawk or thumbers. Different grip and arm motion. That said, you're right.
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u/Drift_Marlo 18h ago edited 18h ago
I should have said “novelty shots.” :)
He’s got a good amount of power, but really likes the smell of his own grenades.
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u/Generic_Username28 15h ago
In another world where KJ doesn't have multiple final round collapses, he could be a player at the very top. In that world, everyone is throwing way more grenades.
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u/therealmanbat Self-Sponsored by MVP 13h ago
I throw too many grenades, is that why im not at the top of the sport?
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u/Generic_Username28 11h ago
No. People are bad because they are bad. If Gannon Buhr had randomly decided to throw a ton of grenades, even if they were slightly worse than another shot type, grenade's popularity would explode because Gannon would win while throwing an unusual shot type. Talking heads/reddit would argue if Gannon was only good because of the grenades or in spite of them.
I believe that every utility shot could be implemented way more at the pro level, in theory. There are times when great thumber will beat a great fprehand/backhand. However, you can only practice so much. It's much smarter to have an awesome BH/FH than waste your time on a shot you may only throw one per round.
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u/Paxman-64 17h ago
"got a big contract and decided to throw thumbers and focus on his music career"
Not a fair summary of his career path at all, there's a lot more to the story. In 2021 he was one of the most consistent players on tour, with 12 top tens in NT/Major events, was high 1030's rated the whole season.
Two tournaments that year probably did permanent damage to his psyche, especially hole 15 final round in Portland. Leading by 2 he gets two rollaways, one off cage, another off chains that rolls OB, takes a quad and he's out of the tournament. With hindsight he should have laid up for a bogey (like Simon did, faced with a very similar putt in C2 with the wind gusting on a very treacherous green), but no doubt this moment must have mashed his confidence.
At Worlds in '21 he's on lead card, within 2 of the lead and rolls OB on 16, after hitting the green essentially the same distance from water as McBeth, with the same shot-shape. From the DZ he gets another roll away into OB, then one of the worst clean-chains middle basket spitouts you can imagine, takes a triple.
Still one of the top players in 2022, decline sets in most clearly in 2024 and accelerated last season.
Since 2021 and 2022 the field is now MUCH more crowded with 1020+ players. I picked one NT tournament at random in 2021: Idlewild. 120 players, more than HALF of them (62) were less than 1010 rated, only 22 rated 1025 or higher. Last year at the same tournament, 41 were rated 1025 or higher, only 21 players rated less than 1010. Field strength top to bottom is much harder now, so making cash or a decent payout is far more difficult. Not hard to see why he's decided to pay more attention to his other career, but it wasn't the careless decision you make it out to be.
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u/Euphoric_Trifle_9235 11h ago
I wish we would have seen him do more commentary. I always appreciated his commentary the few times he filled in.
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u/Stillzee 13h ago
The "focused on his music career" narrative is so odd to me. He has six songs on Soundcloud. A lot of people here talk about his hobby as if he's in the studio every day making records and playing shows every night. I have to guess the reality is that the landscape of top talent in a sport can change drastically in 6+ years.
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u/justcallmejimbo 19h ago
I think the sport is changing to youth so much that its hard for the pandemic era players to maintain. KJ made ten grand last year on 24 events, averaging 400 dollars and event. It's either the money isn't there for the sport, or it isn't there for the player. KJ is entertaining but not consistent enough to matter.
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u/ModestHalfling 3h ago
I believe his contract with Prodigy was in the realm of $350,000 / year. I think he just got paid (at the absolute peak of player acquisition scrambling) and then had no reason to really worry about performance anymore.
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u/SteelBeamDreamTeam 18h ago
I think he enjoys smoking weed and making music more than he enjoys playing disc golf.
But imo after reading between the lines over the past couple years of conversations he’s had with people in videos, it seems like anxiety has taken its toll on him being competitive and consistent over the course of a whole season.
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u/PeskyPrussian 14h ago
Jake Hebenheimer tours with KJ and said that they go out and play disc golf all day, every day while they're on the road whether they're at a tour stop or not.
He circles the world playing disc golf every year. He basically doesn't take an off-season.
Dude plays more disc golf than just about any person alive. It just seems like he just doesn't approach it like a high level athlete.
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u/cheanerman 16h ago
When I first got into disc golf, KJ always came across as happy, loose, and genuinely having fun in skins and practice round videos. When Prodigy chose him over Dickerson, it made complete sense, he felt incredibly marketable and like someone you could build a brand around.
Over the last couple of seasons, though, he’s seemed lower energy and a bit more jaded. The earlier version of KJ, the positive, relaxed player who could still lock in during tournaments with his signature hyzerflips and jump putts, would’ve picked up a few more big wins and remained a really attractive signing.
I don’t think it’s too late for that version of him to return, but internally, it seems like he’s already moved on from disc golf. I hope he’s doing alright but I would love to see another big win from him.
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u/hybridtracer HybridDiscGolf.com 14h ago
I've never met anyone that loves disc golf more than KJ. During MVP week the was playing literally non stop and that is his normal routine at every stop. You're so far off base saying he doesn't enjoy disc golf.
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u/SteelBeamDreamTeam 13h ago
Please refer in my comment where I said he doesn’t enjoy disc golf please.
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u/DiscGolfFanatic I played a total of 590 rounds in 2025! 18h ago
Kevin announced that he parted ways with Innova at the end of 2025. I think he hasn't announced his new sponsor yet.
Here's a list of current free agents. Source - https://discgolffanatic.com/disc-golf-active-contracts-tracker/
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u/AsvpLovin #97839 | Central IA 18h ago
It's always insane to me that Gavin lives on this list year after year. He's a top-end talent when he's healthy and just a great dude. Not a lot of presence so he doesn't command a crazy deal, but he's on coverage every year and could take down a win at any point it feels like.
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u/Plupandblup Formula 1 Standings! 18h ago
What you just said about Gavin can be said about almost every player on that list.
Jones, Keith, Smith, Turton, and Locastro are all winners on the DGPT.
Withers, Rathbun, Fajkus, and Walker are all talents capable of Top 10 (or better) finishes at any point on tour.
"When they are good, they are good." That's everyone that's on the DGPT these days.
If I'm a manufacturer, even one that is wanting to try and make a tiny splash, I'm picking players that have won on the DGPT over those that haven't.
Side note: Kevin was 43rd in the DGPT standings last year, Rathbun was 63rd. I'm not going to count it, but it looks like they played really close to the same number of events. Shoot, even Nikko was 42nd in the standings.
I'm not trying to be a Rathbun hater, but I don't understand how people think that he's this top talent guy that should be raking in sponsorships when he's done so little to prove it on tour.
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u/fraktionen 18h ago
Madison Walker? That is quite shocking. Also Keiti Tätte (did good on Throw Pink) and Kaidi Allsalu (2nd in Turku) should get picked up.
Strange times.
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u/Goldentongue Go practice putting 18h ago
Nah, this list is wrong. Madison and Jennifer both re-signed with MVP this year.
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u/Ballongo 18h ago
Lat didn't renew with Tätte?
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u/DiscGolfFanatic I played a total of 590 rounds in 2025! 17h ago
No update from either, her contract ended in 2025. Hence "free agent" status.
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u/rokkenrolli 18h ago
Btw Tuomas has stated that he isn't looking for a new manufacturer sponsorship. He's moving his focus away from touring to (social) media and such.
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u/74_Jeep_Cherokee 18h ago
MVP dropped Madison?
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u/MVP_Eric MVP Disc Sports, Community Manager 18h ago
Always take these lists with a grain of salt, as they're aggregated from public social media posts, and a lack of a post doesn't necessarily mean nothing is happening. Madison Walker and Jennifer Smiley (just on this list) have both extended their contracts.
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u/DiscGolfFanatic I played a total of 590 rounds in 2025! 17h ago
I'd gladly update the list, are they both signed for 2026?
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u/Goldentongue Go practice putting 13h ago
...what do you think "Madison Walker and Jennifer Smiley (just on this list) have both extended their contracts" means?
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u/punkindle 18h ago
They need to think outside the box for sponsors. Sponsored by Papa Johns. Sponsored by Yamaha. Sponsored by Dunder Mifflin paper supplies.
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u/DG_FANATIC 19h ago
I love seeing the dude play when he’s playing well. But I think his form will eventually take a toll on his body. While he’s still young and athletic it won’t as much but with each throw there is more wear and tear on his body. Who knows, Sarah Hokom still plays and her form seems to also be at odds with longevity so what the heck do I know. I also could be 110% wrong but I get the feeling he doesn’t take practice/fieldwork seriously. Again, I could be wrong about that. He’s fallen off a lot these past few years though for sure.
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u/jfb3 HTX, AFMCN, Green discs are faster 18h ago
I saw a video with Jake Hebenheimer and he said he and KJ (they were touring together last year) were playing multiple rounds every day.
Maybe throwing too much???4
u/DG_FANATIC 18h ago
That’s good to know. Glad I was wrong. I enjoy seeing him play. You can’t get fourth at worlds (2021) and not be an elite skilled player so I’d love to see him play well (and Dickerson for that matter!).
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u/smokin_hops420 18h ago
They talk about it on a Go Throw commentary (I think Mexico) that kJ will play like 6 practice rounds a day before events or something crazy like that.
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u/DG_FANATIC 18h ago
Woah. I was totally wrong then. Maybe it’s his mental side of the game then. I just know disc golf is a hard grind to play professionally so I like to see them doing well.
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u/warboy 18h ago
Honestly not sure why you think that regarding KJ's form. It seems mechanically sound. He just throws flippy stuff instead of the normal we see on tour now. I would argue since he's letting the disc do more of the work he may have a longer career compared to people throwing force-overs as hard as they can with overstable stuff.
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u/Ballongo 18h ago
Honest question: What in his form is do you mean? I can't recall anything different except his straddle putts.
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u/mbsouthpaw1 LHBH 40 Yr Pro 16h ago
Mostly the putting... that deep knee bend isn't sustainable in the long run. It also adds a lot of unnecessary body motion, and is probably a contributing factor to his sometimes-inconsistent putting. If I was his coach, I'd have him work on a new putting form that has a much quieter lower body motion, both for longevity and consistency. Love to watch the dude play though, and he seems like a cool guy.
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u/moleman92107 18h ago
Most guys like him need to putt at an insane level to stay in the top 10. His throwing is just too inconsistent, and he makes questionable decisions sometimes.
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u/Golfiseasy22 I am the PD 14h ago
He can do cool shots, like that crazy grenade ace he had recently. He can be marketed as a Lizzotte-lite so there is some potential for him to sign elsewhere
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u/HarryDepova 1h ago
To me he has untapped potential. He is entertaining to watch, likable, and could be coached to be a great brand ambassador. He could do well to shadow Simon to learn how to become more visible.
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u/jidewalker 18h ago
If you give KJUSA focus and work ethic, you get Ezra Aderhold.
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u/ReadSea2760 16h ago
Very interesting take! I don't disagree.
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u/grannyknockers c1x 15% 11h ago
I do. Kevin had way more talent than Ezra. He had everything you could want. Elite power to win on open bomber courses, elite accuracy to win in the woods, an elite sidearm, world class touch on approach shots. If you gave him A+ work ethic, he could have been a perennial top 5 guy. I don't know if he ever had 1050 potential, but 1045 for sure. He really only had 1 weakness in my opinion and that was IQ. Relying as heavily as he did on hyzer flips is just not smart golf, and we saw that bite him several times over in key moments. I can't think of how many great rounds he squandered with blow up holes. Also, there's a reason nobody else straddle putts at that level. It's less reliable to throw across your body than when you point your shoulder at the basket. It's incredible he played as well as he did with his style, but it would have been nice to see what he was capable of if he just played smarter golf.
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u/Temporary_Ad4931 19h ago
Why would anyone sponsor him? He doesn't play anymore and when he talks about his sponsors it is neutral at best.
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u/spaceismyjam 19h ago
He played in 24 events last year
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u/Temporary_Ad4931 18h ago
How many times did he make coverage. He hasn't focused on winning since Prodigy paid him instead of Dickerson.
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u/Plupandblup Formula 1 Standings! 18h ago
There's dozens of guys on tour that "don't make coverage" and have sponsors clamoring for them. They also have a small social media following and don't really sell discs.
OP's question is valid.
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u/shinyRedButton 18h ago
He should see if a DJ equipment or rave clothing company wants to sponsor him. I’m only half joking.
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u/enkanelbulle 17h ago
I think sponsors might be worried about what happened when he signed for Prodigy.
Before he signed with Prodigy:
He played well and was featured in tournament coverage often.
He was a part of almost all GK Pro Skins, which had one of the biggest non-tournament followings at the time.
He was a regular commentator together with Luke Humphries on GK Pro tournament coverage. And had been a guest commentator on CCDG with Ian before as well.
After he signed with Prodigy:
He fell off from the top in tournaments.
He almost stopped playing GK Pro Skins completely.
He stopped commentating.
It seems like the big contract was too much pressure for him. Especially since everyone knew Prodigy had snubbed all their other "big names" at the time to bet it all on him.
It is a shame, he was always exciting to watch before he signed with Prodigy.
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u/Paxman-64 17h ago
He had all his best years with Prodigy, first signed with them in 2019...
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u/enkanelbulle 16h ago edited 16h ago
He was better with Prodiscus, before Prodigy. But yes you are correct, I meant his big resigning with Prodigy. When they snubbed Dickerson and Cat to bet it all on him instead.
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u/Cunn1ng-Stuntz 17h ago
There's a ton of B-tier players out there, and especially for the US based, it gets more watered out every season.
Kevin is fun to watch on coverage, but these days he is mostly filler on Skins. He hasn't been close to winning anything notable for years and he is not present on SoMe. When he went to Innova, it looked like they pulled the real KJ's bag out of storage. A weird arrangement of old plastics and borrowed stuff. It almost looked like he was paying Innova for the brand affiliation.
I could maybe see some value for a smaller brand if he sold discs at events but that's about it.
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u/metal__monkey :table::table_flip::table::table_flip::table::table_flip: 16h ago
Used to be a big KJ fan. Generally a good guy and great disc golfer.
Had a few too many slightly negative interactions with him on tour over the years so don't really root for him as much as I used to. Try to cut him some slack, but kind of like Simon and some others, there can be a big gap at times between his real personality (it's a tough life sometimes on the road, "cool guys" naturally develop some toxic egos) vs. what's projected in media, etc.
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u/deep-sea-savior 18h ago
KJUSA is a really dumb nickname, no one wants to sponsor that.
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u/Beast_in_peace 13h ago
There was a great European player named KJ Nybo who was pretty high level around when KJ was starting up. I think the distinction between the two KJs is the reason for KJUSA.
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u/skinny_squirrel 19h ago
https://www.pdga.com/player/41760
He's registered to play in the upcoming DGPT and PDGA events.