Reigning World Champion, Eveliina Salonen

World Champ on Home Turf

Finland erupted last year when Eveliina Salonen became the first Finnish player to win a World title. Now, she tees off in Nokia and Tampere to defend in front of a home crowd. For a country that practically breathes disc golf, the stage couldn’t be more perfectly set. And for Eveliina, whatever the outcome, this is already a rare and meaningful moment.

Two Seasons, Three Majors (so far!)

In early 2024, Eveliina was still seeking her first DGPT win in four years. By year’s end, she had posted one of the most complete and impressive seasons in recent memory. She captured two Major titles — including her first World Championship — alongside two Disc Golf Pro Tour victories and her fifth Finnish National title. She podiumed at six other DGPT and Major events, and finished Top 5 at every Major of the season.

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Statistically, Eveliina consistently outthrew the field. She led the FPO in C2 Hits in Regulation, ranked second in C1 Hits, and topped the field in Strokes Gained Tee to Green — none more emphatically than at Worlds, where she gained over 41 strokes in that category alone.

This year, that form has only sharpened. Eveliina enters this week’s World Championship fresh off a three-event win streak. Her 1006-rated final round at PCS erased a six-stroke deficit and secured a comeback win. At EDGC, she delivered one of the most spectacular shots of the season — an ace that swung momentum and helped get her on track for the win.

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That was her second ace in as many events. Her first came at US Women’s, where she took home her most important title of 2025 so far. That marked her third PDGA Major victory out of just six Majors held in that timespan. She is a contender at all events, but she’s most dangerous at the big ones.

Chasing More History

Should she manage to win this year’s Worlds, it would place Eveliina among the sport’s select few five-time Major champions — and set off a celebration in Finland that disc golf would never forget. Whatever the result, her run over the last two seasons has already defined Eveliina as a champion who rises to the occasion when the stakes are highest.