Advertisement

What to know about the 2023 Ledgestone Open as central Illinois becomes a disc golf mecca

dave eminian, peoria journal star
·5 min read
Ricky Wysocki, pictured in the 2017 Ledgestone Open, is the defending champion in the Men's Pro Open and comes into the 2023 tournament having won three straight titles here in central Illinois.
Ricky Wysocki, pictured in the 2017 Ledgestone Open, is the defending champion in the Men's Pro Open and comes into the 2023 tournament having won three straight titles here in central Illinois.

PEORIA — The 2023 Ledgestone Open comes with questions, some serious, some fun, as one of the elite Professional Disc Golf Association events arrives for its annual run in central Illinois.

Can Richard Wysocki win in central Illinois for a fourth straight year? Can Catrina Allen collect her sixth championship here all-time? Who is delivering a concert at Lake Eureka, when is the fireworks show, can anyone solve the escape room and who is down for the tournament's inaugural fireworks show?

Some of the answers are in hand, but some will need to play out on the courses around the area over the next few days as players from all over North America and a few from overseas come in to compete. The tournament runs Thursday through Sunday, and had practices, check-ins and other events ahead of that Monday through Wednesday.

More: Why the new office and warehouse in Washington? This annual event had outgrown its storage

Players to watch at the 2023 Ledgestone Open

Missy Gannon is the defending champion heading into the 2023 Ledgestone Open in central Illinois.
Missy Gannon is the defending champion heading into the 2023 Ledgestone Open in central Illinois.

Registration listings on the PDGA online site show many of the sport's elite players will be here for the tournament. International players in the fields include: Luke Bayne (Australia), Tony Ferro (Switzerland) and Lykke Lorentzen (Norway).

Here are other players to watch in the Women's Pro Open and the Men's Pro Open:

  • Sarah Hokum: Fifth in the European Open a week ago, No. 15 on the U.S. Tour rankings and 102 career wins with $231,000 in earnings. She is a former Ledgestone champion.

  • Catrina Allen: Finished in the top three in seven of 15 tournaments in 2023, including a third-place finish at the European Open a week ago. Ranked No. 2 on the U.S. Tour. Has 181 career wins with $351,000 in earnings. She is a former Ledgestone champion.

  • Missy Gannon: No. 3 on the U.S. Tour rankings, finished third in the European Open late last month and she is the Ledgestone Open defending champion. She is a former Ledgestone champion.

  • Ohn Scoggins: No. 4 on the U.S. Tour rankings and has seven first- or second-place tournament finishes in 2023.

  • Jessica Weese: A former Ledgestone champion in the 2023 field.

  • Richard Wysocki: Comes in ranked No. 4 on the U.S. Tour among the pro men. He has 127 career wins, nearly $639,000 in career earnings and finished sixth in the European Open in late July. A former Ledgestone champion.

  • Calvin Heimburg: He tied Wysocki for the 2021 championship here (severe weather halted it), is ranked No. 1 on the U.S. Tour and finished fourth in the European Open in July. He has nine top-three finishes in 14 outings this season. A former Ledgestone champion.

  • Gannon Buhr: No. 2 ranked on the U.S. Tour.

  • Nikko Locastro: A former Ledgestone champion in the 2023 field

Calvin Heimburg, the #4 ranked disc golfer in the world, throws for a birdie on the second hole of the 2021 Ledgestone Open at Eureka Lake on Tuesday, August 5, 2021. After the first round, Heimburg was -9, good enough for a two shot lead.
Calvin Heimburg, the #4 ranked disc golfer in the world, throws for a birdie on the second hole of the 2021 Ledgestone Open at Eureka Lake on Tuesday, August 5, 2021. After the first round, Heimburg was -9, good enough for a two shot lead.

Schedule for the 2023 Ledgestone Open

Here are the play times for the men's and women's pro opens. Divisions below the pros will play throughout the week at various courses. There is a complete schedule here.

  • Thursday, first round, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.: Men's Pro Open tees at Lake Eureka Disc Golf Course. Women's Pro Open tees at Northwood Park Black Course (Morton).

  • Friday, second round, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.: Men's Pro Open tees at Northwood Park Black Course (Morton). Women's Pro Open tees at Sunset Hills (Pekin).

  • Saturday, third round, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.: Men's Pro Open tees at Northwood Park Black Course (Morton). Women's Pro Open tees at Sunset Hills (Pekin).

  • Sunday, final round, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.: Men's Pro Open tees at Lake Eureka Disc Golf Course. Women's Pro Open tees at Northwood Park Black Course (Morton).

Where is the Ledgestone Open played?

The tournament — with more than 2,000 players across the professional and amateur divisions as young as age 10 — will play out on 12 disc golf courses around the area.

Those include Lake Eureka Park (Eureka), Wildlife Prairie Park (Hanna City), Northwood Park (Morton), Westwood Park (Morton), Washington Park (Washington), Sunset Hills Country Club (Pekin), McNaughton Park (Pekin), Kennel Lake Sportsmen's Club (Morton), Bradley Park (Peoria), Three Sisters Park (Chillicothe), Illinois Central College (East Peoria) and Maxwell Park (Normal).

You can find directions here to each course.

What other events are at the Ledgestone Open?

  • Thursday, 3-5 p.m.: Catrina Allen signing and disc release at Five Points in Washington.

  • Thursday, 6-8 p.m.: Paul McBeth, Paige Shue and Missy Gannon meet-and-greet.

  • Thursday, 6:30-8 p.m.: The band Jonny Quest performs at Lake Eureka. Food, ice cream sundae/root beer floats.

  • Thursday, 8:50 p.m.: Fireworks show at Lake Eureka course.

  • Thursday, 9-11 p.m.: Glo Disc golf at Washington Park.

  • Friday/Saturday, 5-9 p.m.: Ledgestone Escape Room, presented by Escapetown Peoria, available at Comfort Inn Hotel/Ashland House in Morton. It's $60 for a group of six, and all proceeds go to St. Jude.

  • Saturday, 6-8 p.m.: The band Jonny Quest performs at Comfort Inn/Ashland House in Morton.

How to get tickets for the Ledgestone Open

Tickets can be purchased online. Go to the Ledgestone Open tournament website for information on how to purchase.

  • Children: Ages 10-under get in free.

  • Daily Admission Pass: $20 per day, per person.

  • Weekly admission: $70 and includes a Ledgestone disc and shirt.

  • VIP Badge: The cost for this is $100 and gets one person free parking and admission during the entire event plus a special badge and spectator pack. The badge will get you special access to the VIP tent at the event (which will include snacks and food).

The history of the Ledgestone Open

Eureka resident Nate Heinold built central Illinois into a mecca for disc golf and took the Ledgestone Open to status as the world championship tournament for the Professional Disc Golf Association in 2019.

In the 2015 version, he put together a then-record purse for the sport, with $117,453 at stake for the players.

Heinold won re-election to the PDGA Global Board of Directors as month-long voting closed Monday. He is a main character, for sure, on the sport's world stage.

The Ledgestone Open has come such a long way under Heinold's direction. Launched in 2011 with a field of 105 players and a purse of $2,445, it has grown four straight years to a 2022 record field of 2,182 players and $144,110 purse.

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: What to know about the 2023 Ledgestone Open disc golf tournament