Ladies get own Championship Challenge

Attention ladies who happen to have an interest in disc golf, there is a new competition just for you happening in the parkland region.

The Parkland Association of Disc Golf, (PADG), in co-operation with event sponsor Living Skies Realty Ltd., will be holding a Women’s Championship Challenge this October.

“This is a big step for disc golf is our area, and for our association, but it is a step we really wanted to take,” said PADG president Calvin Daniels.

Daniels explained that the PADG has held what has in essence been an ‘open’ Championship Challenge the last two years, with Farrell Agencies coming on-board in 2017 as the major sponsor.

“The only criteria was that players had to hold a valid PADG membership, and have finished top-two at one of our ‘designated’ tournaments over the summer,” explained Daniels.

The PADG works with all the courses in its area, (125-kms radius of Yorkton), encouraging them to host one event a year as part of the tournament series leading up to the October final.

“The Championship Challenge has been a huge success. In 2017 we had qualifiers from Saskatoon, Regina, The Pas and everywhere in between,” said Trevor Lyons, tournament chair with the PADG.

The draw of the event is twofold, starting with a one-of-a-kind jacket to the champion from Farrell Agencies; won by Chris Hoyt of Regina last fall. Hoyt also had his name engraved on the custom-made Yorkton Lions Club Trophy.

“But, all the finalist were male,” said Lyons. “The PADG wants to promote the sport to everyone, so we made the decision to hold a women’s Championship Challenge in concert with what will now be the men’s event that we have been holding.”

Once the decision was made to expand the championship, the PADG sought a sponsor for the women’s final.

Living Skies Realty Ltd. was quick to come on board.

“We sponsored the tournament in Stockholm last year because we can see how disc golf is growing as a sport in the area, being something anyone can enjoy,” said Delphine Gehl of Living Skies Realty.

“When we heard about the women’s championship it seemed like a perfect opportunity to expand our support of disc golf, and hopefully get the ladies more involved in particular.”

Daniels said it’s now up to the ladies to get out and be involved.

“Buy a membership to support the sport regionally, come out to a tournament and finish well, and in October you might get a very nice jacket for being our first Living Skies Realty Women’s Championship Challenge winner,” he said.

And, more growth is already being discussed, said Lyons.

“We have quite a few players who are 50-plus and if we can find a sponsor a Grand Masters Championship Challenge is a natural to keep our players interested,” he said. “And, if we can build just a bit more of a youth participation base, a championship for them is something the PADG would very much like to pursue.”

Anyone seeking information on the PADG can find them on Facebook, or email at padg.yorkton@gmail.com