2024 US Women’s Disc Golf Championships Preview: The Season’s First Major

Can Kristin Tattar keep her streak alive?

March 20, 2024 by Justin Westfall in Preview with 0 comments

Just over five months ago, the 2023 United States Women’s Disc Golf Championship closed out the season’s PDGA Major schedule (but we can all agree that Throw Pink is a Major). This year, the USWDGC will lead off the Majors, with the event beginning this Thursday at the new Sprinkle Valley disc golf course in Austin, Texas.

Like last year’s event, the FPO division will play all four rounds on one course, and once again it is a brand new championship-level track that is wooded and highly technical. As a Pro-Am Major, every division from open to masters to junior ages will compete in this event, but only the FPO and FP40 divisions will play at Sprinkle Valley. Beginning this year, Majors are now worth twice as many DGPT points as standard Elite events. Every player’s two best Major finishes will count towards their end of season standings.

Last year, Kristin Tattar completed her single-season grand slam at USWDGC with a three-stroke win over Ohn Scoggins. With 10 holes to play in the final round, she was tied with Henna Blomroos, but after a two-stroke swing on hole 9, Tattar took the solo lead and never looked back. Kristin averaged a 993 event rating, the lowest of her Major wins last season. It was Tattar’s 2nd career USWDGC win but also the only other time she has played the event since her first win back in 2019, her first-ever tour victory.

Past Winners

Four Things We’ll Be Watching

1. Having completed a career and single-season grand slam, each Major is now an opportunity for Kristin Tattar to continue building her legacy. A win would give Kristin her 7th career Major, tying her with Elaine King, Des Reading, and Catrina Allen for the 3rd most all-time. It would also be her 6th Major win in a row, extending the record she already owns. Tattar would also join Paige Pierce and Des Reading as the only players with three or more USWDGC titles. As far as this season is concerned, Kristin would move to at least 2nd place in the DGPT standings with a win. She would overtake Ohn Scoggins in 1st place if Ohn finishes 3rd or worse. At this time last year, Tattar was just a 2-time Major champion: to think that number could become seven on Sunday is truly remarkable.

2. Last year’s USWDGC runner-up Ohn Scoggins is coming off a record setting weekend, winning the Open at Austin with a 1029 average event rating. Scoggins led the event in strokes gained tee to green and carved up the woods with her patented flex forehands. She’ll need to maintain that pinpoint precision at Sprinkle Valley this week if she wants to earn her first career FPO Major title at 42-years-old.  Ohn of course is a 5-time FP40 Major champion, and the current Tim Selinske US Masters Champion in the FP40 division.  Scoggin’s finished as the runner-up in both FPO Majors that she started and finished last season, and just proved that she is more than capable of taking down the field, including Tattar.

3. Coming off her lowest Elite event rating since 2011, most are understandably dismissing the possibility of Paige Pierce collecting an 18th FPO Major title this weekend. Pierce has won more USWDGC titles than any other player in FPO history with five, but given the way she has started the season, her chances of winning seem as low as they’ve ever been in her storied career. Paige posted on Instagram earlier this week, noting that her timing is off and her putts are not dialed in. She went on to say that “it is very hard to be 100 percent happy when I think about my placements in these first three tournaments. I am better than this. I will get better.”

4. Aside from Tattar and Scoggins, there are several names who have played well this season and should be in the mix. Most notably is Eveliina Salonen, who not only has an Elite win already this season but is also a previous Major winner. Sprinkle Valley should set up well for Missy Gannon, who’s no stranger to notching big wins, though she’s still hunting her first official Major title (but we can all agree that Throw Pink is a Major). Holyn Handley, Ella Hansen, Natalie Ryan, and Henna Blomroos have all had great stretches to start this season but haven’t yet played consistently enough to earn a win. Don’t count out Valerie Mandujano either, who has steadily gotten better with each event this season and nearly chased down this title back in 2022.

The Course

Designed by Austin local Mike Olse, Sprinkle Valley was installed in late 2023 at Austin Beerworks as part of a joint project with Mint Discs, who also operate a retail store on-site.  This course is mostly wooded and features some OB lines when players do get out into more open space on the back-9.  The course sets up an exciting finish starting with hole 17, a 280 foot par 3 with an island green that players must make, otherwise they proceed to a drop zone well back of the pin.  Hole 18 is a nearly 800 foot par 5 that requires players to tee off from OB territory.  Bigger arms could push for an eagle look, however the landing zone gets much narrower when trying to push that far down the fairway.  Whether in the woods or out in the open, keeping the disc in the fairway will be essential to scoring low.

Sprinkle Valley: 8,315 Foot Par 65

Extended Forecast

A little bit of everything with this week’s forecast.  There will be more storm-watching on Thursday with thunderstorms possible throughout the day.  That will lead to nice and mild conditions for rounds 2 and 3, however championship Sunday could stir up some heavy winds for the players to battle.

Thursday: Thunderstorms likely in the morning with scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon, highs in the lower 70s.  Winds 5 to 10 mph.  Chance of rain 60%.

Friday: Cloudy early with sunny skies in the afternoon, highs in the upper 70s.  Winds 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday: Partly cloudy with highs in the mid 70s.  Winds 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday:  Cloudy skies with highs in the mid 70s.  Winds 15 to 25mph with higher gusts possible.