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May 26, 2025·52 min·5 clips

Caden High reveals his clutch strategy to win his first tournament in a tense playoff against Mark Giannini.

This episode of the Putt Craft Podcast is an instant reaction to two mini-golf tournaments, Event 86 and Event 87, held at Loon's Nest. Host Reed Nelson interviews both winners, Caden High and Cameron Acelius, to break down their victories. Caden High secured his first career win in Event 86 by defeating Mark Giannini in a three-hole playoff after a tense final stretch. High revealed his strategy was to putt last in the playoff to know if he needed an ace or could lay up for a two. Cameron Acelius won Event 87, tying the course record with a 38 and setting a new tournament record with an 80, despite a costly five on hole 16. Acelius recorded six aces in his round, matching a family record. Nelson details a historical stat, noting there have now been six instances where a player scored a triple bogey or worse and still won a Putt Craft event. He also corrects the par ratings for Loon's Nest, changing several holes from par three to par two. The host explores whether any player has ever recorded five or more aces and an eight in the same event, querying an AI tool for the answer. Eric Acelius became the first player in Putt Craft history to reach 200 career aces during the event. Cameron Acelius extended his consecutive event ace streak to 40. Nelson shares a listener's feedback disagreeing with two recent award selections, specifically Round of the Year and Most Improved Player. The episode clarifies the league's "direct path" relief rule, stating a player gets relief if any portion of their ball lines up with any portion of the cup. A detailed player rankings history compiled by Eric Acelius shows Sean Brown's long reign at number one and Tom Loftus's recent rise. The tone is conversational and data-driven, filled with specific scores, statistics, and historical trivia. Mini-golf enthusiasts who love in-depth statistical analysis and tournament recaps will enjoy this episode. Listeners seeking narrative storytelling or broader topics beyond competitive mini-golf might want to skip it.

As heard by us

A fast golf recap that turns live stats into the main attraction.

Putt Craft Podcast reads as a brisk reaction recap of events 86 and 87 at Loon's Nest. Caden High's first career win in event 86 gives the episode its clearest throughline, and Mark Giannini's late push, with an ace, another ace, and a near third, keeps the ending alive.

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Why you'd press play

Ace-ace pressure, playoff drama, and a host who dives hard into the stats.

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