What’s up, degenerates? It’s the Disc Golf World. I’m Jefferson, alongside me as always—the one with all the holes in his game—Swiss Cheese. And hey, we’re just glad we’re not the ones getting drug tested while we break down everything you need to know from the Discmania Challenge.
Des Moines Hive: Forced Fun or Needed Hype?
This was the last U.S. stop before the European swing, and we’re talking Des Moines—home of The Hyvee. If you don’t know, that’s the rowdy crowd on hole five with custom bee antennas and enough noise to rattle McBeth himself.
Dixon Jowers took to social to call it “forced,” and plenty of fans agreed. But not all:
- Paul Ulibarri thought it was awesome.
- Chris Clemons said calling it forced was itself forced.
- Mason Ford loved it.
- Gavin Phillips may have been bribed but was still a fan.
- Even Gannon Buhr’s mom showed up in the Hyvee’s defense.
Casey White compared it to the MVP Open’s 8 Holes—and honestly, that’s the best comparison. I’ve been in both crowds, and the vibes are real similar. Let’s not forget other one-hole fan zones like the Mingos from Emporia, who even made it to the Kansas City Wide Open. These groups have been around for years, getting better every time, and this was the Hyvee’s biggest showing yet.
My Take? Let the Fans Cook
Calling it forced feels unfair. These are just passionate fans creating a fun environment—which, let’s be honest, disc golf desperately needs. The real problem? When the powers-that-be try to monetize it, VIP-ify it, and kill the grassroots vibe. That’s the part that sucks.
Instead of jacking up prices, make it so fun that fans want a Hyvee shirt or souvenir. And about the noise? Look—if you want disc golf to be a spectator sport, you gotta let people cheer. Not everyone wants to hike 5 miles in 100° heat. The Hyvee (and places like it) give people a reason to show up and get involved. I’ll keep going to MVP Open forever for that exact reason.
PDGA Announces Drug Testing at Worlds
Speaking of fun-killers—the PDGA dropped a bombshell that there’ll be drug testing at this year’s World Championships. Players found out June 27th, only 33 days before the event. The banned substances list included… “cannabonoids.”
Pretty sure that’s weed, folks.
But here’s the nuance: you can’t be under the influence during a round. So unless someone’s smoking mid-fairway, they’re probably fine. For those mad at the PDGA—chill. It’s not really their call. This is IOC-adjacent. If disc golf wants Olympic dreams, this is step one.
Or, if you want to rock the tinfoil hat: it’s a conspiracy to crown the first European world champion by eliminating America’s pot-smoking hippies.
Comment below how you feel about the upcoming tests. And subscribe if you want to be a Hyvee member. Or a full-on Disgenerate. We don’t judge.
Cadence Burge’s Breakout Victory
Let’s talk FPO. Cadence Burge came in hot with back-to-back podiums, including a major. She was already a favorite for Most Improved, but this weekend might land her Breakout Player of the Year honors.
She kicked off the weekend on feature card, top 10 in DGPT points despite a shortened tour. She put together the hot round of the day with a -5 and leaned on her putter, going -6 on the front nine of day two. That was enough for her dad to jump in the car for a 13-hour trek to watch her first anticipated DGPT win.
She finished day two at -9, four strokes ahead of Ohn Scoggins and six over lead cardmates
Holyn Handley and Rebecca Cox.
Final Round Drama
Holyn came out swinging, birdieing the first five holes and cutting Cadence’s lead in half. By the back nine, it was down to one. Cadence wobbled with a three-putt on 12—only her second and third misses all weekend—then went bogey and double. But she steadied herself thanks to caddy Robbie C, throwing in a clutch birdie.
Heading to 18 down a stroke, needing a birdie for a playoff on the event’s hardest hole, she’d never even sniffed a birdie there all week. But she laced the turnover like she walked up and set it down by hand. Perfect placement, bullseye range.
Handley needed to answer but went OB on her approach, missing the throw-in to seal Cadence’s first-ever DGPT win. Even if you want to discount the field strength, she beat one of the best in Holyn, delivering when it mattered. Handley still took second—her seventh podium of the season—before heading to Europe. Ohn snagged her third podium of the year before going back to Minnesota for Masters Worlds.
Ezra Aderhold’s First DGPT Win
Calvin Heimburg came out blazing with -13 on day one. Day two, the sun cooked everyone and scores dropped. Ezra Aderhold took advantage, shooting -8 and taking a two-stroke.
Ezra came out firing with a big circles-edge putt on 1, then birdied the next four holes, even chaining out for an ace on 5 (too bad the Hive’s reaction was “forced” there, huh?). He did stumble with a par on 6 and bogey on 7 after landing in hazard, but built enough cushion that the chasers needed help.
Some late mistakes tightened things up—OB on 16 cut it to one—but he rebounded with a birdie on 17 and smart layup on 18 to secure his first-ever DGPT win. From living in a Prius eating beans to winning on tour. Legend. After the win, he even had his first sip of alcohol. Hope the boys took him dancing at the Lumberyard. It’s the only proper celebration.
Adam Hammes finished one back at -27 after a monster -14 final round. Evan Smith rounded out the podium, beating his previous best of third at last year’s DMC to tie for second with Hammes. Not bad at all.
European Championship Mayhem
Quick look overseas—the European Disc Golf Championship in Norway was chaos in round three. Windy conditions gave us meme-worthy highlights, especially Henna Blomroos whose putter got yeeted into OB water twice on hole 17. Brutal.
In the end, it was Kristin Latt and Eveliina Salonen battling again. Eveliina aced for a SportsCenter Top 10 spot on day two. But on 17 of the final round, she bogeyed, sending them to a playoff. Most had Kristin winning at that point, but she missed a C1 putt on the second playoff hole, giving the win to Eveliina.
On the MPO side, Niklas Anttila was untouchable. Started with a three-stroke lead, built it to six, and cruised wire-to-wire. The man might already be Europe’s GOAT.
Final Thoughts
That’s everything from the Disc Mania Challenge. Make sure you subscribe to stay up to date on all things disc golf. And check back tomorrow for another episode of The Spit Out, Disc Golf World’s podcast where we go even deeper on the week that was. Thanks for watching, degenerates!
