Elite+ in Peoria
Elite+ in Peoria
Get ready for the DGPT - Ledgestone Open
Ricky Wysocki is looking for the four-peat at Ledgestone. Photo: DGPT
After the European swing, the Elite Series is back in the United States to kick off the second half of 2023 at the DGPT — Discraft Ledgestone Open Presented by Merrell in Peoria, IL.
This is the second-ever Elite + event, which features higher purses, additional media focus, and 150% points awarded. The Ledgestone Open was started in 2011 by tournament director Nate Heinhold and quickly grew into one of the largest disc golf events, eventually becoming a National Tour Stop in 2015 with the largest pro purse in the history of the sport. In 2016, the Ledgestone Open was included in the inaugural year for the DGPT and has been featured on the tour every year since.
This event has seen many course changes and redesigns throughout the years and will feature three separate courses, similar to the Las Vegas Challenge earlier this year. The FPO division will compete on the Northwood Black (Rounds 1 and 4) and Sunset Hills (Rounds 2 and 3) courses while the MPO division will play the Eureka Temp (Rounds 1 and 4) and Northwood Black (Rounds 2 and 3) courses.
Northwood Black is a 8,678 foot par 68 for the FPO field and a 10,499 foot part 68 for the MPO field. This course is made up entirely of wooded holes, forcing players to hit gaps off the tee and navigate their way through the trees to get to the pin. Hole 12, a 1,050 foot par 5 for the MPO, was the single hardest hole for the MPO division last season. Since Northwood Black was added to the tournament in 2021, there have been only nine birdies on the hole.
The Eureka Temp course is a 9,665 foot par 63 for the MPO field and was originally designed for the 2015 Ledgestone Open. While much more open than Northwood Black, this course features multiple water carries across the Eureka Lake as well as tight OB lines and mandos on the holes without water hazards. Almost every hole has OB within the circle so players will need to control their upshots and run dangerous putts. Eureka Temp features some iconic holes, including the water tower on hole 12 and the tee shot from the bridge on hole 9 where just last year, Gannon Buhr threw it in from the drop zone to save par.
Sunset Hills is a 7,539ft par 61 and has been the featured FPO course for the last five years. Similar to Eureka Temp, this course features plenty of water carries and OB as well as multiple holes with sand trap hazards. This course is very scorable for the FPO division, leading to highlights such as Holyn Handley’s 333 foot throw in for an albatross on hole 6 last year.
Missy Gannon took down title in 2022. Photo: DGPT
Paige Pierce and Missy Gannon were tied at 15 strokes under par going into the final round of the 2022 Ledgestone Open with a four-stroke lead on third place. While Pierce started racking up bogeys and ended up scoring three-over for the round, Gannon kept a commanding lead, getting a four-stroke cushion after a huge uphill putt on hole 16. Gannon finished six strokes ahead of 2ndplace to win her 1st Elite Series event of the season and the 3rd of her career. Catrina Allen, who recently won the 2023 Preserve Championship, has won this event more than any other player with five victories including four in a row from 2013-2016.
Ricky Wysocki started the final round of the 2022 Ledgestone Open just one stroke ahead of second place and managed to push that lead to six strokes by hole 14 after birdieing holes 8 through 13. Even with a double bogey on the island green of hole 17, Wysocki still won by four strokes. With his victory, Wysocki became the first MPO player to win the event three times after winning in 2020, 2021 (in a tie with Calvin Heimburg), and 2022.
While Thursday and Friday are expected to be sunny and warm, the final two rounds will likely see rainy conditions and possible thunderstorms, adding even more difficulty to the 2023 Ledgestone Open.
Here's everything you need to know to catch the action this weekend:
Tee Times & Round ratings
PDGA | Event Page
- Official scores, tee times, PDGA Live scoring and round ratings can be found on the official event page on PDGA.com.
Live Coverage
Disc Golf Network
The Disc Golf Network (DGN) is the home of live disc golf. Built by the Disc Golf Pro Tour, the DGN is a subscription streaming and on-demand platform. Covering the world’s best players competing in the sport’s most elite tournaments, a subscription includes post-produced coverage of select disc golf tournaments as well as exclusive disc golf shows, touring pro interview series, podcasts, and other segments only available on the Disc Golf Network.
Thursday's FPO Feature Card (Coverage begins at 9:00 a.m. CT with Tournament Central. Feature card tees at 9:50 a.m. ET)
- Missy Gannon
- Alexis Mandujano
- Sarah Hokom
- Catrina Allen
Thursday's FPO2 Live Card
- Ohn Scoggins
- Holyn Handley
- Chantel Budinsky
- Hailey King
Thursday's FPO3 Live Card
- Kat Mertsch
- Holly Finley
- Sai Ananda
- Valerie Mandujano
Thursday's MPO Feature Card (Coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. CT with Tournament Central. Feature card tees at 3:20 p.m. CT)
- Ricky Wysocki
- Chris Dickerson
- Simon Lizotte
- Corey Ellis
Thursday's MPO2 Live Card
- Gannon Buhr
- Paul Ulibarri
- Anthony Barela
- Calvin Heimburg
Thursday's MPO3 Live Card
- Brodie Smith
- Ben Callaway
- Sullivan Tipton
- Andrew Presnell
DGPT YouTube | Subscribe
In addition to the DGN, the live broadcast for both divisions will be simulcast free on the DGPT YouTube channel for the first round only on Thursday, August 3.
DGN Press Conference | Watch
Hear from some of the players before the action gets going during a press conference from 12:50-2:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, live on the DGPT's YouTube channel. Here is the tentative schedule for the press conference (all times CT):
- 12:50 p.m.: Andrew Presnell
- 1:00 p.m.: Gannon Buhr
- 1:10 p.m.: Missy Gannon
- 1:20 p.m.: Phil Dilloné
- 1:30 p.m.: Ohn Scoggins
- 1:40 p.m.: Corey Ellis
- 1:50 p.m.: Alexis Mandujano
- 2:00 p.m.: Calvin Heimburg
- 2:10 p.m.: Catrina Allen
- 2:20 p.m.: Nate Heinold
- 2:30 p.m.: Ricky Wysocki
Post Production Coverage
JomezPro | Subscribe 
Open Lead Card / Round 1 MPO Feature Card
- Ricky Wysocki
- Chris Dickerson
- Simon Lizotte
- Corey Ellis
JomezPro | Subscribe
FPO Lead Card / Round 1 FPO Feature Card
- Missy Gannon
- Alexis Mandujano
- Sarah Hokom
- Catrina Allen
Gatekeeper Media | Subscribe 
Open Chase Card / Round 1 MPO Feature Card
- Gannon Buhr
- Paul Ulibarri
- Anthony Barela
- Calvin Heimburg
Ace Run Pro | Subscribe 
FPO Chase Card / Round 1 FPO Feature Card
- Ohn Scoggins
- Holyn Handley
- Chantel Budinsky
- Hailey King
Recap Articles
PDGA.com
Check back to PDGA.com daily for a recap of all of the action from the 2023 Elite Series.