Historic Moment for Disc Golf in Latin America: Regional Championship Breaks Ground

A milestone was achieved in the history of disc golf as the First Latin American Disc Golf Championship took place at Monte María Disc Golf Course in Guatemala. The three-day event, held between November 14th and 16th, marked a significant step forward in the regionalization of the sport, bringing together players from 12 countries for a unified competition.

The championship was designed to be a regional-level tournament, where players would compete under a shared framework. To participate, players were required to meet at least one of three criteria: hold Latin American nationality, have permanent legal residency in any Latin American country, or have competed in at least six PDGA-sanctioned events within the past two years.

The competition featured 113 participants from Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Panama, Belize, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Nicaragua, Peru, and Venezuela. The inclusion of players who met the third criterion allowed for individuals with a strong commitment to developing disc golf in Latin America to participate, regardless of their nationality or residency.

The championship offered a wide range of divisions, allowing players of different ages and competitive levels to participate. A significant portion of competitors traveled internationally to attend the event, demonstrating the strong interest within the community in participating in a continental-level competition.

A professional purse of USD $2,435 was awarded across the professional divisions. Final-round coverage of both the MPO and FPO divisions was produced as part of this championship, with commentary provided in both Spanish and English. This content will be released shortly on the official PDGA YouTube channel, expanding access to the event and supporting continued visibility for professional disc golf in Latin America.

In addition to the competitive rounds, the championship included complementary activities aimed at increasing visibility for both the event and the sport in the region. These included a press conference with local media, an opening ceremony, and three educational and organizational sessions focused on regional coordination and long-term development.

The growth of disc golf in Latin America is driven by its shared cultural foundation, allowing the sport's development to occur as a collective regional process. The region has seen sustained growth, with 300 PDGA-sanctioned tournaments taking place between 2020 and 2025, including 80 events in 2025 alone. This trend confirms consistent growth in competitive activity and the continued strengthening of local and regional calendars.

PDGA areas and international collaborators worked together to make this championship possible, with key contributors including Luis Rodríguez (PDGA Latin America Coordinator), Fabián Oloarte (PDGA Latin America Marketing Director), Calixto García (PDGA Europe Marketing Director), and Chris Gwinner (Tournament Director). Additional support was provided by PDGA Europe through event coverage, as well as by local volunteers.

The First Latin American Disc Golf Championship established an important precedent for regional-level competition in the region. The event is currently being evaluated for future editions on a one-and-a-half to two-year cycle, with the possibility of opening host site applications across the region or maintaining a fixed location based on the outcomes and lessons learned from this inaugural edition.

The installation of the Monte María Disc Golf Course through the efforts of the Paul McBeth Foundation and support from Discraft made it possible to host a regional championship of this nature. This event represents a starting point for the consolidation of a regional competition within the PDGA calendar, reflecting the collective growth potential of Latin America as a culturally connected region.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/first-latin-american-disc-golf-championship