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College Disc Golf National Championship Postponed

By: PDGA Staff
Wednesday, March 11, 2020 - 17:02

The College Disc Golf National Championship, a PDGA Major set to take place from April 1-4 at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, has been postponed indefinitely. College Disc Golf Development Manager John Baker issued the following statement:

We are disappointed to announce the 2020 College Disc Golf National Championship is postponed indefinitely due to the potential risks involving the Coronavirus.

College Disc Golf is in a unique situation where teams travel from colleges and universities across the country and will travel back to their large communities following the event. From discussions with teams, event partners and Winthrop University, we believe the best choice is to postpone.

  • Please cancel all travel plans for this event as soon as possible.
  • Entry fees for the College Disc Golf National Championship will be refunded in full.
  • Teams with any questions should reach out to [email protected].
  • We want to hear from the collegiate disc golf community as we work through this unprecedented situation together.

We are currently exploring all options on how to make the National Championship happen at a later date. We know the teams have put in an incredible amount of work to get to play on this stage, and we can only imagine their disappointment. We feel especially pained for the seniors who are competing in college disc golf in their final season. Our team is also disappointed. We have been working hard to build an incredible championship experience for teams to showcase their abilities. The well-being of all the teams and communities will continue to be our number one priority. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide an update as soon as we can regarding future plans. 

PDGA staff was in communication with College Disc Golf and supports this difficult decision. The organization shares College Disc Golf's disappointment and regrets the impact on players, but agrees that the safety and health of our members and communities come first and foremost in our planning.

Per guidance issued by the PDGA on Friday, March 6, 2020, tournament directors are encouraged to follow the directives of their local authorities when making decisions related to their events. The PDGA is in regular communication with the hosts of the rest of its Major, Elite Series, and Euro Tour tournaments, and as of now they are scheduled as planned. Ancillary events, such as player meetings, may be adjusted as needed.

With regard to event and player cancellations, the standard PDGA Withdrawal and Refund policy is intended to protect both players and tournament directors, but individual tournament directors may relax this policy in order to further benefit the players, should they feel their local circumstances warrant it. 

PDGA will continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis and encourages members to do the same as new facts and information, as well as government advisories, present themselves. PDGA is also encouraging members and players to follow World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to adopt preventative measures as you would for the influenza virus:

  • Wash your hands with soap regularly and thoroughly (30 seconds) or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap is not available. This measure is particularly important before meals, especially in a buffet-style service.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with your hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections and stay at least two meters away from infected people or people who are showing symptoms (such as coughing).
  • Avoid mass gatherings.
  • Ventilate hotel rooms regularly.
  • Seek medical care if you have a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing.

PDGA also offers suggestions about what steps can be taken at events to help increase the safety of our athletes, volunteers, and spectators, as the safety and well-being of players and tournament personnel is the organization’s main priority. These recommendations take into consideration guidance issued by the WHO and CDC:

  • Consider that large player gatherings, such as player meetings, check-in, or player parties, could be held outdoors rather than in an enclosed indoor space.
  • Integrate preventative measures for the handling, packaging, and distribution of player packs.
  • Integrate preventative measures for the handling and distribution of water on the course.
  • Integrate preventative measures for the handling and distribution of food.
  • Make hand sanitizer available at all event locations (bathroom facilities, tournament central, scoring area, etc.).

We encourage the disc golf community to refer to the following links for the latest information, which may evolve in response to COVID-19 developments:

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