November 6, 2018 by Bennett Wineka in Livewire, News with 0 comments
The PDGA announced today that starting in 2021, both the Professional and Amateur Masters World Championship will be combined into one Masters World Championship event for all divisions.
Professional world championship events were separated by age protected divisions beginning in 2017, and amateur world championships had included all amateur divisions before the Junior World Championships became a standalone event in 2018.
The 2019 and 2020 Am Worlds and Pro Masters Worlds events will not be affected by the change.
PDGA Majors & NT Committee Chair Nate Heinold proposed the initiative at the PDGA Board of Directors Fall Summit with it passing by a 6-0 vote.
According to the press release:
The impetus for the change was multi-faceted, Heinold said. Since the various World Championships were split off into their own events in 2017, players have voiced their opinion that they miss the “reunion” feel of a combined event. Additionally, attendance at the previous two Pro Masters World Championships was decidedly low, with an average of 157 participants.
“The Board and staff listened to player feedback and spent the last year evaluating our various options for our most premier events,” Heinold said. “We felt this change was a great compromise to our many stakeholders, including our members, tournament directors, event sponsors, and the tourism departments that bid to host these events.”
