PDGA introduces six candidates for Global Board election

The PDGA Global Board of Directors race has narrowed to six candidates for two at-large seats, after the PDGA Global Board of Directors Nominating Committee reviewed 13 self-nominated applicants. The screening went beyond a simple ballot shuffle, with cover letters, resumes, referral letters, background checks and additional review steps all part of the vetting.

That process matters because the board is not a ceremonial stop on the way through disc golf. It helps steer a sport that is increasingly international, with decisions that reach players, tournaments, course development, rules and growth strategies across multiple regions. For PDGA members, the election is a chance to choose which two people will help guide that next stretch of expansion.

The candidate profiles are meant to do more than fill names on a page. They give members a way to compare leadership experience, judgment and priorities before voting closes, especially in an election where the board’s decisions can affect how the PDGA grows outside the United States and how it balances member value with tournament standards. The competition for those two at-large seats makes the field tight enough that every background detail can shape how members read the race.

The scale of PDGA elections shows why that clarity matters. In 2023, the association sent 119,027 ballots to eligible members, and 17,720 were returned, a participation rate of 14.9%. That was down from 17.76% in 2022, leaving a large membership base with relatively modest turnout.

Against that backdrop, the six-candidate slate gives voters a smaller field to evaluate but a larger decision to make. With the board expected to weigh global growth and governance across a sport that keeps pushing into new countries and new markets, the two winners will carry real influence well beyond a single season or tour stop.