The 2022 United States Women’s Disc Golf Championships (USWDGC) will start Thursday, June 30 in Madison, Wis. The four-round, ladies-only event isn’t only a major, but – as the name of the tournament indicates – determines who will wear the “U.S. Champion” crown for a year.
The 2022 United States Disc Golf Championship (USDGC) will kick off Thursday, October 6 in Rock Hill, S.C. Similarly, USDGC is a four-round event, but – as many would tell you – BOTH the MPO and FPO fields take part. Once all’s said and done, there will be a U.S. Champion within the MPO field. Likewise, on the FPO side of things, there will ALSO be a new …
How can that be?
If you’re like me, these are questions you’ve asked yourself over the years – for women:
- Question No. 1 – What’s the difference between USDGC and USWDGC?
- Question No. 2 – Which tourney actually determines the TRUE U.S. Champion?
And if you’re really like me, you’ve been far too lazy to do anything about finding an answer. Fortunately, contrary to how we usually do things here at Green Splatter, I did some digging, consulted a few sources and emailed people who know what they’re talking about …
Here’s what I found:
USDGC (FPO)
Each year, you see the greatest MPO and FPO disc golfers converge on Rock Hill to take on Winthrop Gold. For the men, this is USDGC. It’s a major. It’s owned and operated by Innova Champion Discs. But that’s the thing about it many people don’t realize – it’s ONLY for men …
Well, kind of – keep reading.
For the ladies, USDGC isn’t a thing – it doesn’t exist.
* Note: Sorry for the subheading. Given what you’ve read, it was (intentionally) misleading.
Though played at the SAME course at the SAME time and in the SAME conditions, the women compete in the Throw Pink Women’s Disc Golf Championship (TPWDGC), instead. This event isn’t a major – since 2021, it’s an XA-tier. It doesn’t determine the FPO U.S. Champion.
Now, with all of the above in mind …
In the back of your brain, if you think you remember seeing Paige Pierce or Juliana Korver doing USDGC, it’s because they did – they competed with the guys. Contrary to popular belief, “MPO” doesn’t stand for “men’s professional open.” It actually stands for “mixed professional open.” In order to compete, you have to qualify. If you qualify, regardless of gender, you can participate.
As is the case with most MPO events, however, men make up the vast majority of the field.
The U.S. Women’s Disc Golf Championships
If you’re a fan of big-time disc golf, you should be a fan of USWDGC:
- Reason No. 1 – It features only the most talented women.
- Reason No. 2 – There are a total of 19 all-female divisions.
- Reason No. 3 – This year, a record-breaking 335 women will compete.
- Reason No. 4 – It’s a major tournament – and for ALL divisions, not just FPO.
- Reason No. 5 – Lastly, each winner is the official U.S. Champion of her division.
And wouldn’t you know it, starting on Thursday, it’s all going down.
The 2022 USWDGC will be the 23rd iteration of the tournament. For its first two years, the event was known as the “Women’s National Championship.” In 2001, it made the change to the “United States Women’s Disc Golf Championships.” While the first six tournaments were held in Illinois, unlike USDGC and TPWDGC, the USWDGC is held in a different location each year.
Given the COVID-19 pandemic, things ran a bit differently in 2020, though. Due to the severely compromised majors calendar, for one year, the Women’s National Championship returned and was held at Winthrop Gold. It was also granted “major” status, but again – just for one year.
Surprise, surprise: Paige Pierce won.
So, to recap, last year, Pierce won the USWDGC, earning her the title of “U.S. Champion.” Missy Gannon nabbed the TPWDGC, which earned her a cool $6,000, but no fancy title.
Now, all that’s left is to keep these acronyms straight – you’re on your own for that.
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