16 Major Titles and the DGPT Points Champion
With over 40 DGPT and PDGA Major podiums, including 10 Open Division wins, Team Innova had a sensational season in 2023. We won 16 age-protected Major titles, the DGPT Points race in MPO, multiple big overseas tournaments, and countless A-tiers. Team member Calvin Heimburg had one of the most consistent, best-played seasons of disc golf we can remember. Ohn Scoggins finally took down an Elite Event after years of being in contention at nearly every event she plays. Up-and-coming Innova athletes showed their potential and set the groundwork for victories to come.
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Top MPO Performances of 2023
Calvin Heimburg
Calvin Heimburg was the player to beat in 2023. At nearly every tournament, Vinny was in the hunt for the win until the final few holes. He has been the top-rated disc golfer in the world since mid-season. He spent more time in the number one spot of the World Rankings than any other player. Most importantly, Calvin was the 2023 DGPT Points leader, a measure of success across all events in the year.
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Calvin won two Elites, one Silver, and had 11 Elite Podiums in 2023. At the Las Vegas Challenge, Vinny started his year off with a statement win. Just weeks later, he backed that win up with another victory at the 2023 Innova Open at Texas States. Though that was a Silver event, the field was as strong as most Elites and Calvin completely dominated. In April, he became back-to-back Jonesboro Open Champion, in one of the most exciting finishes to a tournament all season. For the year, Calvin led the MPO in Precise Power Index and was top 3 in Fairway Hits, C1 Hits in Regulation, and C2 Hits in Regulation.
Photo by DGPT
As impressive as Calvin’s wins and stats are, what really made this season so special was his unheard of level of consistency. Calvin averaged 3.8 for the year at DGPT Silver, Elite, and PDGA Major events. He only finished outside the top 10 once. He accomplished all that playing against the deepest field in disc golf history. 2023 was the Season of Vinny.
Bradley Williams
After 15 years of grinding, Team Innova’s Bradley Williams finally earned his first Major podium at the 2023 USDGC. He finished in 2nd place, just one stroke behind the winner Kyle Klein and three strokes clear of 3rd place. Bradley says he had been working towards that moment for his entire career.
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In addition to the Major podium, BWilly had a huge, overseas win this season. He took down the 2023 Krokhol Open, beating Paul McBeth as well as a host of other talented European and American players. This was one of Bradley’s best seasons yet.
Top FPO Performances of 2023
Ohn Scoggins
For the second year in a row, Ohn Scoggins has blown us away with her level of consistency. She finished on the podium of 12 Silver, Elite, and PDGA Major events this year. She has not finished outside of the top 5 since early April. To end the year, she went 6 straight events taking either 1st or 2nd (excluding her DNF at worlds due to injury).
We already knew that Ohn was consistent, but this year we learned that she has the killer instinct needed to take home wins too. Ohn Scoggins won her first Disc Golf Pro Tour events this season. First, she took down the Mid America Open, a Silver which gave her a taste of standing at the top of FPO. Just a few weeks laters, Scoggins returned to the top spot, this time at the Elite Playoff event DGLO. Leading up to DGLO, she had 14 Elite and Major podiums without a win. Now that the monkey is off her back, we expect Scoggins will be a regular in the winner’s circle.
Ohn finds success on the course through good decision making, expert scrambling, and the best putting in the FPO. She led the field in both C1x Putting and C2 Putting for 2023.
Ohn works harder than anyone in disc golf. She plays multiple practice rounds nearly everyday, putts 400-500 reps daily, and rarely takes time off. Through all that hard work, she still manages to be one of the most positive, fun-to-watch players we have. It felt great to see this fan-favorite athlete finally take home a top-tier FPO win.
Photo by DGPT
Kat Mertsch
In her first year on the Innova Star Team, Kat Mertsch is already proving to be one of our most valuable players. She had a breakout season, winning her first Silver and Elite events, taking her first Major podium, and earning 2nd at the DGPT Championship. She had 6 total podium finishes at Tour events and PDGA Majors.
Kat’s win at Jonesboro was emotional to say the least. For Kat to fulfill a main career goal of winning an Elite event in her home state and with her family by her side couldn’t have been better scripted. The victory cry that Kat let out after tapping in the winning putt was one of raw pride and joy. Years of dedication were validated in that moment.
Just weeks later, Kat took 1st at the Cascade Challenge. While the Jonesboro win is the crowning achievement of Kat’s season, her win at Cascade proved Jonesboro was no fluke. Mertsch is here to stay.
Hailey King
Hailey King is fast-becoming the most promising athlete in FPO. She tops herself season after season, with better tournament finishes and better stats. Her course-management skills and mental strategy are far beyond most players of her age. Each year, Hailey gets smarter, stronger, and one step closer to her goal of being the best in the world.
Hailey became back-to-back DDO Champion, winning the Elite tournament in a thrilling playoff. She also took down the 2023 MVP Open just a few weeks ago, one of the most important events of the season.
This off-season, Hailey looks committed to the training regiment it takes to be a world-class athlete. Her ceiling of potential feels highest in the FPO.
Jennifer Allen
Innova Team Captain, Jennifer Allen, has been at the top of disc golf for over 20 years. This year, playing against the most competitive field our sport has ever seen, Jen’s season was right up there with the best of her career. She took down her first DGPT event, 23 years after first taking cash at a PDGA tournament.
Jen’s final round to win the Beaver State Fling may have been the most exciting tournament round of the year. She started it off with an ace on Hole one that went on to become the most viral video in disc golf history. She followed that up with three birdies to go five down through four holes.
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Jen led the FPO for the season in Precise Power Index, a measure of accuracy at long distances. She was also 3rd in the field in C1 and C2 Hits in Regulation. Though Jen is Masters eligible, she remains the most accurate and powerful player in the field.
Age-Protected Major Titles
Team Innova’s Masters and Juniors teams had fantastic 2023 seasons as well. We took home 16 Major titles in age-protected divisions, from a World title in FJ10 to a US title in MP80. Jennifer Allen became the US Women’s Disc Golf Champion in FP40. Ohn Scoggins earned her 3rd consecutive Masters World title in FP40. Joe Rovere earned his first Masters World title in MP40. Philo Brathwaite won the Tim Selinske Masters in MP40, taking home his first Major win and the biggest payout of his career. Juliana Korver won both a US and World title in FP50 in the same season that she qualified for the Tour Championship and had an Elite+ podium in FPO. Genevieve Davis (FJ10), MJ Gager (FJ12), Sylus Williams (MJ15), Peter Sontag (MP60), Pam Reineke (FP60), Sandy Gast (FP65), and Pete May (MP80) each won one or more Major titles in their respective divisions.
The Off-Season
This off-season, Innova has a great lineup of stories, videos, and other content planned to keep the discs flying while the pros take a break. Each week, check Innovadiscs.com for articles to help you find new plastic, refine your game, and keep you informed about what’s new in the sport. Visit our Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram accounts to fill your off-season with tips, highlights, and all the latest news from Innova.
