What is disc golf?
Disc golf is golf played with flying discs: throw from a tee toward an elevated metal basket, count throws, lowest score wins. Players carry a bag of drivers, mid-ranges and putters much as golfers carry clubs, and courses run through parks and woods — with the crucial difference that most are free to play.[1] [2]
How is it organized, and why is it booming?
The PDGA, founded in 1976, sanctions tournaments, maintains the global course directory and — importantly — runs a numeric player rating updated after every sanctioned round, giving the sport a precise ladder from beginner to touring pro. Growth has been extraordinary: membership and course counts have multiplied since 2020, and the Disc Golf Pro Tour now carries real purses and live coverage.[2] [3]
Who has won the most in disc golf?
World championship titles from the Professional Disc Golf Association's own champions list, through the 2026 championships at Milford, Michigan, at the end of August — which the association's champions table did not yet include, so the 2026 winners come from its own results page for that event. Ken Climo's twelve open titles are confirmed twice on the association's own pages. The professional tour's season championship is not tabled: two of its finals have no published recap, and the association's National Tour pages are closed to the public.
Most PDGA Professional World Championship titles — open (1982–2026)
| Rank | Name | Country | Years | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ken Climo | United States | 1990–1998, 2000, 2002, 2006 | 12 |
| 2 | Paul McBeth | United States | 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2022 | 6 |
| 3 | Nate Doss | United States | 2005, 2007, 2011 | 3 |
| 4= | Harold Duvall | United States | 1982, 1985 | 2 |
| 4= | Barry Schultz | United States | 2003, 2004 | 2 |
| 4= | Ricky Wysocki | United States | 2016, 2017 | 2 |
| 4= | Isaac Robinson | United States | 2023, 2024 | 2 |
| 8= | 15 players on 1: Watson (1983), Ferrans (1984), Sias (1986), Hosfeld (1987), Ahart (1988), Wisecup (1989), Russell (1999), Todd (2001), Feldberg (2008), Jenkins (2009), McCabe (2010), Barsby (2018), Conrad (2021), Buhr (2025), Silas Schultz (2026) | – | – | 1 |
Most PDGA Professional World Championship titles — open women (1983–2026)
| Rank | Name | Country | Years | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1= | Elaine King | Canada | 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997 | 5 |
| 1= | Juliana Korver | United States | 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 | 5 |
| 1= | Paige Pierce | United States | 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 | 5 |
| 4 | Valarie Jenkins | United States | 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016 | 4 |
| 5 | Des Reading | United States | 2002, 2005, 2006 | 3 |
| 6= | 6 players on 2: Marie Jackson (USA 1983, 1984), Vanessa Chambers (USA 1986, 1987), Chris O'Cleary (USA 1988, 1989), Catrina Allen (USA 2014, 2021), Kristin Tattar (EST 2022, 2023), Eveliina Salonen (FIN 2024, 2026) | – | – | 2 |
| 12= | 9 players on 1: Hale (1985), Bekken (1990), Powell (1995), Tanner (1996), Lagerholm (2004), Stanhope (2010), Hokom (2012), Bjerkaas (2018), Scoggins (2025) | – | – | 1 |
Medal lists rank on total medals, then gold, then silver; title lists rank on titles. Equal totals are separated by golds, then silvers, and every table states the period it covers. Verified September 2026.[4] [5] [6]
References
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Disc golf. Accessed August 2026.
- PDGA — official site. Accessed August 2026.
- Disc Golf Pro Tour — official site. Accessed August 2026.
- PDGA — professional world championship champions. Accessed September 2026.
- PDGA — 2026 Professional World Championships results. Accessed September 2026.
- PDGA — the history of the Pro Worlds. Accessed September 2026.