It’s major week, so let’s focus on the FPO. First, by keeping your hands off of USWDGC, a huge deal announcement with the all-women sports network, and day one action that proved far too many people slept on Evelina.
Welcome back, Discgenerates, to This Week in Disc Golf, where I cover all things disc golf from the past week. For the ones wondering who I am—I’m just a guy who made my identity after my poor disc golf game, or Swiss Cheese. But most importantly, just one half of the Disc Golf World. The YouTube channel that hits just as hard as any other disc golf podcast, just in a fraction of the time.
Every year the disc golf community goes through the same routine: celebrate and cheer on USWDGC when it’s the solo event tossed in the middle of the season, only to drop it like a bad habit months later when USDGC comes around. As large a spectacle as Winthrop is, with its history, spectators, and venue, the Pro Disc Golf Association is right not to give up its major status over to Innova.
The USWDGC is more than just the pro division contest. It’s an event that pulls women from across the globe, with over 300 participants, 19 divisions, and age groups from U10 to 70+. Coming together for camaraderie, support, seeing old friends, making new ones, the competition that brings the best out of them, and maybe most importantly, a safe place to be themselves. Even if it does include a Four Non Blondes cover from Kat Mertsch. Only missing the hat and flannel on that one.
Sure, it might make some guys feel a little peculiar. But frankly—who gives a shit. Just like me, for those who missed that last bar. You can’t lose all that just for optics and a title at the end of the year, even if it makes fans or personalities feel warm and fuzzy when they consume USDGC.
And since adding another major for the FPO roster is apparently too difficult for those trying too hard to be like the PGA instead of acknowledging we’re the weird sport with flying plastic frisbees that has the ability to act for itself, we’re stuck. Because you can’t just toss 26 years of history where the women’s side is not only featured but promoted at all levels for a full week, just to become a major at USDGC that would get the same coverage as the Throw Pink Championship does now.
Last week Nate Perkins nearly revealed—or creatively teased, depending on your perspective—a big announcement. Well, this week on the All Birdies and No Bogeys podcast, they finally did.
This is a prodigious deal. And that’s coming from me—the one who’s been critical of prior disc golf broadcasts and the idea that our sport needs television coverage to grow. And yes, Nate might have oversold it in the tease. But you can’t argue that the exposure and representation is another avenue to hopefully attract more women to our game. And if we’re being honest, that’s something our sport has struggled with at times.
I’m not going to dive into the viewer numbers this partnership provides, because it’s still less than what YouTube does. But being a live broadcast to a more open audience than those other post-produced CBS Sports deals certainly gives this one a leg up and less reason for criticism. Will it create mass viewership? Maybe not. But it does give the sport more exposure to possibly make it happen.
So to all you DGPT employees, those on the ground and even in the offices: allow me to say—this is yet another great job attracting an outside partnership this year. That deserves acknowledgment and praise from the community.
And I’ll let Brian rattle off the other events that will have day-one cable coverage before I get into the day-one recap that had some shocking results.
Day One Recap – USWDGC
Leading into this major since Champions Cup, the FPO field has been split by an ocean. That created a divide in narratives around the current top four in DGPT points. Kristin Tattar, Silva Saarinen, Holyn Handley, and Missy Gannon all shined with victories in that stretch. Funny enough, forgotten in all those debates, rankings, and tier lists was Evelina Salonen.
Yes, her time away from tour to be a bridesmaid (and to play a little golf) contributed to that. But this is the same player who won two of four majors last year. She proved there was no rust by shooting the hot round: 8-under. Her 86% C1X putting was just as pretty as her ace on 16. Her back nine also saved fans from a brutal feature card round that collectively went 15-over. Kristin and Silva found themselves 7 strokes back with 1-under rounds. Missy shot 8-over to land in 59th place. Holyn Handley didn’t fare much better—she’s six strokes off the pace in 7th place.
Henna Blomroos was also impressive in her return to the tour, shooting 7-under—the second-best score of the day—with a slick park job on 10. She also debuted a new putt with more spin and a staggered stance. Though it wasn’t tested too much (only six total C1X putts), it did look more confident.
Behind Henna you have four players at 5-under: Wisconsin’s own Hailey King making a statement while rocking an open bag, Ohn Scoggins whose only bogey was a double, Lucky Lorentzen fresh off a pregnancy announcement with a hot putting day, and Sofia Donneka who carded only a single bogey in her round.
A few more USWDGC notes before we get to the quick hitters: Kona Montgomery dropped out due to illness that’s going around the tour, and Catrina Allen also DNFed. Some other recognizable names are leading their divisions, including Holly Finley and Hall of Famer Juliana Korver. Over in the under-15 division, only the third 1000-rated round of the entire day came from Hailey Huber of Colorado, who shot a 10-under, 1010-rated round—up there with the two Fins in FPO.
Quick Hitters
Turner’s filthy cut has him looking like he knows his way around a firework. Can we stop judging trophies and move that aggression toward commemorative disc stamps? Silva’s Preserve one deserves some notoriety. Rebecca Cox celebrated her birthday. Silva celebrated her Preserve win inside Mama Duck—could you imagine stoic Silva, the one who looks like she knows the world’s funniest joke but won’t tell anyone, hitting the Kristen Espresso Macchiato celly? That’s what this sport is truly missing.
USDGC players’ pack included a make-your-own tie-dye shirt station and coloring book. Off-week scenic views from Thomas Gilbert and Jakub Semerad. And if Heimberg is involved, you know there’s some rock-hounding. The Worlds map release also kicked off the countdown. And Disc Golf Made covered the Northwest Championship final hole on their channel.
And guys, that wraps up This Week in Disc Golf. Shout out to those on Patreon and all of you who stayed this long to hear me say thank you. Like always, if you enjoyed this and haven’t subscribed, make sure you do so. And if you haven’t already, hit that like button, comment, and share.
