Spotlight: PDGA Player of the Year Award
Spotlight: PDGA Player of the Year Award
"PoY" is one of several annual PDGA honors
This is the first article in a weekly series that will highlight all the PDGA annual awards.
The reigning PDGA Players of the Year earned their distinction in 2021 through elite performance, a tenacious will to compete, and persistence in their Elite Series schedule. To become the PDGA Player of the Year, one needs to leverage all of those “champion’s characteristics” to earn disc golf’s highest annual honor.
ICYMI
In case you missed it, the PDGA crowned Ricky Wysocki and Catrina Allen as the 2021 PDGA Players of the Year on December 31. Signature wins at Elite Series events, including a second FPO world title for Allen, vaulted the pair to their respective honors.
But are wins the defining variable to earning Player of the Year honors? Not entirely.
How It Works
Players earn points for their finishes at PDGA sanctioned events throughout the calendar year. The player with the highest total by December 31 is crowned Player of the Year (PoY). Points are earned by players competing in their respective open divisions and finishing in the top 10 at PDGA Majors and Disc Golf Pro Tour events as well as finishing in the top three at PDGA A-Tiers
Elite Series events are weighted most heavily with PDGA Majors (M) earning players the most points. In 2021, PDGA National Tour (NT) and Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT) events also earned players significant points toward their PoY points totals. Finally, players can earn points for podium finishes at A-Tier events (A).
Note: In 2020 and 2021, National Tour and DGPT events were weighted the same. With the new partnership between the PDGA and DGPT and the consolidation of the two tours, DGPT events will now exclusively occupy that tier for points multiplier for PoY standings and will receive the established National Tour (NT) tier distinction.
2021 Player of the Year Points System
| Place | Points | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | Elite | A-Tier | |
| 1 | 100 | 60 | 15 |
| 2 | 80 | 45 | 10 |
| 3 | 70 | 40 | 5 |
| 4 | 60 | 35 | |
| 5 | 50 | 30 | |
| 6 | 45 | 25 | |
| 7 | 40 | 20 | |
| 8 | 35 | 15 | |
| 9 | 30 | 10 | |
| 10 | 25 | 5 | |
How a Champion Wins
Let’s take a look at our 2021 Players of the Year.
Catrina Allen earned PoY points at 23 total events this year including two majors, five PDGA National Tour events, 12 Disc Golf Pro Tour events, and four A-Tiers. You can see how Catrina’s points stacked up against the 2021 PoY runner up, Paige Pierce.
| Event | Catrina Allen | Paige Pierce |
|---|---|---|
| PDGA Professional DG World Championships (M) | 100 | 80 |
| USWDGC (M) | 50 | 100 |
| Texas State Disc Golf Championship (NT) | 35 | 0 |
| Santa Cruz Masters Cup (NT) | 45 | 60 |
| Dynamic Discs Open - National Tour (NT) | 45 | N/A |
| Delaware DG Challenge - (NT) | 60 | N/A |
| Music City Open (NT) | 35 | 0 |
| DGPT - Las Vegas Challenge (NT) | 45 | 60 |
| DGPT - Discraft Ledgestone Insurance Open (NT) | 20 | 60 |
| DGPT OTB Open presented by Innova (NT) | 45 | 60 |
| DGPT - Discraft's Great Lakes Open (NT) | 40 | 45 |
| DGPT - Jonesboro Open (NT) | 60 | 45 |
| DGPT - Waco Annual Charity Open (NT) | 20 | 30 |
| DGPT - Portland Open (NT) | 45 | 60 |
| DGPT - The Preserve Championship (NT) | 30 | 45 |
| DGPT - Idlewild Open (NT) | 35 | 60 |
| DGPT - Discraft's Green Mountain Championship at Smugglers' Notch Resort (NT) | 35 | 40 |
| DGPT - MVP Open (NT) | 60 | 40 |
| DGPT - Des Moines Challenge (NT) | 30 | 40 |
| Open at Belton (A/B) | 15 | N/A |
| Myrtle Beach Open (A) | 15 | N/A |
| Hub City Halloween Open (A) | 10 | N/A |
| Vintage Open (A) | 5 | N/A |
| Total | 880 | 825 |
0 = no points earned, N/A = did not compete
Similarly, Ricky Wysocki earned PoY points at 18 total events this year including two majors, four PDGA National Tour events, 10 Disc Golf Pro Tour events, and two A-Tiers. You can see how Ricky’s points stacked up against the 2021 PoY runner up, Paul McBeth.
| Event | Ricky Wysocki | Paul McBeth |
|---|---|---|
| PDGA Professional DG World Championships (M) | 40 | 80 |
| USDGC (M) | 70 | 100 |
| Texas State Disc Golf Championship (NT) | 60 | 40 |
| Santa Cruz Masters Cup (NT) | 0 | 35 |
| Dynamic Discs Open - National Tour (NT) | 45 | 60 |
| Delaware DG Challenge - (NT) | 45 | N/A |
| Music City Open (NT) | 45 | 15 |
| DGPT - Las Vegas Challenge (NT) | 30 | 10 |
| DGPT - Discraft Ledgestone Insurance Open (NT) | 60 | 0 |
| DGPT OTB Open presented by Innova (NT) | 35 | 25 |
| DGPT - Discraft's Great Lakes Open (NT) | 15 | 10 |
| DGPT - Jonesboro Open (NT) | 60 | 30 |
| DGPT - Waco Annual Charity Open (NT) | 0 | 30 |
| DGPT - Portland Open (NT) | 45 | 45 |
| DGPT - The Preserve Championship (NT) | 60 | 40 |
| DGPT - Idlewild Open (NT) | 20 | 20 |
| DGPT - Discraft's Green Mountain Championship at Smugglers' Notch Resort (NT) | 45 | 40 |
| DGPT - Des Moines Challenge (NT) | N/A | 60 |
| DGPT - MVP Open (NT) | 45 | 0 |
| Memorial Championship (A) | N/A | 15 |
| Open at Belton (A/B) | 15 | 10 |
| Challenge at Goat Hill (A) | 15 | N/A |
| Huk Central (A) | N/A | 10 |
| Total | 750 | 675 |
0 = no points earned, N/A = did not compete
High-level play at high-level events coupled with a dedication to a premier touring schedule defines the PDGA Player of the Year.
2022
The race for the 2022 PDGA Player of the Year officially kicked off on January 1. Standings update weekly on Wednesdays, so be sure to come back to the PoY page to see the newest leader.