Central Texans claim national title for professional cornhole

AUSTIN (KXAN) – You may have been the champion of your friend’s Memorial Day cornhole tournament, but two Central Texans have taken the backyard pastime to a whole new level. 

Eddie Grinderslev and Kaleb Batson took home the doubles national title in professional corn hole in Portland, Oregon, Saturday, marking their first national professional win. 

“These are pretty large tournaments,” Grinderslev said. “[There are] four national championships, and this was the third of four.”

“We've been playing together for three years, and we’ve won state championships and things like that, but to win a national title was very big for us,” Grinderslev said. 

Not just a hobby

Grinderslev said there are many cornhole leagues across the country, but all professional tournaments happen through the American Cornhole League (ACL). 

In 2015, Stacey Moore founded the league, which standardizes rules and equipment for all levels of the sport, according to media reports. Since 2016, ACL pro tournaments have been broadcasted on ESPN and other networks.  

There are only a finite number of players –256 – in the ACL pro league at any time, and Grinderslev said players have to qualify every year. 

“In the ACL, we truly believe anyone can play, and anyone can win regardless of who you are or where you come from. Not only that but with a little heart and a lot of practice, anyone can become an ACL Pro,” the ACL website reads. 

Grinderslev agreed that the key to becoming a professional is playing often.

“You have players throwing 52 bags in a row and aren't missing. So you have to be able to keep up with that. It takes a lot of time and practice,” he said. 

Grinderslev said that the sport has become legitimate to such an extent that some professionals play in tournaments full-time. 

“I think it's starting to gain popularity, and people are taking it more seriously,” Grinderslev said. 

And the prize money for winning some tournaments helps to make playing cornhole full-time for the sport’s deftest feasible. Grinderslev said he won $11,000 for claiming the doubles national title on Saturday. 

But even though Grinderslev and his partner rank number four in the country for top cornhole doubles players, he’s not planning on quitting his day job yet. 

“I have a family, a house and bills. I don't think it's quite there yet. But it's getting really close. You're starting to see a lot of younger people that are able to do that. They have a lot more free time than I do.”