wims
Double Eagle Member
DGPT just put out a video where they announced that the PDGA National Tour folds into the DGPT for the 2022 season
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What about the American Disc Golf Tour?
Appling, GA – The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) is pleased to announce a new partnership agreement with the Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT) beginning in 2022.
Under the new agreement, all PDGA National Tour and DGPT Elite Series will be merged into a single cohesive tour - The Disc Golf Pro Tour: "The Official Pro Tour of the PDGA." This marks the start of a potent partnership that will further amplify the growth of elite professional disc golf.
Over the past 18 years, the PDGA has allocated resources, staff, and volunteers, developed rules and competition standards, and provided the technical backbone that made a pro tour possible, starting with the National Tour (NT) in 2003. In 2016, the DGPT created a new premier tour, elevating the top tier of the game to a new level. The PDGA has been in discussions with the DGPT for more than five years to ensure that this partnership creates the best possible outcomes for the PDGA and our members as well as the DGPT.
Mike Downes, Director of Operations for the PDGA, notes that this relationship will have profound impacts for disc golf, from top-tier touring professionals to the weekend warriors participating in local sanctioned leagues and regional tournaments.
"DGPT will have the opportunity to continue to grow the prestige and visibility of the elite touring professionals, bringing new pros on the scene and new fans into the sport," said Downes. "Meanwhile, the PDGA is committed to furthering event and tournament director support to enrich the tournament experience for athletes competing in everything from PDGA sanctioned leagues up to premier events like our PDGA World Championships."
"The PDGA's support has allowed the DGPT to grow and thrive, period. Our experience working with Joe Chargualaf, Mike Downes, and the PDGA staff has been entirely supportive," said DGPT CEO & Director Jeff Spring. "Since the very start, the PDGA has encouraged us, worked collaboratively with us, and strived towards this moment as a partner. I'm extremely proud to be taking this monumental step forward with them as meaningful partners to usher in the true new age of professional disc golf."
As part of the deal, the PDGA will gain a minority ownership stake in DGPT, which remains independent, with Todd Rainwater as the majority owner. The agreement will also secure new member benefits including an exclusive new subscription tier on the Disc Golf Network (DGN) just for PDGA members. For the 2022 season, all current PDGA members will receive free, live DGN coverage of select events, including:
•
• The first Pro Tour event of the 2022 season
•
• The Inaugural PDGA Champions Cup
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• 2022 U.S. Women's Disc Golf Championship
•
• Final two rounds of the 2022 PDGA Pro
• Worlds
•
• The final regular-season Pro Tour event
• of the 2022 season
•
• Select
• video-on-demand access including a library of archival footage from the PDGA.
PDGA members will also get a 50% discount on a Disc Golf Network Subscription – a $60 annual value, adding to a long list of PDGA membership benefits that includes $10-off registration fees at PDGA sanctioned events, a quarterly subscription to DiscGolfer Magazine, and the value of being part of an organization that stewards and grows the game.
Beyond the additional membership benefits, the agreement enables the PDGA to allocate more time and resources into the seven PDGA-owned major events, including the four PDGA World Championships and the Champions Cup, a new PDGA pro major set to debut in April 2022. The PDGA will also increase efforts on core initiatives such as international growth, enhancing league and affiliate club programs, introducing disc golf into school systems, providing oversight of rules and competition standards, and the overall promotion and growth of the sport.
"The PDGA will continue to sanction and support the major tournaments that define the pinnacle of disc golf," said Joe Chargualaf, Executive Director of the PDGA. "The PDGA represents the foundation of the sport and is the caretaker of its history. As the governing body, we are committed to preserving the sport's storied past while continuing to build for the future. This partnership enables both organizations to come together to do just that." Chargualaf continued, "It's been an absolute pleasure working closely with Todd and Jeff over the past few years to finally get to this point, and we are confident now is the time to make this happen. We couldn't ask for better partners in which to entrust this important part of our mission."
A new era for disc golf begins in 2022. Stay tuned to PDGA.com for all the latest news and information as it develops.
I hope the PDGA takes a hands-off approach toward the Pro Tour, or at least Pro Tour events, moving forward. The reason is, TD's shouldn't have to deal with requirements from both the PDGA and the Pro Tour for their tournament. If the PDGA gives some directives to the Pro Tour as a whole, that's fine, but hopefully we won't have TD's bogged down with two separate (and very different) overhead entities.
So what happens to the old NT events? Do they just become DGPT events? Does the "NT" designation go away, or are all DGPT events now de facto NTs?
Beyond the additional membership benefits, the agreement enables the PDGA to allocate more time and resources into the seven PDGA-owned major events, including the four PDGA World Championships and the Champions Cup, a new PDGA pro major set to debut in April 2022.
I'm curious as to what other TD's experiences have been with the DGPT. They did us dirty last year and I vowed never to run a DGPT event because of this experience. Now that our bid for an NT isn't going to happen, the PDGA is pushing us toward a silver series event. I'm wondering if I'm just being too harsh on the DGPT or whether this is par for the course with the DGPT.
Maybe the new PDGA Champions Cup could end up rotating to other venues after starting at the IDGC next year. Presumably, previous NT events return to A-tier status if not submitted or selected for a DGPT series.So what happens to the old NT events? Do they just become DGPT events? Does the "NT" designation go away, or are all DGPT events now de facto NTs?
So what happens to the old NT events? Do they just become DGPT events? Does the "NT" designation go away, or are all DGPT events now de facto NTs?
How did they do you dirty?
Folds is a terrible word and not at all what happened.
seriously
do we even need the pdga
or do they need us
Mike Downes of PDGA said that the DGPT "consumes the national tour". Sounds a lot like folding into DGPT to me. If a moderator feels like consumes would be better then feel free to change the title lol