Big Steps Forward for European Disc Golf
The 2023 European open had the strongest field in the tournament’s history. More touring pros from the States traveled to the event than ever before. Over 80 1000+ rated MPO players competed. The vast majority of FPO players were rated over 900. That record-setting field comes just a week after the first DGPT Elite Event held outside the US, the 2023 PCS Open presented by Innova. The trajectory of disc golf in Europe has never looked more promising.
Bigger Payout, Better Course, Stronger Field
This year’s European Open had the biggest payout the event has ever seen at over $100,000. That follows a trend across all tour events and PDGA majors of increasing payouts as more players try to make professional disc golf their livelihood.
For the first time this year, the FPO played a different layout than the MPO. These changes made for better scoring separation for FPO players and a course more suitable to the average arm speed of the field. The Beast now has an 8,825-foot, par 65 layout for the FPO and a 9,167-foot, par 63 layout for the MPO.
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This was the largest, highest-rated, and most international field the event has seen. Out of the 132 competitors, 53 were from the United States, 43 were from Finland, and 36 came from other countries across Europe and the world. The free-to-spectate event draws in one of the largest crowds of the season. The European Open lives up to the expectation of PDGA Majors to be the most-professional and best-run events in the sport.
Photo by DGPT
Vinny’s First Lead at a PDGA Major
Photo by DGPT
Calvin Heimburg finished in a tie for 4th place at the 2023 European Open. Though he struggled off the tee in the final round, Calvin had a well-played event overall. He was 2nd in Strokes Gained from C2 making an impressive 42% of his C2 putts for the weekend. He was also 5th in Strokes Gained Putting and 6th in Strokes Gained Tee to Green.
Calvin shot an unbelievable 3rd round, a 1080-rated, -12 that was the hot score for the tournament. That stellar performance on moving day gave Calvin the lead going into the final round. This was the first time Calvin has had a lead at a PDGA Major. Though he wasn’t able to finish out the event as he would have hoped, Calvin gained valuable experience for a player who is likely to have many more opportunities with leads at Majors in his career.
As we move into the most important stretch of the year, Calvin’s skills still look sharp. He remains in the mix at every event he plays. He is the number one player in the world in the UDisc rankings, PDGA rankings, and the Statmando rankings. He leads the DGPT point standings by over 150 points.
Touring in Europe Pays Off for Bradley Williams
Bradley Williams tied for 8th place, his best finish at a PDGA Major in nearly a decade. He was 5th in Strokes Gained C2, making highlight putts in all four rounds of the tournament. Bradley spent the past month touring in Europe. In that time, he won the Krokhol Open and took 3rd at the Swedish Open. All that practicing abroad paid off at last weekend’s Major.
Photo by DGPT
Consistency at the Majors – Another Top Ten From Henna Blomroos
Henna Blomroos secured a Top 10 finish in her home country of Finland. She tied for 9th, leading the FPO field in Parked percentage and C1 Hits in Regulation. She was also 2nd in Birdie percentage and 3rd in Strokes Gained Tee to Green. One of the best drives in the FPO all weekend was Henna’s crush in the second round on hole 15. She parked the 476 foot, Par 4 to take the only Eagle on the hole for the weekend.
Photo by DGPT
Henna has finished outside the top 10 just once at PDGA majors out of 11 starts. With last weekend’s 9th place result, she jumped seven spots up the DGPT point standings into qualifying position. Henna will return to the States for the 2023 PDGA World Championship at Smugglers’ Notch Resort at the end of next month.
10th PDGA Major Top 10 Finish for Jessica Weese
Jessica Weese finished in a tie for 9th as well. She was 4th in the field in Birdie percentage and 5th in C1 Hits in Regulation. This was her 10th top ten finish at PDGA Major events of her career. Jessica is currently in 7th place of the DGPT point standings. She is having one of the most consistent seasons in the FPO with eight top ten finishes at DGPT events and PDGA Majors this year.
2023 Season Heats Up
We are about to enter the most important stretch of the disc golf season. The rest of the 2023 season is full of Elite+, DGPT Playoffs, and PDGA Major events. The 2023 Disc Golf World Championship is only a month away and then all eyes will turn to the USDGC. Watch the action for both MPO and FPO live on the Disc Golf Network each weekend. Visit Innovadiscs.com for tournament recaps, tips, and the latest team news.
