PDGA Award Winners

Listed below are the different awards that are given out each year.

Click on any of the awards below, or simply scroll down the page.

• Male Player of the Year - Headrick Cup
• Female Player of the Year - J & P Cup
• Senior Player of the Year - Jim Olsen Sr. Award
• Male Rookie of the Year
• Female Rookie of the Year
• Bob West Memorial Sportsmanship Award
• Volunteer of the Year
• Brent Hambrick TD of the Year
• Becky Zallek Women's Choice TD of the Year
• E.D.G.E./PDGA Educational Award
• PDGA Europe Awards
• Special Awards
• Honored Sportswoman Award*

Male Player of the Year - Headrick Cup

PDGA professional class members competing in the Mixed and Women’s Open Pro divisions are eligible for Player of the Year awards by earning points based on their place of finish in PDGA B-Tiers and above. Bonus points are earned by top ten finishers in categories such as Annual Rating, Total Earnings, Total Wins, Earnings Average, and Winning Percentage. The Player of the Year will be presented with an obelisk in honor of the achievement and name will be inscribed on the Headrick Cup for Player of the Year, which is on permanent display at the International Disc Golf Center.

Female Player of the Year - J & P Cup

PDGA professional class members competing in the Mixed and Women’s Open Pro divisions are eligible for Player of the Year awards by earning points based on their place of finish in PDGA B-Tiers and above. Bonus points are earned by top ten finishers in categories such as Annual Rating, Total Earnings, Total Wins, Earnings Average, and Winning Percentage. The Female Player of the Year will be presented with an obelisk in honor of this achievement and her name will be inscribed on the J&P Cup for Female Player of the Year, which is on permanent display at the International Disc Golf Center.

Senior Player of the Year - Jim Olsen Sr. Award

The Senior Player of the Year is determined by vote of the PDGA Board of Directors. The recipient is an active PDGA member who is 50 years or older and has proven him or herself worthy of recognition based upon stellar play and/or long-term contributions to the sport of disc golf.

Male Rookie of the Year

PDGA professional class members playing in their first year in the Mixed and Women’s Open Pro divisions are eligible for Rookie of the Year awards by earning points based on their place of finish in PDGA B-Tiers and above. Bonus points are earned by top ten finishers in categories such as Annual Rating, Total Earnings, Total Wins, Earnings Average, and Winning Percentage.

Female Rookie of the Year

PDGA professional class members playing in their first year in the Mixed and Women’s Open Pro divisions are eligible for Rookie of the Year awards by earning points based on their place of finish in PDGA B-Tiers and above. Bonus points are earned by top ten finishers in categories such as Annual Rating, Total Earnings, Total Wins, Earnings Average, and Winning Percentage.

Bob West Memorial Sportsmanship Award

Sportsmanship is defined as fair and generous behavior or treatment of others, especially in a sports contest. The Bob West Memorial Award for Sportsmanship is awarded annually to a PDGA member who exemplifies sportsmanship on the disc golf course and during competition, observes the rules of play, and wins or loses with grace. Candidates for the award are nominated by the members of the PDGA. The PDGA office will list the nominations received on the ballot to be voted on by the PDGA Premier Pros, State, Province, and Country Coordinators, PDGA Major, Elite Series, A-tier event tournament directors, and the PDGA Board of Directors and staff 

Volunteer of the Year

The Volunteer of the Year is determined by vote of the PDGA Board of Directors. The recipient is an active PDGA member who has proven him or herself worthy of special recognition based upon volunteer work performed for the betterment of the association and the sport of disc golf.

Brent Hambrick TD of the Year

Tournament directors are the lifeblood of the association and competitive disc golf. They donate hundreds of hours of their time each year to organize and host sanctioned competitions for all of us to compete in. The Brent Hambrick Award for Tournament Director of the Year recognizes a TD who went above and beyond in fulfilling their responsibilities and in hosting successful event(s). Candidates for the award are nominated by PDGA Staff, based on the quality of the event(s) run, the number of events run, the number of players served, and the overall event(s) experience. Voters are the Elite Pros, the State/Province and Country Coordinators, the PDGA Major and National Tour event tournament directors, and the PDGA Board of Directors and staff. A TD may win the Brent Hambrick TD of the Year award multiple times, but they must wait for 3-years between awards.

Becky Zallek Women's Choice Tournament Director of the Year

The Becky Zallek Women’s Choice Award is an award given to TDs who have proven to be a leader amongst their peers in providing a woman friendly atmosphere. These TDs keep women’s needs top of mind and go the extra mile to ensure a positive experience for women – both new and tenured.

E.D.G.E./PDGA Educational Award

This annual award recognizes outstanding contributions in the field of disc golf education. The Educational Disc Golf Experience (EDGE) determines candidates and awardees in partnership with the PDGA. The Educational Disc Golf Experience (EDGE) is a nationally-recognized 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to reaching and teaching youth the great lifetime activity of disc golf, utilizing age appropriate equipment and a standards-based curriculum.  Look here for more information on EDGE.

Special Awards

Special awards as bestowed by the PDGA Board of Directors for contributions to the sport and the PDGA.