Heidi Laine's Season Ends After ACL Injury, Eyes Return in 2026

Finnish disc golf player Heidi Laine has confirmed she will miss the remainder of the 2025 season following a serious knee injury sustained during the Kansas City Wide Open. MRI scans have revealed a complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and a dislocated bucket-handle tear in her medial meniscus, leaving her knee locked and requiring immediate surgery.

Image: Marika Salmi, Frisbeegolfmedia

“This is naturally a difficult decision, but in the end the choice is clear,” Laine told Frisbeegolfmedia. “I have received a lot of support from partners and fans, for which I am very grateful. After the surgery, I plan to focus fully on rehabilitation and start preparing for the 2026 season in good time.”

Laine initially reported the injury on April 29 after completing the Kansas City Wide Open in visible pain. “My knee gave way badly last round hole 15,” she wrote on Instagram. “I played the last 3.5 holes with sweat of pain. My knee was really painful, swollen and I couldn't straighten it.”

Despite hoping for a quick recovery, she ultimately withdrew from the season’s first Major, the PDGA Champions Cup, admitting, “It was really hard to know what the right choice was—try to play or cancel. But now I also had to think about the future and my own health.”

The injury was first aggravated at the Open at Austin, then worsened in Kansas City.

Surgery is considered essential not only for recovery but also to prevent long-term damage. Doctors estimate a full rehabilitation period of around nine months, making a return to competition possible in early 2026.

Before the injury, Laine had competed in four Disc Golf Pro Tour events, with her best finish being 14th at the Kansas City Wide Open.

Though sidelined, Laine plans to stay close to the sport. She will attend several European DGPT events this summer as a spectator and has confirmed her presence at the 2025 PDGA World Championships in Tampere and Nokia.

“I’ll come back,” she promised her followers.