AUSTIN (KXAN) — From playing in a friend’s backyard to traveling around the country as a professional, Eddie Grinderslev never imagined he’d be where he is today — playing cornhole.

Grinderslev is a professional cornhole player in the American Cornhole League (ACL).

It took him years to reach that level. You can see it in how he spins the bags on his fingers before he throws. He has practiced a lot and is loving what he does.

However, there is more to the league than just playing. Grinderslev says he is in it for the friendships. He has met a lot of new friends while playing in the ACL. Some even live in the same state.

He’s part of a group of four players who represent Texas:

Eddie Grinderslev

AJ Sims

Josh Groce

Steven Wendling

Grinderslev also loves the strategy. From scoring, to how far you throw the bags, the ACL has different rules from how you might play.

He says learning how to throw a proper bag was the toughest thing.

You also may notice Eddie tosses different bags, each with a unique use. Some slide better, some stick better. Which bags you throw are up to the player.

This professional cornhole board bears the name of the local club Austin Airmail.

Eddie uses different bags in play including ones like these. Each serve a different use in strategy.

Eddie Grinderslev got his name woven into some of the bags he uses. He is currently #1 overall in the American Cornhole League. That is out of over 19,000 players country wide based on points.

The ACL championship comes down to points. It is a year-long points series that consists of local, regional, conference and national events. Each includes all age and skill levels.

There are four skill level divisions:

Advanced

Competitive

Social

Tailgate

Grinderslev earned enough points to take the number one spot overall in America.

If you want to watch him play, he’ll be competing in the 2019 ACL World Championships from August 6-11 in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. It will be aired on ESPN channels.

This is the first championship Grinderslev is competing in as a professional. The championships feature a guaranteed minimum payout of $180,000.

If you are interested in tossing bags and want to train to become a pro, there are avenues local and abroad. The sport has different tiered leagues that range from countrywide to local.

Austin has its own, called Austin Airmail. They are part of the southwestern conference which includes Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas.

There are four divisions of “League Weeknights” to play in Austin:

Mondays at the Local Outpost Saloon (Northwest)

Tuesdays at the Local Pub and Patio (Central)

Wednesdays at the BARn (South)

Thursdays at Southern Heights Brewing (East)

League fees are $60 per team.

The club meets Wednesday nights for “random draw” play. If you’re interested and want to learn more, visit www.cornholeaustin.com.

The American Cornhole League promotes “anyone can play and anyone can win.” You can sign up and register to be an ACL player. Competing can earn you points that are counted for the 2019-20 season.