Four shots separate Chris Dickerson and Kyle Klein heading into the 2020 USDGC Finale. Photo: Alyssa Van Lanen / PDGA Media
Let’s talk about rare company. In 1997, Tiger Woods famously won the Masters in his first year on the professional tour after winning the U.S. Amateur Championships in 1996. The only player in disc golf history to win an MPO pro major the year after winning an amateur major is Ricky Wysocki, who won the 2011 PDGA Championship a year after taking down AM Worlds in the Junior I division.
Paige Pierce will carry a six-stroke cushion into her pursuit of the year's only PDGA Major for the FPO field. Photo: Alyssa Van Lanen.
Don’t look now, but there is a storm heading up the east coast as players charge into championship Saturday at Winthrop. With weather conditions deteriorating, and memories of a hurricane-shortened USDGC in 2016 fresh in their minds, players can be forgiven for checking the leaderboard earlier than usual with an eye towards locking-in their position.
Anthony Barela (left) posted the best score on the USDGC Winthrop Gold layout since Paul McBeth's opening round in 2018. Photo: Alyssa Van Lanen
Former PDGA Amateur World Champion Anthony Barela is poised to make a bid for his first professional major title after taking the early lead at the 2020 United States Disc Golf Championship with a blistering 1088-rated (unofficial) opener.
The coronavirus pandemic forced nearly all PDGA Major events to be rescheduled for 2021. Those tournaments will be held at the same locations where they were originally scheduled, and now we know when those competitions will take place.
Back for the first time since 2000, the Women's National Championship has been marked by a true spirit of collaboration. When COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the 2020 United States Women's Disc Golf Championships, PDGA staff and hosts of the United States Disc Golf Championship came together to bring an FPO field to Rock Hill, S.C., providing the sport's elite women an opportunity to compete for a Major title this year. Add in the PDGA Women's Committee and its invaluable input in shaping the competition, and it's truly been a team effort.
The cancellation of 2020 PDGA World Championship events has resulted in several modifications to invite and points requirement criteria for when these tournaments run in 2021. Most importantly:
Paige Pierce tees during round one of the 2019 United States Disc Golf Championship. A full Open Women's field will join the tournament this year for the 2020 Women's National Disc Golf Championship. Photo: Eino Ansio
In 1999 and 2000, the Women’s National Disc Golf Championship took place in Rock Hill, S.C., alongside the United States Disc Golf Championship. Directed by Innova Discs co-founder Harold Duvall, the tournament was the first PDGA Major that was built specifically for women and was the precursor to what is now known as the United States Women’s Disc Golf Championship.
After continued evaluation of both the local and global impacts of the novel coronavirus pandemic, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all PDGA World Championship events in 2020. Events included in this decision include:
PDGA World Championship events are the premier Major tournaments in disc golf, a vital display of the international growth of and participation in the sport. The COVID-19 pandemic, unfortunately, has thrown the status of these events into a morass of uncertainty this year. As we begin the process of resuming sanctioning, we want to address the varied questions and concerns about these tournaments in an effort to keep our members informed.
The invitation list for the 2020 PDGA Professional Masters Disc Golf World Championships is now available. Registration is currently scheduled to open June 12, 2020. The document includes the date players are eligible for registration by tier.
The 2020 PDGA Junior Disc Golf World Championships will feature six disc golf courses:
Note: pars and distances will vary depending on age group.
Hammond Park
(2172 feet, Par 27) Hammond Park is a short technical nine-hole course installed permanently in 2017 specifically for Junior Worlds. The holes range from 150 feet to 318 feet. The signature hole on this course is Hole 9 measuring 250 feet. Hole 9 requires a straight shot into a gap in a tree line with the basket set about 30 feet into the trees and on a steep ledge. The nine-hole layout will be used for several of the younger age groups but is a course enjoyed by Emporia residents of all ages!
The City of Emporia offers various lodging options. Please visit pdgajuniorworlds.com for hotel information. Hotels in Emporia are very moderately priced. These hotels tend to fill up quickly for large disc golf events. Get your reservations made sooner than later!
Congratulations! You have been invited to the 2020 PDGA Junior Disc Golf World Championships presented by Dynamic Discs in Emporia, Kansas from July 7th -11th based on your performance in 2019. The PDGA, Dynamic Discs, and the City of Emporia look forward to hosting you for this event.
The 2020 PDGA United States Women’s Disc Golf Championships (USWDGC) have been postponed due to the uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was set to take place May 22-24 in Northern California.
The invitation list for the 2020 PDGA Amateur Disc Golf World Championships is now available. Registration is currently scheduled to open May 22, 2020. The document includes the date players are eligible for registration by tier.
The invitation list for the 2020 PDGA Junior Disc Golf World Championships is now available. Registration is currently scheduled to open May 1, 2020. The document includes the date players are eligible for registration by tier.
In order to provide tournament staff, players, and local authorities more time to assess the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, registration for the 2020 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships has been delayed until April 17, 2020.
Additionally, registration will now occur on a condensed schedule by both timeline and player rating:
The College Disc Golf National Championship, a PDGA Major set to take place from April 1-4 at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, has been postponed indefinitely. College Disc Golf Development Manager John Baker issued the following statement:
We are disappointed to announce the 2020 College Disc Golf National Championship is postponed indefinitely due to the potential risks involving the Coronavirus.
Congratulations! You have been invited to enter the 2020 PDGAProfessional Disc Golf World Championships in Ogden, UT from June 13 – 20, 2020 based on your excellent performance during the 2019 PDGA season. The PDGA and Team Utah Open is looking forward to seeing you in Ogden this Summer.
Media teams interested in filming the 2020 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships in Odgen, Utah, are now invited to apply for the rights to several cards. This includes both post-production video and live streaming, with the application further detailing the requirements involved for consideration.
Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. EST on Friday, March 6, 2020. For any questions regarding the application, please contact the PDGA Communications Manager.
The invitation list for the 2020 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships is now available. Registration opens March 20, 2020, and the document includes the date players are eligible for registration by tier.
