By: Michelle Springett – DGPT Communications Coordinator

The Disc Golf Pro Tour is in its final stretch. Players have just completed the final standard Elite event of the season at the LWS Open at Idlewild and are now headed into the first DGPT playoff at the 2023 Discraft’s Great Lakes Open presented by GRIP6 (DGLO). After DGLO, the top 72 MPO competitors & Top 36 FPO competitors in Disc Golf Pro Tour Points Standings will be invited to register for the second playoff tournament, the 2023 MVP Open presented by OTB.

Throughout the season, players accumulate precious tour points across six distinct event types: DGPT Elite, DGPT Elite+, DGPT Playoffs, Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) Majors, DGPT Silver, and the PDGA Euro Tour events. All of these points are added together to crown an overall points victor and determine seeding for the DGPT Championship, which is only open to the top 36 MPO and top 20 FPO competitors.  

As the disc golf season unfolds, the importance of the DGPT points series becomes increasingly evident. These points, far from mere numbers or bragging rights, hold the key to privileges that every professional disc golfer covets: access to a tour card, qualification for the playoffs, and a chance to partake in the grandeur of the Tour Championship with advantageous seeding. With familiar stalwarts fighting off emerging stars, and intense battles for the coveted top spots, let’s delve into some of the current Disc Golf Pro Tour Points Standings storylines shaping the final leg of the 2023 DGPT season. 

A New DGPT Championship Competition Format

Earlier this year, the Disc Golf Pro Tour announced an update to its Championship event, which has remained mostly the same since the Tour’s inception in 2016. The DGPT Championship will maintain its stroke play format, dividing into a two-round semifinal and two-round final, spanning four rounds in total. 

All qualified players will compete over two rounds during the semifinals with a “starting stroke” advantage based on their seed (points standings after Maple Hill). Then, the field will be cut, and the top twelve men and eight women will advance to the finals with all scores reset to zero.  Rounds three and four (the finals) will reset and determine the champions through regular stroke play without the seed-based advantages.

MPO Seeds & Strokes 

FPO Seeds & Strokes 

You can view the full  DGPT Tour Points Standings thanks to our friends at UDisc!

Leading the Divisions

MPO

Calvin Heimburg lines up a backhand at the 2023 Dynamic Discs Open. Photo: DGPT/Kevin Huver.

Calvin Heimburg leads the MPO division with 1015.5 tour points in the Disc Golf Pro Tour Points Standings, leading by more than 160 points. The event that has earned him the most points so far this season is the Ledgestone Open, an Elite+ event where 2nd place is good for 127.5 points. Will anyone be able to catch up to him, or will his reign continue into the DGPT Championship?

Isaac Robinson and Gannon Buhr are fighting for 2nd place in DGPT Standings. Gannon has 852.21 points, and Isacc has 847.66 points. The fight for the second spot could prove crucial for DGPT Championship seeding with a “starting stroke” advantage on the line. With less than five points between them, the playoffs & the PDGA Pro World Championships will serve as a final battleground for the two young teammates. These two also have a fun back-and-forth that you can follow on their social media channels.

A genuinely legendary name in the sport, Ricky Wysocki, is placed fourth with 732.63 points, indicating that he’s still very much in contention. Ricky is a lock for the Tour Championship this season thanks to 3rd place at Ledgestone (112.5 points), first place at the Preserve Championship (100 points), second place at the PCS Open (85 points), and his finish at the European Open (60 points.) After Ricky’s successful finish at Nevin at last year’s DGPT Championship, he will work to defend his title while starting with a few extra strokes.

Kyle Klein (5th with 707.9 points), James Proctor (6th with 704.5 points), and Eagle McMahon (7th with 696.1 points) are also very close in points standings and are within only 11.8 points between them. The difference in points among players ranked 5th to 7th and 9th to 10th are relatively small, suggesting that their next tournament performance at Discrafts Great Lakes Open could shuffle these positions significantly. 

Adam Hammes (613.05 points) and Cole Redalen (606.58 points) are within 7 points of each other. Anthony Barela is in the middle of these two groupings at 8th place with 662.05 points. 5th – 8th place has the advantage of 2 starting strokes, so the difference in points among players ranked 5th to 8th and 9th to 10th will be critical. Their next tournament performance at Discrafts Great Lakes Open could be the deciding factor. 

FPO 

Kristin Tattar lining up a putt in Appling, GA, at the PDGA Champions Cup presented by Bushnell. Photo: Kevin Huver/DGPT

Not so surprisingly, Kristin Tattar is at the top of the pack for the FPO division with 1208.5 points. Since the European Open, we have not seen Kristin compete in any DGPT points events – the next event she is registered for is the 2023 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships, presented by L.L. Bean. Even while on a break from the U.S. Tour, Tattar enjoys a comfortable lead and is still the favorite to take home the points series victory based on her performance so far this season. It doesn’t hurt that Tattar took down the Green Mountain Championship in 2022 (the standard DGPT event that is played at Smugglers’ Notch each year, the same place where Worlds is happening this year) and took 2nd place at the MVP Open last season. Most fans already expect Tattart to go back-to-back at Worlds this year, and the points standings don’t lie – Kristin’s momentum this year has been unstoppable.  

Missy Gannon is currently second in the points standings. While she is still nearly 250 points behind Tattar, she is in a solid position to maintain a high seed as the season draws to a close; she maintains a 90+ point lead over Catrina Allen and Ohn Scoggins. Missy has had an incredibly consistent season, with stellar performances throughout. Her best performance so far this season was her first-place first win at the 2023 Discraft Ledgestone Open, which earned her 150 points.

While Tattar leads, there is a close competition between ranks 3 to 5, with Catrina Allen (3rd with 872.25 points), Ohn Scoggins (4th with 870.5 points), and Ella Hansen (5th with 859.33 points) all within roughly ten or so points of each other. This competition could create some thrilling storylines leading up to  DGPT Tour Championship as players might be forced to make on-course decisions as they battle for better seeding.

Tied Up in the Middle

MPO

Simon Lizotte tees off at the infamous bridge hole at the 2023 Discraft Ledgestone Open presented by Merrell. Photo: DGPT/Kevin Huver

Simon Lizotte, Chris Dickerson, Aaron Gossage, James Conrad, and Paul McBeth are very close together in the middle of the top 32 MPO spots, with less than 37 points separating them:

• Chris Dickerson in 15th place with 534.76 points
• Simon Lizotte in 16th place with 532.8 points
• James Conrad in 17th place with 529.23 points
• Aaron Gossage in 18th place with 515.33 points
• Paul McBeth in 19th place with 498.13 points

Paul McBeth, one the biggest names in the sport, is surprisingly at 19thin the points standings. Paul’s season hasn’t met his usual high standards regarding U.S. Elite Event victories. He’s managed to secure victory in just one Elite event, and his points tally falls significantly short of the leader, sitting at less than half of Calvin’s total. Paul invested a large portion of the tour season in Europe, where he achieved an impressive three consecutive victories on the summer stretch of the PDGA Euro Tour (at the Swedish Open, Skelleftea Open, and PCS Open). However, his overall points performance has taken a hit this year with a lackluster (by his standards) 20th-place finish at the Champions Cup and a “Did Not Finish” (DNF) outcome at the European Open due to injury. With his limited participation in U.S. tournaments during the midseason, his overall point accumulation suffered a notable blow. Paul isn’t currently registered for DGLO as he continues his recovery,  and it’s unlikely he’ll begin the DGPT Championship with a substantial stroke advantage.

FPO  

Jennifer Allen putting at the 2023 Beaver State Fling Presented by Innova. Photo: DGPT/Kevin Huver.

The 12th points standing spot marks a crucial line for a starting strokes advantage in the FPO Semifinals at the DGPT Championship this October. Any competitors who are below that line won’t enjoy any starting strokes for rounds 1 & 2. Emily Beach holds 12th place currently, but Maria Oliva and Jennifer Allen are just a few points behind. Any shifts could significantly impact their advantage in the Championship, where starting strokes will offer extra security in the dense woods. 

Henna Blomroos is at the 20th spot, the final qualifying position for the DGPT Championship, but she’s only a minuscule 0.08 points ahead of 21st-placed Lisa Fajkus. The competition for the last spot in the Championship will be extremely intense as players look to move to safer ground and avoid getting bumped out. 

On the Outside Looking In

MPO

Brodie Smith lining up his shot at the 2023 Portland Open. Photo: DGPT/Kevin Huver.

Former Pro Ultimate Frisbee player Brodie Smith, now in the 36th position with 305 points, is now in his 4th season on the DGPT. His progression and popularity in the sport and climb in rankings make for an engaging narrative thanks to his large media presence (see the popular Tour Life podcast with Paul Ulibari, amongst other ventures). Still, Brodie’s game has been on the rise, with multiple top-15 finishes this season. Brodie will look to jump into the top 32 and hang on to a spot in the DGPT Championship with a solid showing at DGLO, where he placed 9th last year.

The only MPO Elite first-place winner this season not meeting the cut line right now is Parker Welk, 58th with 208.5 points, with 100 points he earned at the 2023 Dynamic Discs Open. Parker’s next DGPT appearance will be at the 2023 Discraft Great Lakes Open, but either way, he will be playing in the DGPT Championship thanks to a qualification rule that allows any winners of Elite, Elite+, Playoffs, or Majors to replace the bottom seed in their division at the Championship should they otherwise fail to qualify based on points. Valarie Mandujano, who has had an abbreviated season due to an injury, will also take advantage of this rule after claiming her first 2023 DGPT season victory this past weekend at Idlewild.

FPO

Juliana Korver watches her drive with suspense at the 2023 Portland Open presented by Latitude 64. Photo: DGPT/Kevin Huver

Players like Juliana Korver, currently sitting in 25th with 450.25 points, who has been in the sport for decades and splits time on the course with appearances as a commentator on Disc Golf Network, still maintains a solid presence in the ranks amongst an ever-evolving and growing FPO field. Juliana showcases the depth and range of talent in the FPO division. She has two more guaranteed opportunities to qualify for the MVP Open and the DGPT Championship this season, as she is currently registered for DGLO and Worlds later this month, both of which will offer up 150 points to the winner.

Players around the 30-50 positions, such as Keiti Tätte (39th place with 319.25 points), Erika Stinchcomb (35th with 305.75 points), and Kona Montgomery (47th with 203.75 points), will strive hard to climb up the ranks for the Championship but have limited opportunities to make up the ground needed to qualify.

Putting it All to Rest

Every player mentioned above has the potential to earn a  precious two-year tour card exemption by qualifying for the 2023 DGPT Championship, which could be a game-changer for their careers and take some pressure off for 2024 and 2025. Earning these exemptions could be particularly beneficial for players in the lower ranks as it provides stability and easier access to events.

Tune in this coming weekend for the first of the 2023 DGPT Playoffs, presented by Barbasol! Round one LIVE coverage of Discraft’s Great Lakes Open begins on Thursday, August 17.