Ken Climo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ken "The Champ" Climo |
|
|---|---|
| — Disc Golfer — | |
| Personal information | |
| Nickname | The Champ. The People's Champ. |
| Born | 1968 Clearwater, FL |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1988 |
| Current tour(s) | PDGA National Tour |
| Professional wins | 229 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PDGA National Tour | Open: 14 Masters: 6 |
| Best results in major championships |
|
| PDGA World Championships | Won: Open: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006 Masters: 2012, 2014, 2015 |
| USDGC | Won: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2007 |
| European Open | Won: 2007 |
| Japan Open | Won: 1993, 1994, 1995 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Disc Golf Hall of Fame | 1995 |
| PDGA Male Player of the Year | 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2007 |
Ken "The Champ" Climo (born March 27, 1968, in Clearwater, Florida) is an amazing American professional disc golfer. Many people think he is the best disc golfer of all time! He has won a record-breaking twelve PDGA World Championship titles. This includes winning nine times in a row from 1990 to 1998. That's incredible!
Besides his World titles, Ken Climo also has an unbeatable record at the United States Disc Golf Championship (USDGC). This is a super important event in disc golf. He has won it five times. Because of his many wins, Ken Climo was named PDGA Player of the Year seven times. He was also added to the PDGA Hall of Fame in 1995.
Even as he got older, Ken kept winning. In 2012, at 44, he played in the World Championships Masters division for the first time. He won easily, adding his 13th world title! He won two more Masters world titles in 2014 and 2015. Over his long career, Ken Climo has made 103 "aces" (holes-in-one).
Ken Climo also worked with Innova Discs to create his own special plastic for discs, called KC Pro. Some popular discs like the Aviar and Roc are made with this plastic. He was sponsored by Innova for 26 years.
Professional Disc Golf Career
Open Division Success
Ken Climo has won 221 tournaments in the Open Division. This is more than any other player! His wins include 12 World Championships and 5 US Championships. He was the first player ever to win both the World and US Championships in the same year.
Winning the PDGA Pro World Championships (12 times)
Ken Climo has won the PDGA Pro World Championships 12 times. Here are the years and locations of his amazing victories:
| Year | Location | Stroke Margin | Winning Score | Runner Up | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Scottsdale/Mesa/Fountain Hills, AZ | -1 | (452) | Sam Grizzaffi | $2,042 |
| 1991 | Dayton, OH | -10 | (321) | Eric Marx | $2,700 |
| 1992 | Detroit, MI | -9 | (442) | Crazy John Brooks | $3,500 |
| 1993 | Huntsville, AL | -4 | (434) | Dean Tannock | $2,539 |
| 1994 | Port Arthur, TX | -18 | (463) | Joe Mela | $2,500 |
| 1995 | Port Arthur, TX | -4 | (448) | Mike Randolph | $2,350 |
| 1996 | South Bend, IN | -3 | (432) | Geoff Lissaman | $3,600 |
| 1997 | Charlotte, NC | -7 | (450) | Scott Stokely | $3,000 |
| 1998 | Cincinnati, OH | -4 | (404) | Scott Stokely | $3,581 |
| 2000 | Ann Arbor, MI | -8 | (413) | Barry Schultz | $7,303 |
| 2002 | Houston, TX | -14 | (447) | Barry Schultz | $4,500 |
| 2006 | Augusta, GA | -5 | (372) | Nate Doss | $5,500 |
Other Big Wins (8 times)
Ken Climo also won other major tournaments. These include the Japan Open and the European Open.
| Year | Tournament | Stroke Margin | Winning Score | Runner Up | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Japan Open | -13 | (265) | 'Crazy' John Brooks | $4,350 |
| 1994 | Japan Open | -12 | (276) | Marcus Cisneros | $4,350 |
| 1995 | Japan Open | -10 | (287) | John Ahart | $4,350 |
| 1999 | US Disc Golf Championships | -15 | (204) | Alan Schack | $1,400 |
| 2000 | US Disc Golf Championships | -5 | (226) | Alan Schack | $2,000 |
| 2002 | US Disc Golf Championships | -6 | (237) | Barry Schultz | $8,000 |
| 2004 | US Disc Golf Championships | -5 | (255) | Cameron Todd/Darrell Nodland | $10,000 |
| 2007 | European Open | -8 | (205) | David Feldberg | $5,480 |
| 2007 | US Disc Golf Championships | -11 | (233) | Avery Jenkins | $15,000 |
National Tour Victories (14 times)
Ken Climo has also won many events on the National Tour. These are important tournaments across the country.
| Year | Tournament | Stroke Margin | Winning Score | Runner Up | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Bell South Open | -3 | (207) | Barry Schultz | $2,500 |
| 2004 | Bell South Open | -3 | (208) | Keith Warren | $2,500 |
| 2004 | Masters Cup | -5 | (249) | Barry Schultz/David Feldberg | $2,500 |
| 2005 | Golden State Classic | -1 | (262) | Barry Schultz/David Feldberg | $1,500 |
| 2005 | Greater Des Moines Challenge | -8 | (195) | Coda Hatfield | $1,500 |
| 2005 | Skylands Classic | Playoff | (206) | Steve Brinster | $2,100 |
| 2006 | Melbourne Open | -4 | (225) | Johne McCray | $1,500 |
| 2006 | Masters Cup | -11 | (215) | Steve Rico | $2,000 |
| 2007 | Bowling Green Open | -1 | (212) | Coda Hatfield | $2,000 |
| 2007 | Golden State Classic | -3 | (171) | Matthew Orum | $1,750 |
| 2009 | Atlanta Open | -4 | (217) | Barry Schultz | $1,700 |
| 2009 | Beaver State Fling | -7 | (208) | Avery Jenkins | $2,850 |
| 2010 | Sunshine State Shootout | Playoff | (201) | Nathan Doss | $1,250 |
| 2010 | Masters Cup | Playoff | (221) | Bradley Williams | $1,840 |
National Tour Playoff Record (3 wins, 0 losses) Ken Climo has a perfect record in National Tour playoffs!
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Skylands Classic | Steve Brinster | Won on second extra hole |
| 2010 | Sunshine State Classic | Nathan Doss | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2010 | Masters Cup | Bradley Williams | Won with par on first extra hole |
Open Division Summary
This table shows Ken Climo's overall performance in the Open Division.
| Competition Tier | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-25 | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Championships | 12 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 22 | 22 |
| Other Majors | 8 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 31 | 33 |
| National Tour | 14 | 6 | 6 | 43 | 65 | 65 |
Masters Division Success
Even though Ken Climo could have played in the Masters Division (for players 40 and over) starting in 2008, he waited until 2012. That year, he won the Masters World Championships! He has won two more Masters World Championships since then. This brings his total world titles (Open and Masters) to 15!
PDGA Masters World Championships (3 times)
Here are Ken Climo's wins in the Masters World Championships:
| Year | Location | Stroke Margin | Winning Score | Runner Up | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Charlotte, NC | -9 | (395) | Barry Schultz | $3,500 |
| 2014 | Portland, OR | -1 | (424) | Barry Schultz | $2,500 |
| 2015 | Pittsburgh, PA | -3 | (377) | Patrick Brown | $2,400 |
Masters National Tour Wins (6 times)
Ken Climo has also won several National Tour events in the Masters Division.
| Year | Tournament | Stroke Margin | Winning Score | Runner Up | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Memorial Championship | -9 | (204) | Jonathan Baldwin/Phil Arthur/Rex Rogers | $1,500 |
| 2013 | Beaver State Fling | -10 | (214) | Patrick Brown | $1,500 |
| 2014 | Memorial Championship | -3 | (205) | Patrick Brown | $1,500 |
| 2015 | Memorial Championship | -9 | (202) | Patrick Brown | $1,600 |
| 2016 | Memorial Championship | -7 | (192) | Patrick Brown | $1,600 |
| 2016 | Beaver State Fling | Playoff | (228) | Patrick Brown | $1,250 |
Masters National Tour Playoff Record (1 win, 0 losses) Ken Climo also has a perfect playoff record in the Masters National Tour.
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Beaver State Fling | Patrick Brown | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
Masters Division Summary
This table shows Ken Climo's overall performance in the Masters Division.
| Competition Tier | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-25 | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Championships | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Other Majors | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| National Tour | 6 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Disc Golf Equipment
Ken Climo has been sponsored by Innova Champion Discs for his entire career. He has special "signature" discs (marked with an asterisk *). Here are some of the discs he uses in competitions:
Drivers
- Boss (Champion plastic)
- Destroyer (Pro, Star plastic)
- Firebird (Champion plastic)*
- Katana (Echo Star plastic)
- Starfire (Pro plastic)
- Tern (Champion plastic)*
- Wraith (Pro, Star plastic)*
- XCaliber (Echo Star plastic)
Fairway Drivers
- Banshee (Champion plastic)
- Eagle (Champion plastic)*
- TeeBird (Champion, KC Pro plastic)*
- TL (Champion plastic)
- Sidewinder (Champion plastic)
Midranges
- Roc (KC Pro plastic)*
Putters
- Aviar (KC Pro plastic)*
Other discs that have been Ken Climo's signature discs include: Cheetah, Cobra, Gazelle, Pegasus, Polaris LS, Raven, Scorpion, Stingray, Viper, Vulcan, Whippet, XD.
