| Owen Turtenwald | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Demographics | |
| Nickname | ORAT[1] |
| Born | April 16, 1989 |
| Residence | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Nationality |
 American |
| Professional Career | |
| Pro Tour debut | Pro Tour Valencia 2007 |
| Top Finishes | 5 (0 wins) |
| GP top 8s | 25 (5 wins) |
| Awards | |
| Hall of Fame | |
| Player of the Year | |
Owen Robert Alexander Turtenwald is a former American professional player. His greatest accomplishments include the 2011 and 2015–16 Player of the Year titles, five Pro Tour top eights, and five Grand Prix wins. In 2016, he was voted into the Hall of Fame.
Professional play
Turtenwald started playing Magic at a young age, having been taught by the owner of the local card shop. He first gained prominence as a player of Eternal formats - Legacy and Vintage - and his first success at the professional scene was at Grand Prix Colombus 2007, where he piloted a Legacy Goblins deck to a second-place finish.[2] He thus qualified for his first Pro Tour, PT Valencia, where he took an Extended version of the Goblin deck to an 18th-place finish.[3] In the following Pro Tour seasons, Turtenwald played several Pro Tours without quite making it onto the gravy train. He later stated that he was about to quit during the 2010 season due to performing poorly and not getting rewarded for the work he was putting in.[4] But he joined ChannelFireball, which helped elevate his game, and by the end of the season, he'd achieved level 5 in the Pro Players Club.[5]
The 2011 season started well for Turtenwald; he made the top eight of the season's first event, Grand Prix Atlanta, and followed it up with a 12th-place finish at Pro Tour Paris two weeks later. Turtenwald finished in the top eight of six additional Grand Prix events that year - at Denver, Dallas, Providence, Singapore, Santiago, and San Diego - equalling Ryan Fuller's record of seven GP top eights in a single season. When he finished 33rd at the World Championships and Luis Scott-Vargas failed to win his quarterfinal match, Turtenwald became the 2011 Player of the Year, the first to do so without making the top eight of at least one Pro Tour during the season they won. Turtenwald's title contributed to Platinum status in the Pro Players Club following the 2012 season, and qualified him for the inaugural 2012 Players Championship (later renamed the World Championship), where he finished 10th.[6]
In early 2013, Turtenwald joined the team now known as The Pantheon, and at PT Gatecrash, he finally advanced to Sunday play at a Pro Tour, finishing 5th after losing to Eric Froehlich in the quarterfinals.[7] Turtenwald renewed his Platinum membership, but came a few points short of qualifying for the 2013 World Championship.[8] The 2013–14 season proved to be better, as Turtenwald won his first two Grand Prix tournaments, with back-to-back wins at Prix Washington, D.C. and Albuquerque, finished in the money at all four Pro Tour events; he finished 55th, 15th, and 29th at the first three, and then concluded the season with his second Pro Tour top eight appearance at PT Magic 2015, where he placed fourth after beating Patrick Cox and losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Ivan Floch. He finished runner-up in the Player of the Year race behind Jérémy Dezani. This qualified him for the 2014 World Championship, where he ended up in 13th-place; and he captained the United States national team to a fourth-place finish at the 2014 World Magic Cup.
A good start to the 2014–15 season, where he won Grand Prix Portland alongside Peach Garden Oath teammates Reid Duke and William Jensen, and finished 11th at Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir, saw him take an early lead in the Player of the Year race. He would eventually be surpassed by multiple players, ending the season in 13th-place, but qualified for the 2015 World Championship.[9] This would be the start of a great season for Turtenwald. He finished second behind Seth Manfield at Worlds, and then made his third Pro Tour top eight at PT Battle for Zendikar. He took his fourth Grand Prix title at GP Houston 2016, and scored four additional GP top eights. Despite his performances, he came into the last Pro Tour of the season, PT Eldritch Moon, trailing Seth Manfield in the Player of the Year race by 13 points, needing a top eight finish to have a shot at the title. Turtenwald started the event 11–1, but lost the next three matches, needing to win the last to clinch top eight and the PotY title. After being down a game against Daniel Cathro, Turtenwald came back and won, claiming both a top eight berth and his second Player of the Year title, becoming only the second player to win two, after Kai Budde and Yuuya Watanabe. Turtenwald eventually finished second in the event after dispatching Yuuta Takahashi in the quarterfinals and Luis Scott-Vargas in the semifinals, but losing the final match to Lukas Blohon. Turtenwald was also revealed to have been voted into the Hall of Fame as a member of the 2016 class alongside Yuuya Watanabe, having won 70.9% of the votes.
2016–17 was a comparatively quiet season for Turtenwald, although two Grand Prix top eights with the Peach Garden Oath, including a win at GP Cleveland 2017, along with a couple of solid Pro Tour finishes (18th and 32nd), were sufficient for Platinum membership in the Pro Players Club for the sixth season running, as well as qualification for the 2017 World Championship, where he finished eighth. In 2017–18, although he was never very deep in the Player of the Year race, Owen reached the top eight of a Pro Tour for a fifth time, at PT Dominaria, and thanks to overall stellar, if not flashy, finishes, renewed Platinum membership and qualification for the 2018 World Championship. This tied Turtenwald with Yuuya Watanabe and Reid Duke when it comes to number of post-2012 World Championship events played in, with six. Turtenwald finished at a very disappointing 21st-place at that tournament; however, Turtenwald's team's performance at the season's Pro Tours was good enough to qualify them for the Team Series taking place simultaneously, where they ended up taking down the Hareruya Latin team to claim the title. In December 2018, it was announced that Turtenwald would be one of the 32 players joining the upcoming 2019 Magic Pro League.
Controversy
On March 27, 2019 Magic Esports Twitter suddenly announced that Turtenwald wouldn't be participating in the Mythic Invitational for which he previously had been invited, and that he was replaced with Brian David-Marshall. No reason was given. Three days later unconfirmed rumors surfaced that Turtlewald had been behaving in an inappropriate manner towards female players.[10]
On April 25, 2019, it became clear that Turtenwald was removed from the Magic Pro League altogether. He was replaced by Autumn Burchett.[11]
Accomplishments
| Season | Event type | Location | Format | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Grand Prix | Columbus | Legacy | 19–20 May 2007 | 2 |
| 2009 | Grand Prix | Minneapolis | Limited | 13–14 November 2009 | 5 |
| 2010 | Grand Prix | Washington, D.C. | Standard | 22–23 May 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | Grand Prix | Atlanta | Extended | 22–23 January 2011 | 8 |
| 2011 | Grand Prix | Denver | Limited | 19–20 February 2011 | 3 |
| 2011 | Grand Prix | Dallas/Fort Worth | Standard | 9–10 April 2011 | 3 |
| 2011 | Grand Prix | Providence | Legacy | 28–29 May 2011 | 5 |
| 2011 | Grand Prix | Singapore | Standard | 4–5 June 2011 | 4 |
| 2011 | Grand Prix | Santiago | Limited | 22–23 October 2011 | 3 |
| 2011 | Grand Prix | San Diego | Limited | 12–13 November 2011 | 6 |
| 2012 | Grand Prix | Seattle | Limited | 3–4 March 2012 | 8 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | San Jose | Team Limited | 9–10 October 2012 | 3 [I] |
| 2012–13 | Pro Tour | Montreal | Standard and Booster Draft | 15–17 February 2013 | 5 |
| 2013–14 | Grand Prix | Washington, D.C. | Legacy | 16–17 November 2013 | 1 |
| 2013–14 | Grand Prix | Albuquerque | Standard | 23–24 November 2013 | 1 |
| 2013–14 | Grand Prix | Barcelona | Team Limited | 1–2 March 2014 | 3 |
| 2013–14 | Pro Tour | Portland | Standard and Booster Draft | 1–3 August 2014 | 4 |
| 2014–15 | Grand Prix | Portland | Team Limited | 9–10 August 2014 | 1 |
| 2014–15 | World Magic Cup | Nice | National team | 5–7 December 2014 | 4 |
| 2015–16 | Grand Prix | Detroit | Team Limited | 15–16 August 2015 | 3 |
| 2015–16 | Worlds | Seattle | Special | 27–30 August 2015 | 2 |
| 2015–16 | Pro Tour | Milwaukee | Standard and Booster Draft | 16–18 October 2015 | 5 |
| 2015–16 | Grand Prix | Atlanta | Limited | 14–15 November 2015 | 2 |
| 2015–16 | Grand Prix | Houston | Standard | 27–28 February 2016 | 1 |
| 2015–16 | Grand Prix | Washington, D.C. | Team Limited | 12–13 March 2016 | 3 |
| 2015–16 | Grand Prix | Minneapolis | Standard | 28–29 May 2016 | 6 |
| 2015–16 | Pro Tour | Sydney | Standard and Booster Draft | 5–7 August 2016 | 2 |
| 2016–17 | Grand Prix | San Antonio | Team Modern | 1–2 April 2017 | 2 |
| 2016–17 | Grand Prix | Cleveland | Team Limited | 24–25 June 2017 | 1 |
| 2017–18 | Grand Prix | Providence | Team Limited | 30 September–1 October 2017 | 2 |
| 2017–18 | Pro Tour | Richmond | Standard and Booster Draft | 1–3 June 2018 | 3 |
| 2017–18 | Nationals | Colombus | Standard and Booster Draft | 30 June–1 July 2018 | 7 |
| 2017–18 | Pro Tour Team Series | Las Vegas | Team Limited | 23 September 2018 | 1 |
| 2018–19 | Grand Prix | Milwaukee | Standard | 17–18 November 2018 | 8 |
→ Source: Wizards.com
Other achievements
- Class of 2016 Hall of Fame member
- 2011 Player of the Year
- 2015–16 Player of the Year
- 2010 Vintage World Champion[12]
- 2014 United States national champion
- 2016 United States national champion
Pro Tour Results
| Season | Pro Tour | Format | Finish | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Valencia | Extended | 18 | $3,250 |
| 2007 | Worlds (New York) | Special | 287 | |
| 2008 | Hollywood | Standard | 218 | |
| 2008 | Berlin | Extended | 176 | |
| 2009 | Honolulu | Block Constructed and Booster Draft | 100 | |
| 2009 | Austin | Extended and Booster Draft | 360 | |
| 2010 | San Diego | Standard and Booster Draft | 27 | $1,700 |
| 2010 | San Juan | Block Constructed and Booster Draft | 265 | |
| 2010 | Amsterdam | Extended and Booster Draft | 225 | |
| 2010 | Worlds (Chiba) | Special | 53 | $620 |
| 2011 | Paris | Standard and Booster Draft | 12 | $5,500 |
| 2011 | Nagoya | Block Constructed and Booster Draft | 85 | |
| 2011 | Philadelphia | Modern and Booster Draft | 106 | |
| 2011 | Worlds (San Francisco) | Special | 33 | $1,300 |
| 2012 | Dark Ascension in Honolulu | Standard and Booster Draft | 159 | |
| 2012 | Avacyn Restored in Barcelona | Block Constructed and Booster Draft | 253 | |
| 2012–13 | Return to Ravnica in Seattle | Modern and Booster Draft | 287 | |
| 2012–13 | Gatecrash in Montreal | Standard and Booster Draft | 5 | $10,000 |
| 2012–13 | Dragon's Maze in San Diego | Block Constructed and Booster Draft | 340 | |
| 2013–14 | Theros in Dublin | Standard and Booster Draft | 55 | $1,000 |
| 2013–14 | Born of the Gods in Valencia | Modern and Booster Draft | 15 | $5,000 |
| 2013–14 | Journey into Nyx in Atlanta | Block Constructed and Booster Draft | 29 | $1,500 |
| 2013–14 | Magic 2015 in Portland | Standard and Booster Draft | 4 | $12,500 |
| 2014–15 | Khans of Tarkir in Honolulu | Standard and Booster Draft | 11 | $5,000 |
| 2014–15 | Fate Reforged in Washington, D.C. | Modern and Booster Draft | 75 | $1,000 |
| 2014–15 | Dragons of Tarkir in Brussels | Standard and Booster Draft | 105 | |
| 2014–15 | Magic Origins in Vancouver | Standard and Booster Draft | 144 | |
| 2015–16 | Battle for Zendikar in Milwaukee | Standard and Booster Draft | 5 | $10,000 |
| 2015–16 | Oath of the Gatewatch in Atlanta | Modern and Booster Draft | 18 | $2,500 |
| 2015–16 | Shadows over Innistrad in Madrid | Standard and Booster Draft | 123 | |
| 2015–16 | Eldritch Moon in Sydney | Standard and Booster Draft | 2 | $20,000 |
| 2016–17 | Kaladesh in Honolulu | Standard and Booster Draft | 111 | |
| 2016–17 | Aether Revolt in Dublin | Standard and Booster Draft | 32 | $2,000 |
| 2016–17 | Amonkhet in Nashville | Standard and Booster Draft | 18 | $3,000 |
| 2016–17 | Hour of Devastation in Kyoto | Standard and Booster Draft | 138 | |
| 2017–18 | Ixalan in Albuquerque | Standard and Booster Draft | 18 | $3,000 |
| 2017–18 | Rivals of Ixalan in Bilbao | Modern and Booster Draft | 354 | |
| 2017–18 | Dominaria in Richmond | Standard and Booster Draft | 3 | $15,000 |
| 2017–18 | 25th Anniversary in Minneapolis | Team Constructed | 56 | $1,000 |
| 2018–19 | Guilds of Ravnica in Atlanta | Standard and Booster Draft | 86 | |
| 2018–19 | Mythic Championship Cleveland 2019 | Standard and Booster Draft | 67 | $750 |
→ Source: Wizards.com
External links
- Lifetime Top Finishes
- Lifetime Grand Prix Top 8s
- Top 200 All-Time Money Leaders
- Owen Turtenwald's Twitch channel
Notes
- ^I Turtenwald finished third at Grand Prix San Jose 2012 with teammates Conley Woods and Eric Froehlich,[13] and although the cutoff was to the top 2 teams instead of the usual top 4 for team events, it has been recognized as a counting Grand Prix top 8 finish by Wizards of the Coast.[14]
References
- ↑ Limited Resources 311 – Owen the Enchanter. Limited Resources.
- ↑ Brian David-Marshall (2007-05-07). "Sunday, May 20: 8:00 p.m. - Finals: Steve Sadin vs. Owen Turtenwald". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2016-08-09.
- ↑ Round 13 Standings. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Nate Price (2011-11-20). "Player of the Year: Owen Turtenwald". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2016-08-09.
- ↑ 2010 PLAYER OF THE YEAR STANDINGS. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Players Championship 2012 Final Standings. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Nate Price (2013-02-17). "Quarterfinals: Planeswalking Perils". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2016-08-09.
- ↑ 2012-2013 PLAYER OF THE YEAR. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ PLAYER OF THE YEAR STANDINGS: 2014-15. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Cecilia D'Anastasio (March 30, 2019) "Pro Removed From $1.4 Million Magic Tournament Accused Of Harassing Women", Kotaku.com
- ↑ Hipsters of the Coast (April 25, 2019). "Breaking News". Twitter.
- ↑ X AND OWEN – WINNING VINTAGE WORLDS 2010. Eternal Central (2010-10-29). Retrieved on 2016-08-09.
- ↑ Grand Prix San Jose Round 17 Standings. Wizards of the Coast (2012-10-14). Retrieved on 2014-09-08.
- ↑ GRAND PRIX LIFETIME TOP 8S BY PLAYER. Wizards of the Coast.