Three years after Hailey King won USWDGC in Wisconsin, we're back in the Badger State.
June 18, 2025 by Justin Westfall in Preview
Over the next six weeks, there will be three FPO major championships played in three separate countries. The first of those, the United States Women’s Disc Golf Championship, begins this Thursday, June 19th, in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. This will be the second FPO major of the season following the Champions Cup.
For the first time since the 2022 USWDGC, which was hosted just over two hours away in Madison, Wisconsin, two separate courses will be used for the FPO division. While many players look to earn their first career major title this weekend, a select few previous major winners will attempt to build on their legacies.
Last year, Missy Gannon won the USWDGC in a wire-to-wire victory, earning her first career major title. Gannon came into the final round with a two-stroke lead over Eveliina Salonen. Both players struggled a bit on the challenging woods course, but Gannon was able to extend her lead and win the event by five strokes, averaging a 1004 event rating.
Past Winners
| Year | FPO Champion |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Missy Gannon |
| 2023 | Kristin Tattar |
| 2022 | Hailey King |
| 2021 | Paige Pierce |
| 2020 | Paige Pierce |
| 2019 | Kristin Tattar |
| 2018 | Paige Pierce |
| 2017 | Paige Pierce |
| 2016 | Sarah Hokom |
| 2015 | Hannah Leatherman |
| 2014 | Paige Pierce |
| 2013 | Sarah Hokom |
| 2012 | Catrina Allen |
| 2011 | Valarie Jenkins |
| 2010 | Valarie Jenkins |
| 2009 | Sarah Cunningham |
| 2008 | Angela Tschiggfrie |
| 2007 | Elaine King |
| 2006 | Angela Tschiggfrie |
| 2005 | Elaine King |
| 2004 | Des Reading |
| 2003 | Des Reading |
| 2002 | Des Reading |
| 2001 | Lesli Todd |
| 2000 | Lesli Todd |
| 1999 | Juliana Korver |
Six Things We’ll Be Watching
1. No player has won more majors since 2022 than two-time USWDGC champion Kristin Lätt. Lätt is a seven-time major champion and could move into solo 3rd all-time in FPO major wins this weekend. Lätt would also join Paige Pierce and Des Reading as the only players with 3+ USWDGC titles. While Kristin has finished 1st or 2nd at every event she’s played since last September, the Estonian is coming off back-to-back second place finishes. Kristin indicated last week that she hasn’t felt great over the past couple of weeks and was dealing with a bruised toe at the Preserve. Despite this, she still averaged a 1007 event rating in the loss. It was just the third time she has averaged 1007+ and failed to win the event. All three of those instances have come over her past nine tournaments.
2. The player who has defeated Kristin Lätt each of the past two weeks, Silva Saarinen, is currently playing the best disc golf of her young career. Saarinen is averaging a 998 rating over her past five events and is surely bursting with confidence coming off back-to-back wins, both over Lätt. Both of the courses for this event should suit Silva’s game, as she eyes her first career major championship. If she looks as good as she has over the past few weeks, it’s hard to imagine that the Finn won’t be in contention come Sunday.
3. It’s now been more than a year since Paige Pierce’s last victory, and nearly three years since the veteran’s last major win. With a win this weekend, Pierce would collect her 18th FPO Major title to extend her PDGA record — and match Ken Climo for the most major wins in history. Paige first won this event in 2014 and has more USWDGC titles than any other player in PDGA history with five. Coming off three consecutive podium finishes for the first time since 2021, it’s clear that Paige is finally playing consistent golf again. While the podium finishes may be nice, for a player with Pierce’s resume, the only result that will truly be satisfying is a win.
4. Reigning USWDGC champion Missy Gannon shouldn’t have too much pressure to repeat this weekend. Having already secured a major win at the Champions Cup earlier this season, Gannon would join a list of just 10 other women who have three or more major victories in their career. Having earned the moniker Big Money Missy, Gannon tends to play her best in the biggest tournaments. In her last five major starts, she is averaging a 993 rating and has won over $32,000. She also tends to be most competitive on shorter woods courses like the pair that will be played this weekend.
5. With six Elite Series wins now on her resume, the obvious next step for Holyn Handley is a major championship. Handley is averaging a 997 rating this season and has yet to miss the top 5. Out of all the “Big 4” players, however, Holyn is the one who benefits the least from playing on a pair of shorter woods courses. While she has won at Milo McIver in back-to-back years, the layout for those events featured a lot of the more open holes and not many of the shorter woods holes on the property. Her Ledgestone victory last season was also played entirely on Sunset Hills rather than Northwood Black. If Holyn wants to come out on top this weekend, she’ll need to hit the gaps, scramble effectively, and, most importantly, make her putts.
6. Can anyone else keep up with the heavy hitters? Eveliina Salonen and Henna Blomroos are back in the field for the first time in over a month, with the latter coming off of a wedding and honeymoon. Hailey King was fantastic at the last Wisconsin USWDGC in 2022 when she won her first and only major. Cadence Burge has been the hottest up-and-coming star this season, jumping from 25th in the DGPT standings last year to 11th here in 2025. She was knocking on the door of a victory at Preserve before fading in the final round — the technical tracks this weekend could suit her game.
The Courses
Established in 2011, Rollin Ridge currently ranks as the #34 course in the world by UDisc. This track, which will be used for rounds 1 and 2, challenges players to throw a variety of shots. With tight fairways and several man-made structures on the property, Rollin Ridge is well maintained and very aesthetically pleasing.
Silver Creek was established in 2000 and held a spot on UDisc’s top 100 courses from 2020 up until this year. As the shorter of the two courses, Silver Creek does not lack for beauty or difficulty. While there are several open holes on the layout, there are also many tightly wooded tee shots and elevation changes.
Rollin Ridge: 8,042 Feet Par 67
Silver Creek: 7,649 Feet Par 65
Extended Forecast
The weather will be warm throughout the weekend with moderate winds. A few stray showers or thunderstorms are possible.
Thursday: Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms possible, highs in the upper 70s. Winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20%.
Friday: Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms possible, highs in the mid 70s. Winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20%.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms possible, highs in the mid 80s. Winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20%.
Sunday: Sunny with highs in the mid 80s. Winds 10 to 20 mph.
