The Garden City Flyers Disc Golf Club is excited to welcome the best disc golfers in world to Missoula for the Zoo Town Open presented by Ink Realty Group Disc Golf Tournament presented by Innova, on June 9-11. This year’s event is a Silver event on the Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT). There will be over 8,000 disc golf tournaments sanctioned by the Professional Disc Golf Association worldwide in 2023, but only the 25 biggest and best events are a part of the DGPT.

Competition will occur at Blue Mountain on June 9 – 11 and the event will feature over 150 professional disc golfers from 34 states and 5 countries, including 4 US Champions and 2021 World Champion James Conrad on the men’s side and 4 World Champions and 3 US Women’s Champions including the current Women’s World Champion Kristin Tattar from Estonia. “The Zoo Town Open has earned a strong reputation in the disc golf community as a fun and prestigious event that has put Missoula on the map as a true disc golf destination,” said Tournament Director and Garden City Flyers Club President Brian Bjortomt. “We are very excited to host the best players in the world at this year’s event!” Bjortomt explained that the tournament’s popularity allows the Garden City Flyers to raise thousands of dollars for local courses and schools every year, and over the years has paid for nearly all improvements on the public disc golf courses in the Missoula area. Numerous Missoula and Montana businesses and individuals have contributed time, money and effort on behalf of this year’s tournament and fundraiser. “The community really gets behind the event and it is great to see so much effort put forth to welcome disc golfers from around the world to the Missoula area,” said Bjortomt.

Players will compete for a cash purse of over $40,000. In addition to the players mentioned above, the field is full of talented disc golfers from around the globe, such as the number 1 ranked player in the world and 2019 Zoo Town Open Champion Calvin Heimburg from Florida, number 2 ranked player in the world 18 year old Gannon Buhr from Iowa, and number 3 ranked player hailing from Georgia Isaac Robinson as well as local stars like Missoula native now living in Helena and former #12 ranked player Christian Dietrich. “But the real competition may come in the Open Women’s’ division,” said Bjortomt, as the club is ecstatic to welcome the largest field of Pro Women that Montana has seen including 5 time World Champion, 2 time US champion, and arguably the best woman disc golfer of all time Juliana Korver; 2 time World Champion and 4 time National Tour Series Champion Catrina Allen; 2012 World Champion, 2 time US Women’s World Champion, and 2 time Zoo Town Open Champion Sarah Hokum out of Idaho; and local touring pro Erika Stinchcomb.

Blue Mountain Disc Golf Course will be closed to public play from Monday, June 5 through Sunday, June 11 to allow staff to prepare the course for the event.

There are still a few spectator passes available. These passes can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dgpt-silver-zoo-town-open-presented-by-ink-realty-driven-by-innova-tickets-513294005187. All spectators will be required to have a spectator pass in their possession. Due to parking issues at Blue Mountain, we are asking all spectators to park at Fort Missoula and ride the free shuttle to Blue Mountain.

Tournament events will begin on Tuesday, June 6th with a Player Flymart at Albatross Discs. Wednesday, June 7th, we’ll be at Draught Works brewery celebrating the release of Boss of the Toss Hazy IPA – a Zoo Town Open themed beer. We will be co-hosting Downtown Tonight on Thursday, June 8. We plan to host several free frisbee activities for the whole family at this great weekly event. Competition will begin on Friday, June 9 at Blue Mountain with the lead card of Women teeing off at approximately 9:50 and the lead card of Men teeing off at approximately 3:15.

We would like to encourage any and everyone to purchase a spectator pass and come out to watch the best disc golfers in the World take on Blue Mountain.