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 Climo, also known as "The Champ", is an American professional disc golfer. Many people think he is the best disc golfer of all time. He was born on March 27, 1968, in Clearwater, Florida.

Climo has won a huge number of titles. He has claimed twelve World Championship titles in the Open division. This includes an amazing nine wins in a row from 1990 to 1998. Only a few other disc golfers have won multiple World titles.

Besides his World titles, Climo also has a fantastic record at the United States Disc Golf Championship (USDGC). This is a very important event in disc golf. He has won the USDGC five times (in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2007).

Ken Climo was named the PDGA Player of the Year seven times. He was honored by being added to the PDGA Hall of Fame in 1995. This shows how important he is to the sport.

In 2012, when he was 44, Climo played in the World Championships Masters division for the first time. He won easily, earning his 13th world championship title overall. He later added two more Masters World titles in 2014 and 2015.

Over his three decades playing disc golf, Ken Climo has made 103 aces. An ace is when you throw the disc into the basket from the tee in just one shot.

Climo also worked with Innova Discs to create his own special type of plastic for discs, called KC Pro. Some popular discs, like the Aviar and Roc, are made with KC Pro plastic. Ken Climo was sponsored by Innova for 26 years. He announced he was leaving the brand on November 27, 2024.

Ken Climo's Disc Golf Career

Ken Climo has had a very successful career in disc golf. He has won many tournaments and is known for his skill and consistency.

Open Division Achievements

Climo has 221 wins in the Open Division. This is the most wins ever by any player. The Open Division is where all professional players compete, regardless of age. His wins include 12 World Championships and 5 US Championships. He was the first player to win both the World and US Championships in the same year.

World Championship Wins

Ken Climo won the PDGA Pro World Championships 12 times in the Open division. These wins show his amazing talent and how he dominated the sport for many years.

Other Major Tournament Wins

Climo also won 8 other major tournaments. These include the Japan Open and the US Disc Golf Championships.

Climo played in one major playoff in 2003 at the US Disc Golf Championships. He lost to Barry Schultz after ten extra holes.

National Tour Wins

Ken Climo has won 14 events on the National Tour. These are important tournaments that are part of the PDGA's main series.

Climo has a perfect record in National Tour playoffs, winning all three he played in.

Masters Division Achievements

Players can join the Masters Division when they turn 40. Ken Climo became eligible in 2008. However, he played his first Masters event in 2012. He won the World Championships that year. He has won two more World Championships in this division since then. This brings his total World Championship wins (Open and Masters) to 15.

Masters World Championship Wins

Ken Climo has won the PDGA Masters World Championships 3 times.

Masters National Tour Wins

Climo has also won 6 National Tour events in the Masters Division.

He won his only Masters National Tour playoff in 2016.

Disc Golf Equipment

Ken Climo has been sponsored by Innova Champion Discs for most of his career. He has helped create special versions of discs. These are called "signature discs" and are marked with an asterisk (*) below. When he competes, he uses a mix of these discs:

Drivers

• Boss (Champion)
• Destroyer (Pro, Star)
• Firebird (Champion)*
• Katana (Echo Star)
• Starfire (Pro)
• Tern (Champion)*
• Wraith (Pro, Star)*
• XCaliber (Echo Star)

Fairway Drivers

• Banshee (Champion)
• Eagle (Champion)*
• TeeBird (Champion, KC Pro)*
• TL (Champion)
• Sidewinder (Champion)

Midranges

• Roc (KC Pro)*

Putters

• Aviar (KC Pro)*

Some of Climo's other signature discs from the past include: Cheetah, Cobra, Gazelle, Pegasus, Polaris LS, Raven, Scorpion, Stingray, Viper, Vulcan, Whippet, and XD.