Disc golf is widely popular in Finland. Some studies have found that out of a population of 5.5 million, around 1 million Finns play disc golf, constituting approximately 20% of the total population. In addition, disc golf has become the third most popular summer sport for boys aged 11-15 in Finland! Only football and cycling are more popular. Furthermore, 28% of Finnish students identify disc golf as their favorite hobby! All-in-all, Finland knows disc golf!
Does NBA All-Star Lauri Markkanen, from Finland, play disc golf?
Yes, NBA All-Star Lauri Markkanen plays disc golf! The 7-foot (2.13m) giant, nicknamed ‘the Finnisher,’ is an avid disc golfer and has been spotted playing disc golf all around the world. In addition, the Finnisher has been seen hanging out with Paul McBeth and rocking McBeth’s VI hoodie during his pregame tunnel walks.
Here’s a video of NBA All-Star Lauri Markkanen playing doubles at Riihivuori Disc Golf Course:
The 2025 PDGA World Championships will be held in Finland!
For the first time ever in disc golf’s history the World Championships will be held outside of North-America. The 2025 PDGA Pro World Championships will be held in Finland, being played at The Beast & Tampere Disc Golf Center.
The European Open will not be hosted the same year. Instead, the traditional European PDGA Major will take place in Tallinn, Estonia at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds. After an incredibly successful European Championships in 2023, the leadership team for the event, including Silver Leetma, Matthias Vutt, Ralf Rogov, and Silver Kütt, is excited to bring PDGA Major disc golf to Estonia. The team will be hosting a DGPT Europe event in 2024 called the European Disc Golf Festival. The 2025 event at this location will serve as the fourth PDGA Pro Major of the season.
Source – https://www.pdga.com/news/2025-pdga-majors-announced
Here’s a lookback to the 2022 European Open in Nokia, Finland. The sheer amount of spectators in Finland is mind-boggling and I’m sure there will be even more at the 2025 Disc Golf Worlds!