PDGA Radio News
Relaunched in 2022, Grant Zellner #61914 and Jennifer Allen #15354 pilot a show featuring special guests from across the disc golf landscape, listener questions, and more coverage of the pro and amateur game.
PDGA Radio News debuted in 2004 - the same year the term “podcast” was coined. Created by Brian Sullivan #14015 this innovative program delivered a weekly 20-minute broadcast jam-packed with fast-paced, up-to-the-minute content all about disc golf. Brian hosted from 2004 through 2006. Then, Steve Kuzenski #29027 took over the mic from 2008 until 2010. In 2018, Steve Hill #103842 and Sara Lamberson #41012 reinvented the show and gave listeners 125 hour-long episodes discussing and detailing the pro tour.
This one was fun. Our conversation with Joe Rovere started in the Champions Landing parking lot and ended up on the back deck. Joe is already in Emporia, KS preparing to defend his title for the second straight year.
Disc golf is life... mostly. Grant Zellner and Nate Perkins are just a couple of guys hanging out and talking about a sport that has created a career for both of us. (Don't worry... the focus is mostly on Nate, as it should be.)
PDGA Director of Competition Rebecca Duffy joins Grant and Jen to talk a little bit about what goes into a bid to host a PDGA Major... and just in time, because requests for bids for 2026 and 2027 Majors goes out on June 1.
Just before Mother's Day, Jennifer sat down with one pro-tour mom (Paige Shue) and one pro-tour mom-to-be (Macie Valediaz) to talk about balancing disc golf – as a career or a hobby – with kiddos. They also talk about the upcoming Women's Global Event.
Grant and Jen talk about their PDGA Champions Cup experiences at Northwood Park in Peoria, IL, as well as some interesting stats and other historical nuggets from the event.
Grant and Jennifer sit down with PDGA Champions Cup Director Nate Heinold to preview the 2024 edition of this PDGA Professional Major.
You may have seen Johannes Kropf on social media, lacing drives down the fairway from his 3-wheeled chair. The Berlin-native is a pioneer in adaptive disc golf, and he brings both his personal story and his unique insights on the adaptive possibilities for disc golf to the podcast. -- This episode is brought to you by Gravity Disc Golf.
Well, he won his 400th PDGA event... but by the time we got to him he was at 402. Brian Schweberger tells Grant and Jen how he does it in this episode of PDGA Radio.
Is already Major week at the PDGA again. The College Disc Golf National Championships will crown champions by sunset on Saturday. To set the stage, Grant and Jen welcome Eric McCabe, coach of the Emporia State Hornets – a disc golf team that is a full member of the university athletics department.
The first PDGA Major of 2024 tees off next week. Krissie Fountain wears many hats at Mint Discs, the "hosts" for the event, which makes her the perfect guest to help us ignite the hype! Need tickets?
PDGA Executive Director Doug Bjerkaas addresses the nations in this "State of the Union" episode of PDGA Radio with Grant Zellner and Jennifer Allen.
The Official Disc Golf World Rankings launched just in time for the 2024 pro touring season. It's been an ongoing project for a number of dedicated people inside- and outside-of the PDGA. Here, Grant and Jen welcome Mark Broadie of SportEdge – the team behind the current iteration of the Official World Golf Ranking (and the "stokes gained" statistic).
From the backwoods of Kentucky to the USDGC stage, DJ HEK YEH's life has been an adventure. You've probably seen him – white goatee, flat bill, big smile. Now, get to know him. Lot's of laughs in this convo! (Sponsored in part by the Pure'd Disc Golf app. Connect. Play. Improve.)
Missy Gannon and Tom Szevin live a unique life. Is "home" the house they just bought? Or is it the RV they'll spend most of the next eight months living in? What is "work" like, when the office changes every week? This Valentine's Week, one of disc golf's favorite couples joins Grant and Jen on PDGA Radio.
Rebecca Duffy is no stranger on the PDGA Major tour or the elite series circuit. She's been a marshal, a PDGA board president, a disc golf broadcast personality and much more. This week, Rebecca was announced as the new director of competition for the PDGA... and with the Major season fast approaching, Grant and Jen check in.
Avery Jenkins is a world-traveling disc golf ambassador. He's played more than 1,500 courses in nearly 30 countries and 49 states (gotta get North Dakota!). Today, Grant and Jen join you in hearing about Avery's career building up to the 2009 PDGA Pro World title, and his career since then – which now includes a lot of course design among other ventures.
After the 2023 Dynamic Disc Open on the Disc Golf Pro Tour, some called victor Parker Welck a "flash in the pan." Now, after multiple off-season wins including the Shelly Sharpe Memorial, he's the flavor of the month. But Parker knows the recipe for success on tour, and he's hungry.
A new year means an update to the PDGA's Official Rules of Disc Golf. PDGA Policy & Compliance Specialist Robert Leonard joins Grant and Jen for a sprint through the rulebook.
StatMando's statistics and social posts have added intrigue and texture to the coverage of PDGA Majors and DGPT events since 2021. In an exciting development, the PDGA announced the acquisition of StatMando in December, 2023. StatMando co-founded Dion Arlyn – now of the PDGA – joins Grant and Jen to talk about StatMando's past AND future.
Dr. Derek Wilcox, a sports physiologist, joins Grant and Jen and brings real knowledge that you can apply TODAY when it comes to your offseason disc golf workout plans. In the midst of a fun, broad conversation, you'll learn about a few specific stretches and exercises that will get you started.
Update (November 22, 2023): After this episode was released. it was announced the 2024 PDGA Champions Cup will be held at Northwood Park, in Morton, Illinois on April 25-28, 2024
On this edition of PDGA Radio, Grant and Jen have a casual convo about the end of the pros' season and the end of a great 2023 year which saw many great developments in the world of disc golf. But after this episode, stay tuned... More to come from PDGA Radio before we ring in 2024.
USDGC Event Director Johathan Poole (left-center) walks beside Henna Blomroos on hole 8 at the Winthrop Arena. Photo credit: Chad LeFevre
Grant and Jen welcome John Kirkland, PDGA #100 and eyewitness historian for all things "Frisbee." It's time for stories, tips and a little philosophy of flight on this episode of PDGA Radio.
The proposed changes for to the PDGA Rule Book and Competition Manual for 2024 are published for review. To help Grant and Jen (and you) make sense of some of the most impactful changes, we invited Andy Rothschild of the PDGA's Event Support Team to the show.
On this PDGA Radio episode, Grant and Jen welcome Karen Hendricks, the Flagstaff-based committee member in charge of sustainability at the 2023 PDGA Masters Disc Golf World Championships.
First, Grant and Jen talk to hall-of-famers Jay "Yeti" Reading and Des Reading about the Educational Disc Golf Experience, which introduces disc golf to kids through schools and youth organizations. Then, we welcome in Therese and Athena Cuevas, two competitors at this week's 2023 PDGA Junior Disc Golf World Championships.
On this episode of PDGA Radio, Grant and Jen welcome 2023 Tim Selinske U.S. Masters Champion Philo Brathwaite. We chat, play Quick Qs and generally learn a lot we DIDN'T know about him. Then, we hear the inspirational story of GOLO content contributor Steve Wyatt, and how disc golf is part of his health and fitness journey.
First, Grant and Jen are joined by Andre Lodder and Matt Lisac, leaders of the new Canadian Disc Golf Tour – a professional series providing new opportunities for Canada's pros to compete. After that, we meet Nina Everson, the creative businesswoman behind Disc Golf Pins.
Grant and Jen take a few minutes to talk about the 2023 PDGA Champions Cup before bidding it "farewell" until next year and turning the focus toward a busy summer with more PDGA Majors on the horizon.