Get Ready for an Electrifying Year in Disc Golf
Date Published
The wait is over for disc golf enthusiasts as the PDGA's National Tour Elite Series returns for its 14th year in 2016. The series promises to bring together the best of the best from around the world, competing for individual event titles and the coveted championship crown.
Launched in 2003, the PDGA National Tour was created to showcase the thrilling sport of disc golf and its top professionals to a wider audience. Since then, more than 12,000 players have participated in the tour, vying for cash prizes and series bonuses that have exceeded $2 million over the past 13 seasons.
This year's Elite Series will feature seven tournaments, including the season-closing Brent Hambrick Memorial Open (BHMO) in Columbus, Ohio. The tour kicks off on March 2nd at The Memorial Championship presented by Discraft in Scottsdale, Mesa, and Fountain Hills, Arizona. From there, it will travel across the country, concluding with the BHMO in August.
In addition to the individual event purses, players from both the professional men's and women's divisions will earn points based on their finish in each tournament, ultimately determining a National Tour Elite Series Champion.
The PDGA has also announced two new disc golf tours: Jussi Meresmaa's Disc Golf World Tour and Steve Dodge's Disc Golf Pro Tour. This increased competition is expected to raise the bar for professional disc golfers, providing them with multiple options for high-profile events and enhancing exposure for the sport as a whole.
Looking beyond the National Tour, the PDGA has an exciting lineup of major events scheduled for 2016. The PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships will be held in Emporia, Kansas, while the PDGA Amateur and Junior Disc Golf World Championships will take place in Madison, Wisconsin. Two new venues have been added to the roster: the US Women's Disc Golf Championships in Sabattus, Maine, and the Tim Selinske US Masters Championships in Stockton, California.
The European Masters will be held in Stockholm, Sweden in July, followed by the co-sanctioned PDGA & World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) Team Disc Golf World Championships in Vancouver in mid-August. These events promise to bring together top talent from around the world and showcase the growth of disc golf on an international scale.
As we celebrate another exciting season, we would like to extend our gratitude to tournament directors, club members, and volunteers who dedicate countless hours to promoting the sport. Their hard work is instrumental in driving the growth and development of disc golf at the grassroots level.
With more tournaments, players, added cash, spectators, media exposure, and manufacturers than ever before, 2016 is shaping up to be a year that will go down in history as one of the greatest for disc golf. Join us on this thrilling journey and let's see what the future holds for our beloved sport!
This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/2016-pdga-national-tour-are-you-ready