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Aberdeen native Ezra Aderhold takes a shot at the 2025 Disc Golf World Championships in Finland earlier this summer. He finished fourth in the event. Photo courtesy of Professional Disc Golf Association.
Aberdeen native Ezra Aderhold has come a long way since his interest in disc golf was piqued while eating fruit at Melgaard Park.
That was about a decade ago, and now Aderhold is playing against the best disc golfers in the world. In fact, he’s finding success as he travels the globe and enjoying his best season as a pro.
In late June, Aderhold, who is 26, won the Discmania Challenge in Des Moines, Iowa, one of the elite-level stops on the Professional Disc Golf Association Tour.
His three-round score of 163 was 29 under par and good for a two-shot victory.
Aberdeen native and professional disc golfer Ezra Aderhold won the Discmania Open, which concluded June 29 in Des Moines, Iowa. Photo courtesy of Professional Disc Golf Association.
“It was really cool to take that one down,” Aderhold said. “Almost every top-level player on the planet was there, and to finally get one of the big ones felt incredible. It was a huge goal of mine since I decided to go pro.”
About a month later, he placed fourth at the 2025 Professional Disc Golf Association World Championships in Finland. Aderhold was in first place after the second and third rounds of the four-day event.
Given it was on the world stage, the Finnish finish was one of his biggest accomplishments to date.
Aderhold said he and other pros competed in front of some of the largest galleries he’s ever seen.
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“Finland really showed up in an awesome way,” he said. “Disc golf was on TV there, and for once it felt like we were real athletes. To finish fourth in that environment was huge for my career.”
It wasn’t Aderhold’s first trip overseas, and he said every tour stop in a different country has been great, even if there’s a little culture shock.
“It’s always a little different. Small things like bottle caps that don’t twist off or stoplights going from red to yellow to green. But overall, I’ve gotten used to it. That was my fourth time going over,” he said.
Interest in disc golf sparked while eating cantaloupe
Aderhold’s introduction to disc golf came out of nowhere. He said he and his dad were eating cantaloupe at Melgaard Park when they saw the disc golf course.
“We just thought it looked fun. We went out later with an old Frisbee, gave it a try and I kind of fell in love with it. From there, I got on YouTube, started learning more, and it just grew,” he said.
At the time, Aderhold’s main focus was traditional golf as he played on the Aberdeen Christian team. After graduating, he said he spent a year working in real estate before his passion for disc golf led him to try and make it as a pro player.
Now in his sixth season as a pro, he said the sport and his career have grown beyond what he could have imagined. More people are playing disc golf, including younger folks, and media coverage is expanding, he said.
Ezra Aderhold, a professional disc golfer from Aberdeen, is interviewed after winning the Discmania Challenge earlier this year in Des Moines, Iowa. Photo courtesy of Professional Disc Golf Association.
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“When I first started, I didn’t picture playing in front of thousands of people, but it’s really cool to see how far disc golf has come and to represent Aberdeen on that stage.” Aderhold said.
He spends six to seven months a year traveling for the tour, but still makes it back to South Dakota occasionally.
“Usually, I’ll get one week a year to stop through, play a couple rounds with friends and keep up with the local guys, but most of my family has moved away, and the winters make it tough to train back home,” Aderhold said.
The next big event for him is the U.S. Disc Golf Championship Oct. 9-12 in Rock Hill, S.C. Winning it is on Aderhold’s bucket list.
He said he hopes his journey inspires others in Aberdeen to give the sport a try.
“Disc golf is super cheap to start. You can grab a disc for 10 bucks and play for free at most parks,” he said. “It’s a great way to hang out with friends, get outside and challenge yourself. Anyone can throw a disc, and it’s really cool to see yourself improve.”
The other Aberdeen area disc golf course is at the Richmond Lake Recreation Area. The daily entrance fee to the state park is $10. The next closest courses are in Redfield, Miller and Watertown.
Correction: Ezra Aderhold’s last name was spelled wrong in this story and has been corrected.
