Dedicated players and fans brave a weekend of rainy weather.
By Ava Regitz
Staff Writer
Sports
Thousands flooded to Rock Hill for two of the biggest national events in disc golf – the 2026 United States Disc Golf Championships and Throw Pink Women’s Disc Golf Championships on Oct. 8-11.
It was the 28th consecutive year the USDGC was in Rock Hill as the players battled challenging rain the last two days of the tournament weekend, playing through a combined 6.6 inches of rain.
“(Saturday) was pretty tough,” Throw Pink player Julia Fors said. “The rain was pouring down, every towel was wet, but you had to pretend that the rain was not there and just keep the focus on everything else.”
Fors, a 14-year-old from Kungsbacka, Sweden, began playing disc golf at age 10 and has travelled across Europe and the US to play disc golf.
“I love that I get to see so many places and meet so many people and just play all the courses,” Fors said. “I feel like I’m growing so much as a person for me, so it’s just amazing.”
Fors has been playing professionally since 2022 and finished tied for fifth after the final round of the TPWDGC. She shot two over par on her final day while totaling at 1 under for the tournament.
As she balances her school studies back home in Sweden, Fors is looking forward to living in the US full-time.
“I need to be in Sweden, but my dream in the future is to live here,” Fors said. “Right now I’m just coming here a couple of times a year playing some competitions.”
It was Fors’ second time at the Winthrop disc golf course after also playing in last year’s TPWDGC. Located around Winthrop Coliseum and Winthrop Lake, the courses have been the site of the TPWDGC since 2021 and the site of the USDGC since 1999.
The almost 9,800-foot Gold Course, where the USDGC is played, is known for its challenging boundaries and technical demands. Much of the course remains the same from when it was originally constructed in 1992. The women played on a slightly shorter 8,846-foot course.
“I just love this event like, both times I’ve been here, it’s just like such a cool experience,” Fors said.
The disc golf weekend continues to be one of York County’s biggest annual outdoor events, featuring four days of men’s and women’s competition along with a Championship Village providing food, art, vendors and live music. Spectators filled the grounds all weekend long, despite the rainy weather, to see some of the best disc golf talent in the world.
Featuring a field of 101 players, the USDGC is the last of the 11 Professional Disc Golf Association majors this year. In the spring, Winthrop is also the site of the Collegiate Disc Golf National Championships, which took place on April 8-11.
The TPWDGC showcases the top female disc golfers in the sport as the tournament aims to emphasize October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year’s iteration had 46 women in the field.
Winning his first USDGC and second career major was Calvin Heimburg of Safety Harbor, Florida. Heimburg overcame a four-stroke lead by last year’s reigned champion, Gannon Buhr, and hit a 36-foot putt to seal the victory.
Heimburg gained momentum at hole 10 as he took the lead with a two-shot eagle while Buhr shot a six-stroke double bogey.
Ending the championships at 23 under total, Heimburg shot 7-under 64 in Sunday’s final round, which was his second-best round behind his first day at the tournament when he shot 9-under 64.
Holyn Handley nailed five birdies and one eagle in her final round to claim the Throw Pink championship, her second. The Grapevine, Texas native shot a 4-under 69 on the final day, finishing at 18 under total on the weekend.
