Estephany Escobar

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte disc golf tournament is attracting more women this year after offering equal pay to the top finishers on the women’s and men’s side. 

What You Need To Know

A Charlotte disc golf tournament is offering equal payouts for men and women

More women have signed up for this tournament compared to last year

Women’s Disc Golf World Champion Paige Shue hopes to make a comeback at the tournament

The Carolina Clash presented by Another Round Disc Golf will take place from Oct. 1 through Oct. 3. 

Thus far in the professional division, 81 players signed up for the men’s open and 18 women signed up for the women’s open. 

Men and women in the professional division compete separately.

According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, the total purse for each division is a combination of entry fees of that division and added cash the tournament raised.

Usually men earn higher payouts because part of the prize money comes from entry fees paid by participants, and typically there are more competitors in the men’s divisions. 

Last year, with 61 men signed up in the men’s open division, the winner of the Carolina Clash earned $1,026. The women’s open division had nine competitors and the winner earned $440. 

This year, for the first time ever, the Carolina Clash is bringing equal payouts. This is all thanks to additional fundraising at the local level. 

“It was not that difficult to raise the extra money but it goes a long way. We’ve more than doubled our field from last year on the women’s side,” said Kyle Deck, the tournament’s director. 

Deck said he wants to help the sport grow on the women’s side. 

“There’s so many tremendous young stars on the women’s side. I want them to have the ability make it their full-time job,” Deck said. 

In 2018, this was the full-time job of professional disc golfers Paige and Grady Shue. 

The couple traveled around the country participating in disc golf competitions. 

“Our day to day to day was traveling in a van going from state to state competing,” Paige Shue said. 

That year Paige Shue won the Women’s Disc Golf World Championship. 

“I grew up playing with my sister, my brother and my parents, and for them to see all the hard work and that jazz pay off was so incredible,” Paige Shue said. 

Paige Shue married in 2019 and a year later the couple was expecting their first child. During the pregnancy and after the birth of their daughter, Paige Shue…