Tyson McGuffin put his fingerprints all over St. George this weekend, as he not only captured a men’s singles gold medal but also took down the men’s doubles title with Brendon Long.
This was a big weekend for McGuffin. Ben Johns, JW Johnson, & Dylan Frazier were among a few of the big names missing in action, so the path to multiple titles was fairly wide open and he took full advantage.
Outside of a finals appearance at MLP Mesa it’s been a tough go for the 34-year-old, as he entered the event with only one bronze medal through the first quarter of the PPA season. He’s been battling injuries that took him out of competition for all of February. Some (including myself) were beginning to wonder if the door was closing on him competing for titles, especially in singles, which we know is the most physical of the three events.
In the doubles final he and Long fended off multiple match points and ended up victorious in a 5-game thriller over Bar/Johns, who had success isolating Long in games 2 & 3, forcing McGuffin over to the left side in the final two games where he held up extremely well.
In the singles final he faced the 28-year-old Colombian, Pablo Tellez, who came out firing as Tyson found himself down 7-0 early. Being the veteran that he is, McGuffin relied on his big stage experience to claw himself back into the first game (which he ended up taking 11-9). He sealed the deal 11-7 in game two, walking away with a double crown.
In classic Tyson fashion he celebrated by chugging a beer after his post match interview. Good to have you back in the winner’s circle, TM!