Finland's Silva Saarinen erased a five-stroke deficit on Sunday, July 19, and claimed the U.S. Women's Disc Golf Championship at Brighton Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon, capping a week that brought 363 competitors from 16 nations to Cottonwood Heights' backyard.

Saarinen fired a 10-under final round on Brighton's Majestic 18 course, rattling off six consecutive birdies to overtake overnight leader Ohn Scoggins. She finished at 33-under par, three strokes clear of Scoggins, according to the Disc Golf Pro Tour's official recap.

The 25th edition of the championship turned Brighton into something other than a ski resort for the week. Players and caddies navigated steep, wildflower-lined mountain paths between holes while spectators rode the Majestic chairlift overhead, watching drives sail across the alpine terrain, according to Deseret News photojournalist Lukas Katilius, who documented the final round.

Brighton Resort closed its lifts, mountain bike trails, and public disc golf courses for the championship weekend, the resort announced on its Facebook page on Friday, July 17. Spectator tickets were available for fans who wanted to watch in person.

Scoggins, who carried a pin on her bag reading "throw like a girl," held the lead through three rounds before a costly double bogey on Hole 16 gave Saarinen a two-stroke cushion with two holes to play. Missy Gannon finished third. Fourteen-year-old MJ Gager earned the best finish of her young career, tying for fourth after a 9-under final round that included an eagle on Brighton's Hole 7.

The championship also featured rounds at the Creekside, Roots, and Dragonfly courses along the Wasatch Front before the field converged on Brighton for the finale.

The event marked a milestone year for the Professional Disc Golf Association, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year after being founded in 1976. The PDGA crowned Saarinen "queen of the mountain" after her victory.

The win was Saarinen's fourth Tour victory of the 2026 season, her second Pro Major title of the year, and the third Major of her career. She led the field in birdie percentage at 57% and fairway hits at 86%.

Brighton's Majestic 18 disc golf course remains open to the public on Fridays through Sundays via the resort's four-person Majestic chairlift. Summer scenic lift rides began June 19 and run through mid-October.