Carrie Neal
Feb 21, 2025
TEAM CANADA
In 2024, they came within one shot of playing for Gold. That shot…the putt… The spit out that heard around the world, was what put Team Canada on the path to bring home the bronze medal. No small feat in a field of 23 countries! I was extremely proud to see our country compete on the world stage against some fierce competition, including Estonia that had several Touring Pros on their roster.
Canada is no stranger to the World Flying Disc Federation's World Team Disc Golf Championship. They have been involved from the beginning, which happened to take place in Vancouver! Only twice since 2016 have they missed the podium, and they have brought home Gold once.
EVENT HISTORY2016 - Vancouver BC6 TeamsCanada 4th place
2017 - Colchester England10 TeamsCanada 1st place
2019 - Alutaguse, Estonia17 teamsCanada 8th place
2022 - Varizdin, Croatia25 teamsCanada 3rd
2024 – Perth, Australia23 teamsCanada 3rd place
The 2024 event was the final points contributor to the Disc Golf World Rankings which are used to select the 15 countries that will join hosts People's Republic of China at the World Games in Chengdu in August 2025, where Disc Golf makes its return to the sports program since debuting in 2001 in Akita, Japan. You probably recall the voting that was taking place on social media throughout January to try and have Kristin Latt crowned World Athlete of the Year? These are the games that were crowing that athlete. She ended in second place and will be attending the games along with her home country and this year's Golf Medal Winner, Estonia. They will be joined by (in ranking order) Finland, Canada, USA, Austria, Australia, Germany, Czechia, Great Britain, Norway, France, Japan, People's Republic of China, Slovakia, Latvia, and New Zealand.
So, now knowing all of that, you are probably wondering how Team Canada is even formed! What are the criteria? What format do they play? Questions I have been asked many times over the years and wondered myself. Some of the concerns I have heard came with pure curiosity and sometimes with a hint of indignation."Why didn't I know about this?""Looks pretty hand-picked to me.""No one is sharing info, so must have to be friends of someone to make the team"
Having been in the sport for 25 years and knowing Team Captain, Craig Sheather, and many of the other players chosen for the team, I knew there had to be a process. I wanted to be armed with the right information and not make assumptions or get sucked into someone's rabbit hole of suspicion. So, while attending the Canadian National Championships in Clearwater, I had the opportunity to talk with Craig and PDGA Canada rep, Brian Hoeniger, about the concerns and questions I had fielded for several years, and they sent me all I needed to know!
FORMATThis is an Olympic style, trophy only tournament. It is a team event, and the format is match play. There is a series of pool play rounds for points that seed the teams, then there are play down rounds to declare the final standings. With a final match for gold and silver medals. Matches include different formats including best shot doubles, singles, and alt shot.
TEAM COMPOSITIONUp to 12 players can be selected to the team. Minimum 6 players are required to compete.
3-6 MPO players. (Anyone from any playing category)
2-4 FPO players. (Female only)
1-2 MP40 players. (40 years +)
No Junior players were included in 2024 It is temporarily suspended.
TEAM SELECTION PROCESSApplication deadline is typically January 1st with selection announcement made shortly after
Performance Based Selections 6 spotsThose players that meet the criteria below, can take on the travel and cost commitment and apply before the posted deadline, will be selected
MPO: 3 spots3 highest PDGA rated players with 8 rounds or more used for current PDGA rating
FPO: 2 spotsThe two highest PDGA rated players with 8 rounds or more used for current PDGA rating
MP40: 1 spotThe highest PDGA rated players with 8 rounds or more used for current PDGA rating
Note: PDGA player ratings as of December 31st previous year
Captain's Selections Up to 6 spotsThese spots are optional. Qualified players who are willing to attend in a limited playing and mostly support role will be considered. These spots will be at the captain's discretion but in consultation with others. Criteria will include:
recent high level competition experienceprevious match play experience
international travel experience
flexibility in meeting tournament needs for the team
adds Canadian provincial diversity to the team profile
There will be a preference to bring at least 4 MPO, 3 FPO, and 2 MP40 eligible players who will get much of the playing time.
PLAYER COST & COMMITMENTAnticipated Schedule:
1 full day of travel to host country
2 days of adjusting to time change and practicing the course.
3.5 days of round robin play. We try to give everyone equal share of playing time.
1.5 days of finals play. We will play the best available team until we lose. The rest of the team will support them and be ready to substitute if it is needed.
1 full day of travel back to Canada.
Expect to be away a minimum 9 days including travel, getting adjusted to time change, practice, and tournament.
Flights can cost up to $3000
For Accommodations, there is usually an option of staying at a host location or renting a house. Food and lodging will be about $100 - $120 a day, possibly depending on exchange rates.
Be prepared to spend $4,000+
Note: Team entry fees and uniform are covered by CDGA and PDGA Canada. Historically that is about $3500.
PLAYER APPLICATIONWhen the application process opens, The CanDiscGolf website and social media outlets will make an announcement, and Craig will send invitations based on the criteria previously discussed.
In 2023, Craig sent out invitations to the top 20 MPO, top 10 FPO, top 10 MP40, and anyone who was on the team in 2022. He spoke to about 24 people and 17 applied. He went over those applications, made recommendations at a CanDiscGolf meeting, and the team was agreed upon unanimously by 6 people in attendance and with Brian Hoeniger consulting, as PDGA Canada is a major supporter of the team.
So, there it is. If you ever wondered how the Team was formed or if you could be a member, hopefully I not only answered your questions, but you now have some insight into Canadian Team Disc Golf.
The next WFDF World Team Disc Golf Championship is in Lithuania in 2026, and the selection process will begin in September 2025 after Nationals.
Cheers~
Carrie
