Pickard Park Prepares for the Pros: Top Storylines & How to Watch the 2025 Discmania Challenge
The Disc Golf Pro Tour returns to Des Moines for the 5th year in a row with the 2025 Discmania Challenge presented by TruBank! Hosted by the Des Moines Metro Disc Golf Club and Tournament Director Ty Tannat, this fan-favorite event will once again take place at the championship-level Pickard Park, designed by 5x World Champion Juliana Korver.
Famous for its stunning scenery and challenging terrain, Pickard stands as one of the Midwest’s premier courses and a must-play for pros. Defending champs Anthony Barela and Emily Weatherman return, ready to defend their titles against a fierce field!
A Community’s Journey at Pickard Park
Indianola’s Pickard Park is more than just a stop on the Pro Tour—it’s the product of a community that’s spent years building something special. In a new feature from the City of Indianola, writer Aaron Young explores the park’s transformation into one of the nation’s top disc golf venues, the grassroots effort behind the scenes, and the deep pride that drives it all.
Here’s how you can catch all the action…
YOU CAN WATCH TWO EVENTS THIS WEEKEND WITH DGN PRO!
👉 Learn more about the European Disc Golf Championship
Round 1 of the 2025 EDGF European Disc Golf Championship will stream exclusively on DGN Free—you won’t find it on YouTube! Rounds 2–4 will be available only with a DGN Pro subscription. Don’t miss a single shot: subscribe to DGN Free now (no credit card needed), and upgrade to Pro for full access to the biggest events of the season—including Pro Masters Worlds, USDGC, and exclusive bonus events you won’t see anywhere else.
✅ European Disc Golf Championship
✅ Pro Masters Worlds
✅ European Disc Golf Festival
✅ USDGC & Throw Pink Women’s Championship
Get every round, every moment, all season long. Upgrade to DGN Pro and catch all the action, live and uninterrupted. Subscribe now at the link below!
WEATHER THIS WEEKEND
The 2025 Discmania Challenge in Indianola, Iowa, looks to bring warm summer vibes with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s all weekend. Winds will stay light, generally around 10 mph, giving players calm conditions to focus on their game. Friday and Sunday carry the highest chances for thunderstorms, especially in the morning on Friday and afternoon on Sunday, so those will be days to keep an eye on the skies. With the heat on the rise, players and fans should stay hydrated and watch for signs of heat stress.
For any weather-related updates, delays, or safety information, be sure to check the Event Status Updates page.
THE CREATORS CHALLENGE TAKES CENTER STAGE!
Before the Discmania Challenge begins, something brand-new is hitting Pickard Park—the Creators Challenge! Watch top pros team up with disc golf’s biggest creators for a fun, skill-packed showdown. Watch it unfold LIVE on DGN and the DGPT YouTube channel! Click the link below to check out the full lineup and format…
NOTE: Due to potential inclement weather, the Creators Challenge is rescheduled to start at 1 PM CT on Thursday, June 26th.
DISCMANIA CHALLENGE: FPO LOOKAHEAD
- FPO1 Feature Card: Emily Weatherman, Cadence Burge, Ella Hansen, & Holyn Handley
- FPO2 Feature Card: Rebecca Don, Ohn Scoggins, Kat Mertsch, & Eliezra Midtlyng
Here’s a look at the top storylines headed into this weekend:
1️⃣ Weatherman’s Title Defense Begins
Last year, Emily Weatherman shocked the disc golf world by winning the DMC from the chase card — a feat only once before accomplished in FPO Major/Elite Series history (Paige Pierce, 2017, Green Mountain Championship). Weatherman’s 3-stroke victory and career-best 1004 event rating at DMC 2024 set a high bar. Despite a rocky start to her 2025 season due to injury setbacks, all eyes are on whether Weatherman can regain form and possibly make history as the first back-to-back chase-card winner.
2️⃣ Can Burge Break Through in Iowa?
Cadence Burge is having a breakout 2025 season, with three Top-5 finishes and five Top-10s across six DGPT events. Burge’s impressive form includes eight of her highest-rated career rounds this year, including a career-best rating of 1026 at the Preserve Championship. Having never competed in Iowa before, the DMC could be her launching pad for a maiden victory on this stage.
3️⃣ A Thin Field Opens the Door for New Champions
Notably absent this year are stars like Paige Pierce, Missy Gannon, and the European contingent, all key players in past DMC tournaments. This leaves the field more open than usual and puts the spotlight on other top contenders. Hansen and Handley, the only registered 2025 Major/Elite Series winners at the event, are poised to capitalize on the opportunity. Could we witness the rise of a fresh name atop the podium?
DISCMANIA CHALLENGE: MPO LOOKAHEAD
- MPO1 Feature Card: Gavin Babcock, Simon Lizotte, Gannon Buhr, & Anthony Barela
- MPO2 Feature Card: Eagle McMahon, Matthew Orum, Paul McBeth, & Silas Schultz
Here’s a look at the top storylines headed into this weekend:
1️⃣ Buhr vs. Barela: The Battle for 2025 Rages On
In 2025, Gannon Buhr and Anthony Barela aren’t just the two best players in the world—they’ve also become DGPT’s most compelling rivalry. Between them, they’ve won the last two DMC titles and the last three American DGPT events. Both are ranked #1 and #2 in the world and are chasing historic seasons.
Buhr, coming off an 11-stroke blowout win at The Preserve (the second-largest margin in DGPT history), is trying to become just the sixth player in MPO history with multiple 4+ win seasons. His dominant form, combined with his 2023 DMC win, makes him the clear favorite. But Barela—last year’s DMC champion—is not backing down. His 2021–2024 DMC finishes (53rd → 12th → 7th → 1st) show a player who’s mastered this course over time.
The only question is: who blinks first?
2️⃣ Robinson Returns Ready to Run It Back
Isaac Robinson returns to action after skipping The Preserve, but don’t mistake rest for rust. Over his last five events, Robinson has finishes of 5th, 6th, 1st, 10th, and 4th. He’s quietly putting together a stretch reminiscent of his 2023 hot streak—and DMC might be the perfect place to strike.
He was runner-up to Buhr here in 2023, and while he’s had mixed results at Pickard Park outside of that year, the trendline is clear: Robinson is warming up, and a strong finish here could launch him right back into the season’s top tier.
3️⃣ History Says Hold Your Breath
Since becoming a DGPT stop, the DMC has seen everything: playoffs (2022), weather-shortened rounds (2023), and narrow margins of victory (no one has won by more than 3 strokes). With Buhr’s 11-stroke blowout at the Preserve fresh in mind, it’s fair to ask: will DMC finally break its trend of tight battles?
More than likely, it’ll be another late-Sunday nail-biter. And with multiple former champions in the field (Buhr, Barela, McBeth, Lizotte), plus red-hot contenders like Isaac Robinson and Adam Hammes, the ingredients are all there for a dramatic finish—again.
All the action starts on Friday, June 27th! Tune in to the Disc Golf Network and catch post-pro coverage from JomezPro all weekend.
HOW TO WATCH THE DISCMANIA CHALLENGE:
Here’s everything you need to know to catch the action this weekend…
TEE TIMES & ROUND RATINGS
The Discmania Challenge presented by TruBank | PDGA Event Page
Official scores, tee times, PDGA Live scoring, and round ratings can be found on the official event page on PDGA.com.
DISC GOLF NETWORK BROADCAST TIMES
Live daily broadcasts from Friday 6/27 – Sunday 6/29
- FPO Coverage begins with Tournament Central at 9:30 am CT / 10:30 am ET / 5:30 pm EET (Finland)
- MPO Coverage begins with Tournament Central at 3:00 pm CT / 4:00 pm ET / 11:00 pm EET (Finland)
LIVE SCORES AND STATS
Live scores and stats will also be available on both the DGPT website and on PDGA Live all weekend!
GAMING OPPORTUNITIES THIS WEEK: YOUR GUIDE TO DAILY FANTASY & SPORTS BETTING ON DISC GOLF
Your picks are waiting—disc golf fans now have the opportunity to engage in various gaming opportunities, including Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) and regulated sports wagering.
Fans can visit nxtbets.com/playdgpt to view available gaming opportunities in their location and learn more about how to play DFS & Legal Sports Betting on DGPT events. Regulatory approval at the state level is required to offer gaming in each jurisdiction, and additional states will be added as approvals are secured.
In addition to exploring currently available opportunities, fans can read more about how to wager on the Disc Golf Pro Tour in nxtbets.com’s ultimate how-to guide. This educational resource provides information on how to research and choose a gaming platform or sportsbook, overviews the different kinds of wagering options available, explains how odds work in disc golf, and offers strategies for successful wagering.
Remember: The Disc Golf Pro Tour has strict rules governing who can and cannot bet on professional disc golf. Tour and tournament staff, volunteers, rules officials, and players are explicitly prohibited from participating in wagering. These rules help maintain the integrity of the game and ensure a safe, regulated betting environment for both fans and players. Additionally, the DGPT partners closely with IC360, a leading sports betting integrity and compliance organization that continuously monitors and analyzes betting activity across multiple platforms to detect potential abuse. To learn more about the DGPT’s gambling policy and safeguards, read the official announcement and visit dgpt.com/rules for the full policy.
Lines may not be available yet in all jurisdictions. Daily Fantasy is currently available online in 30+ states. 21+ Please refer to Affiliated Operators’ T&C. Void where prohibited. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
PLUS—YOUR SHOT AT SIGNED DISCS FROM THE GAME’S BIGGEST STARS!
NXTbets and the Disc Golf Pro Tour is giving away four signed DGPT discs from some of pro disc golf’s biggest names—including Ken Climo, Gannon Buhr, Anthony Barela, Ella Hansen, Ezra Robinson, and Emily Weatherman! To enter, simply follow the Disc Golf Pro Tour and NXTbets on Instagram, place a bet on the Northwest Disc Golf Championship, and DM your bet slip to NXTbets. Open to U.S. residents only. Four winners will be selected at random on Monday, June 2 at 12 PM ET.
LIVE COVERAGE
Disc Golf Network | Subscribe
The Disc Golf Network (DGN) is the home of live disc golf. The DGN is a subscription streaming and on-demand platform built by the Disc Golf Pro Tour. Covering the world’s best players competing in the sport’s most elite tournaments. For more information on Disc Golf Network offerings, check out this article → What are the subscription tiers offered by the Disc Golf Network?
Active PDGA members receive a discount on their monthly DGN subscription »
POST-PRODUCTION COVERAGE
- JomezPro | Subscribe
MPO and FPO Expanded Leader Coverage | Read more about the 2024 JomezPro media plan → Disc Golf Network Expands Coverage in 2025
SOCIAL MEDIA
