Alex WilliamsonWriter, Editor
Sep 5, 2023•4 min read
From 1975-1981, the disc golf portion of the World Frisbee Championship, which featured a variety of disc sports, was considered the de-facto world championship for the sport. The player who won the women's division in disc golf at the WFC was therefore the world champion.
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- All pro disc golf world champions and runners-up (FPO) by year
- Trivia about FPO pro disc golf world champs
- Facts about payouts and earnings for FPO at Pro Disc Golf World Championships
- Facts about Pro Disc Golf World Championship locations
- Players with the most top 5 showings in FPO at Pro Disc Golf World Championships
In 1982, the first-ever world championship devoted solely to disc golf took place in California: the inaugural Professional Disc Golf Association Disc Golf World Championship. That first championship didn't feature a protected women's division, however, and, unsurprisingly, no women competed in it.
The next year, the event did include a protected women's division, making the 1983 PDGA Disc Golf World Championships the first time an event dedicated only to disc golf that awarded a world title to a woman. The professional women's division (Open Women or FPO) has been part of the event ever since.
Though disc golf's Worlds (as it's commonly called) is a roving event that's only taken place in the same city in successive years one time in its history and the totals of rounds and courses players have been asked to play have fluctuated widely, the prestige its winners have earned has been constant. Those with a win at Worlds are forever etched into disc golf history.
Below you can find a table noting every pro Worlds winner in the Open Women (AKA, FPO) division along with how much money they earned, who they beat and by how many strokes, what city they won in, and more. We've included some of the most interesting things we noticed in the stats, too.
You can also take a look at which players have made the top five at Worlds most often, again with a few of our favorite takeaways included.
All Professional Disc Golf World Champions: FPO (Open Women)
Here is the list of every FPO (AKA, Open Women) disc golf world champion ever1:
| Year | Winner | Win Margin | Host City | Rounds Played | Top Prize | Prize Adjusted | Second Place |
| 2023 |  Kristin Tattar | 6 | Jeffersonville, Vermont | 5 | $15,000 | - | Missy Gannon |
| 2022 | Kristin Tattar | 8 | Emporia, Kansas | 5 | $11,000 | $11,330 | Henna Blomroos |
| 2021 |  Catrina Allen | 1 | Ogden, Utah | 5 | $10,000 | $11,252 | Paige Pierce |
| 2020 | None. Didn't occur due to the pandemic. | ||||||
| 2019 | Paige Pierce | 5 | Peoria, Illinois | 5 | $5,000 | $5,958 | Eveliina Salonen |
| 2018 | Paige Shue (neė Bjerkaas) | 6 | Jeffersonville, Vermont | 5 | $5,000 | $6,055 | Paige Pierce |
| 2017 | Paige Pierce | 5 | Augusta, Georgia | 4 | $5,500 | $6,864 | Valarie Jenkins |
| 2016 | Valarie Jenkins | 6 | Emporia, Kansas | 5.5 | $5,000 | $6,346 | Catrina Allen |
| 2015 | Paige Pierce | 1 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 6.5 | $2,500 | $3,207 | Sarah Hokom |
| 2014 | Catrina Allen | 2 | Portland, Oregon | 7.5 | $2,250 | $2,892 | Paige Pierce |
| 2013 | Paige Pierce | 1 | Crown Point, Indiana | 7.5 | $2,000 | $2,614 | Valarie Jenkins |
| 2012 | Sarah Hokom | 1 | Charlotte, North Carolina | 7.5 | $2,000 | $2,669 | Valarie Jenkins |
| 2011 | Paige Pierce | 3 | Santa Cruz, California | 5.5 | $2,000 | $2,699 | Valarie Jenkins |
| 2010 | Sarah Cunningham (née Stanhope) | 6 | Crown Point, Indiana | 7.5 | $1,450 | $2,033 | Des Reading |
| 2009 | Valarie Jenkins | 14 | Kansas City, Missouri | 7.5 | $1,600 | $2,266 | Des Reading |
| 2008 | Valarie Jenkins | 12 | Kalamazoo / Battle Creek, Michigan | 8.5 | $1,650 | $2,302 | Des Reading |
| 2007 | Valarie Jenkins | 5 | Highbridge, Wisconsin | 7.5 | $1,800 | $2,647 | Des Reading |
| 2006 | Des Reading | 9 | Augusta, Georgia | 7.5 | $1,800 | $2,699 | Courtney Peavy |
| 2005 | Des Reading | 18 | Allentown, Pennsylvania | 8.5 | $1,750 | $2,738 | Juliana Korver |
| 2004 |  Birgitta Lagerholm | 2 | Des Moines, Iowa | 9.5 | $1,400 | $2,258 | Des Reading |
| 2003 | Juliana Korver | 11 | Flagstaff, Arizona | 8 | $1,500 | $2,484 | Des Reading |
| 2002 | Des Reading | 8 | Houston, Texas | 9.5 | $1,500 | $2,538 | Juliana Korver |
| 2001 | Juliana Korver | 7 | St. Paul, Minnesota | 8.5 | $1,460 | $2,514 | Lesli Todd |
| 2000 | Juliana Korver | 11 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | 7.5 | $1,765 | $3,122 | Elaine King |
| 1999 | Juliana Korver | 19 | Rochester, New York | 9.5 | $850 | $1,555 | Elaine King |
| 1998 | Juliana Korver | 13 | Cincinatti, Ohio | 8.5 | $952 | $1,781 | Elaine King |
| 1997 |  Elaine King | 25 | Charlotte, North Carolina | 9.5 | $1,015 | $1,930 | Anni Kreml |
| 1996 | Beth Tanner | 4 | South Bend, Indiana | 9.5 | $1,060 | $2,060 | Anni Kreml |
| 1995 | Becky Powell | 1 | Port Arthur, Texas | 9.5 | $650 | $1,300 | Anni Kreml |
| 1994 |  Elaine King | 15 | Port Arthur, Texas | 9.5 | $800 | $1,641 | Amy Schiller (neė Bekken) |
| 1993 | Elaine King | 16 | Huntsville, Alabama | 8.5 | $751 | $1,590 | Chris O'Cleary |
| 1992 | Elaine King | 11 | Detroit, Michigan | 9 | $750 | $1,627 | Amye Jerez |
| 1991 | Elaine King | 10 | Dayton, Ohio | 7 | $775 | $1,734 | Susanne Giendl |
| 1990 | Amy Schiller (neė Bekken) | 19 | Scottsdale / Mesa / Fountain Hills, Arizona | 9 | $588 | $1,346 | Elaine King |
| 1989 | Chris O'Cleary | 3 | Waterloo / Cedar Falls, Iowa | 5 | $450 | $1,104 | Amy Schiller (neė Bekken) |
| 1988 | Chris O'Cleary | 8 | Cincinatti, Ohio | 6 | $930 | $2,373 | Elaine King |
| 1987 | Vanessa Chambers | 1 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | 6 | $800 | $2,138 | Chris O'Cleary |
| 1986 | Vanessa Chambers | 4 | Charlotte, North Carolina | 6 | $415 | $1,159 | Roxanne Spencer |
| 1985 | Ramona Hale | 6 | Tulsa, Oklahoma | 6 | $500 | $1,418 | Vanessa Chambers |
| 1984 | Marie Jackson Elsner | 6 | Rochester, New York | 5 | Judy Horowitz | ||
| 1983 | Marie Jackson Elsner | 2 | Huntsville, Alabama | 4 | Vanessa Chambers | ||
If you're wondering about all those half rounds, they're there because a "Final Nine" was once extremely common at disc golf world championships. They've fallen out of favor more recently, though.
In case you don't have the time to comb through the table for some of the biggest and/or most interesting takeaways, we've put together some of them for you below.
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DISC GOLF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FPO WINNERS & RUNNERS UP: TRIVIA
- Who is the current women's disc golf world champion?
Kristin Tattar - Who has won the most women's disc golf world championships?
Currently, three players are tied for the most disc golf world championships in FPO. Elaine King, Juliana Korver, and Paige Pierce have all won the title five times. - How many different women's disc golf world champions have there been?
18 different players have won the FPO division at a pro disc golf Worlds. Ten players have won the event twice or more and eight are one-time champions. - What is the largest margin of victory ever in the women's disc golf world championship?
Elaine King's 25-stroke advantage over second-place Anni Kreml in 1997 is the largest margin of victory ever in FPO at a disc golf world championship. - What is the average margin of victory for the women's disc golf world championship?
Women's world champions tend to dominate their competition. The average win in FPO has been by 7.8 strokes.Another interesting stat in this vein is that women champions have won by double digits a total of 13 times. That's only happened four times in Open.
- Who has the most second-place finishes in women's disc golf world championships?
Des Reading finished in second at the world championships in FPO a record six times. Reading wasn't always denied the top spot, though, and won the world title in 2002, 2005, and 2006. On a related note, Anni Kreml is the only FPO disc golfer to come in second at the world championships more than twice but have no world titles. She came in second three times. - How many playoffs have there been for the women's disc golf world championship?
None. The event has been decided by one stroke six times, but there has never been a playoff for the women's disc golf world title.
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MONEY MATTERS
- What is the most money anyone has ever won for the women's disc golf world championship?
$15,000, which Kristin Tattar won in 2023. - What is the all-time average for the top prize for women's disc golf world championships?
Not adjusted for inflation, the top prizes over 40 iterations of the women's disc golf world championships average out to winners earning $2,405. Inflation considered, it comes to $3,231. - Have those averages changed in recent years?
Yes. The average payout to the women's disc golf world champion since 2016 has been $8,071 or $8,971 adjusted for inflation. - How do FPO payouts compare to MPO?
Winners of FPO have always earned less than winners of the MPO division. On average, MPO winners have earned around $3,400 more per Worlds win than FPO winners. Inflation considered, the number jumps to nearly $5,600 more in today's buying power. All numbers adjusted for inflation, the highest ever women's payout ($15,000) is 1,259% more than the lowest ($1,104). In Open, the inflation-adjusted highest ($30,000) is 1,320% more than the lowest ($2,112).
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LOCATION
- Have the disc golf world championships ever been played outside the U.S.A.?
In 1987, the disc golf world championships were played in Ontario, Canada. That's the only time. - Which city has hosted the most professional disc golf world championships?
Charlotte, North Carolina, has hosted three pro disc golf world championships, more than any other city. - Has anyone not from North America ever won a women's disc golf world championship?
Yes. In 2022, Kristin Tattar became the second European woman to win a Pro Disc Golf World Championship and in 2023 the first-ever back-to-back FPO champ from Europe. In 2004 Birgitta Lagerholm of Sweden was the first person in FPO or MPO from outside North America to win pro Worlds.
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The Most Top 5 Finishes in FPO at Disc Golf World Championships
Even for those who don't win, getting on or near the podium at a world championship demonstrates elite skill. Knowing this made us wonder which professional women disc golfers had most consistently been among the best at world championships over the years.
That's why we created a table of FPO competitors who've made the top five at disc golf's Worlds more than twice:
| Rank | Name | Top 5s | Total Championships Played | Top 5 % |
| 1 | Elaine King | 15 | 28 | 54% |
| 2 | Valarie Jenkins | 12 | 15 | 80% |
| 3 | Paige Pierce | 11 | 12 | 92% |
| 4 | Des Reading | 10 | 15 | 67% |
| T5 | Juliana Korver | 9 | 14 | 64% |
| T5 | Catrina Allen | 9 | 12 | 75% |
| 7 | Anni Kreml | 8 | 10 | 80% |
| 8 | Birgitta Lagerholm | 7 | 10 | 70% |
| 9 | Vanessa Chambers | 6 | 6 | 100% |
| T10 | Sarah Hokom | 5 | 12 | 42% |
| T10 | Kelli Hughes | 5 | 6 | 83% |
| T10 | Amy Schiller | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| T13 | Sarah Cunningham | 4 | 9 | 44% |
| T13 | Ramona Hale | 4 | 4 | 100% |
| T13 | Chris O'Cleary | 4 | 5 | 80% |
| T13 | Roxanne Spencer | 4 | 7 | 57% |
| T13 | Beth Tanner | 4 | 4 | 100% |
| T13 | Lesli Todd | 4 | 9 | 44% |
| T19 | Carrie Berlogar | 3 | 7 | 43% |
| T19 | Henna Blomroos | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| T19 | Ragna Bygde | 3 | 5 | 60% |
| T19 | Elizabeth Carr-Sypien | 3 | 5 | 60% |
| T19 | Lisa Fajkus | 3 | 8 | 38% |
| T19 | Joanne Gallagher | 3 | 4 | 75% |
| T19 | Courtney McCoy | 3 | 7 | 43% |
| T19 | Deb Renner | 3 | 6 | 50% |
| T19 | Eveliina Salonen | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| T19 | Kristin Tattar | 3 | 5 | 60% |
| T19 | Angela Tschiggfrie | 3 | 6 | 50% |
These are some of the takeaways we found most interesting about these numbers:
- King is Queen.
Elaine King leads the FPO division in top five finishes at Worlds by three. She's also competed in the top tier of her division at more world championships than any player in history: 28. We know we didn't put the top 10s here, but King actually placed in the top 10 at 24 of those 28 events. That's longevity if we've ever seen it. - Vanessa Chambers leads 100% club.
Eight women have competed in more than two Worlds and made the top five every time they've competed. Two-time world champ Vanessa Chambers managed that feat through the most competitions. Chambers last competed in Worlds in 1989 before leaving her world championship days behind to start a family. That was her sixth straight Worlds and sixth straight top five showing. She was in the first group of disc golfers ever inducted into the Disc Golf Hall of Fame in 1993. - Pierce leads active players.
Pierce's 11 top fives at Worlds is the most of any actively touring FPO disc golfer.
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We'll Keep You Posted
We plan to update this post as soon as the disc golf world championships take place each year, so keep it in a safe place if you'd like to find it again.
If you enjoy breakdowns of disc golf stats like this or are looking for great disc golf travel tips and stories, this blog has what you're looking for. Think about subscribing to our newsletter to make sure you always know what we've posted lately.
1. The information in our table of winners was taken whenever possible directly from PDGA event pages. On rare occasions, the information on those pages differs slightly from the information the PDGA has in its own overview of Worlds winners.
