Kristin Tattar and Eveliina Salonen are both two-time PDGA European Player of the Year winner. Photos: DGPT

PDGA Europe Player of the Year is an individual competition governed by PDGA Europe to recognize the best European player performance in disc golf in a calendar year. An MPO and an FPO player is recognized after each season.

Europe’s Disc Golf Pinnacle

A performance based points system decides the European Players of the Year. Criteria include where their player rating ranks at year end among his or her European peers, as well as that player’s finishing positions at Majors, European Championships and the season long Euro Tour Series. 

Due to Covid and the resultant lack of international play in 2020, there were no awards that year. Additionally, the criteria for 2021 has been altered due to the Euro Tour 2021 cancellation. The 2021 award winners and the 2022 points system are currently being finalized.

Europe’s Disc Golf Bedrock

The European Volunteer of the Year Award has been handed out annually since 2009. It is the oldest PDGA Europe award, dating back to the formative years of the International Program, when the efforts of key skilled volunteers were perhaps the single largest reason for the advancement of the game across the continent. 

Every year, Country Coordinators and affiliated National Associations submit candidates to the PDGA Europe Board. The winners are determined by vote of the Board; typically they are unsung heroes of the sport receiving formal recognition of their contribution to growing the sport for the first time. To date they have included national level organizers, directors of significant tournaments, course developers, inventors and instructors.

Special thanks to Brian Hoeniger, PDGA International Director, for his contribution to this article.