"It was a big relief."
Those are the words of 2024 PDGA World Champion Eveliina Salonen when asked about how she felt after her breakthrough win. In the time since winning the World Championship, Eveliina has been continuously improving and taking down many big tournament wins.
While winning a world title has always been a goal of Eveliina's, she explains that achieving it has transformed her approach to the sport entirely. "Every win after Worlds has just been a bonus," she reflects.
So much of a bonus, in fact, that as of this writing, Eveliina is the reigning World Champion, European Champion, United States Champion, and Finnish Champion. When we pointed out this incredible achievement during our recent interview, her reaction was one of genuine surprise.
"I didn't realize that I was the reigning champion all at one time. It feels pretty crazy," Eveliina told us.
The World Champion title may be new for Eveliina, but winning titles certainly isn't a foreign concept to her.
Her championship journey began early—in 2015, Eveliina won her first Finnish Championship when she was just 15 years old. A year later, she took home the European Championship at 16 years old. Just a few years later, she could call herself a PDGA Major champion after winning the Konopiště Open.
Over the past 10 years, Eveliina has built quite the resume: 5x Finnish Champion, 2x European Champion, 1x World Champion, and 1x US Champion. Even with all these accolades, she believes her best days are still ahead.
When asked what else is left for her in disc golf, her answer was straightforward: "Winning more. More titles, more majors. After getting that World title, it was kind of an empty feeling. You reach your ultimate goal and after that you're thinking what can you do now? It's really just winning more and improving. I know I have so much more potential. We'll see."
Overcoming Mental Barriers
For anyone who has followed professional disc golf in the last 10 years, odds are you would have come across a video where Eveliina struggled putting. At times, those videos are even tough to watch.
Eveliina acknowledges she knew she had to work on things, and she's been steadily improving and gaining confidence. Her approach to overcoming these struggles was counterintuitive: "For me, when I had those worst putts a few seasons ago, when I'd practice more and more it didn't help much at all. I needed to take a break and relax a bit. I had to forget about what others were saying. Everyone saw me miss from bullseye's edge and I knew I had to forget about those and build trust in myself."
When we asked if her putting struggles were mental or physical, she didn't hesitate: "Totally mental. When I'm putting alone or in practice rounds, I don't miss much at all. It feels easy and totally normal to putt. I know that I have the skills, but it's all mental."
Part of her mental transformation has involved changing her putting style and mindset. "I usually had these slow, lofty putts. I realized I have a better chance if I commit and putt harder. I want to avoid those more difficult comeback putts."
Natural Driving Ability
On the opposite side of her game, Eveliina's driving skills are nearly unmatched in disc golf. Her distance and control off the teepad are two deadly weapons in her arsenal. Unlike putting, driving comes naturally to her.
"I always know that I can throw well to get opportunities to get birdies. I can just throw and relax. It's pretty fun for me," she explains.
Speaking of fun, those big wins in the past year have really helped her rediscover her love for the sport. "I realized I don't have to stress about every little thing on the course. This season has been a lot of fun. Sure, there have been some rounds that I don't enjoy it as much as I should, but for the most part it's been really fun. I haven't enjoyed it this much."
Defending at Home
Eveliina also gets the unique privilege of being the defending World Champion during the first PDGA World Championship held in Europe. The significance of this moment isn't lost on her.
"I never imagined I'd be the defending champion and playing Worlds at my two home courses. Getting the chance to have my friends and family to watch me feels unbelievable. I can't wait. There is also a lot of pressure and expectations, but I'm so thankful for the opportunity."
From Motocross to Disc Golf
Eveliina has been part of disc golf for many years now and is also a member of Team Powergrip. Looking back, she never imagined this would become her professional path.
"I played so many other sports. I wasn't sure what I was going to do. Those first years when I was in tournaments, for me, seeing where my level was and competing and having fun, I never thought about traveling to the US or even winning worlds."
She continues to maintain an active lifestyle outside of disc golf, participating in padel, tennis, golf, and crossfit. Prior to disc golf, her athletic pursuits included soccer, floorball, ice hockey, and almost anything else you could think of—including motocross.
When we asked about her motocross background, she laughed: "I started motocross when I was 3 years old. I quit when I was 12. I think I'm too old for it now. I'd be too scared. When I was young, I didn't have any fear. It was much easier. The fear happens a little bit these days, but I think I'm not as normal as most. I love doing the crazy things and finding new sports."
Looking Ahead
As the 2025 PDGA season continues and we inch closer to what is bound to be an exciting World Championships, Eveliina knows she still has more to accomplish.
She already has multiple European and Finnish titles under her belt. Time will tell if she'll be able to call herself a 2x World Champion. We'll always have Eveliina's back and will always be in her corner. We hope you join us in supporting one of the most talented women to ever play disc golf.
Photo Credit: Innova Discs
