Sprinkle Valley’s Hole 18 Tears Down the Field – and European Hopes

At 900 feet and playing as a par 5, Hole 18 at Sprinkle Valley proved once again to be one of the most punishing tests on the Disc Golf Pro Tour. During The Open at Austin, the hole averaged 6.01 strokes in the MPO field, making it the hardest hole of the tournament at +1.01 over par. Only 16% of MPO players managed a birdie, while 53% carded a bogey or worse. Over 32% ended with a double bogey or more.

The statistics had real consequences for many competitors, particularly several top European players whose rounds unraveled on this hole.

Image: udisc.com

European Struggles on 18

For multiple European athletes, Hole 18 became the turning point in their tournament—and not in a good way. In the MPO field, Rasmus Saukkoriipi of Finland recorded a 9 in the first round and a 7 in the second, losing crucial strokes late in both rounds. Fellow Finn Jesse Nieminen and Sweden’s Linus Carlsson also faltered, each taking a 9 on the hole during their respective Sprinkle Valley rounds.

In the FPO division, the damage was even more visible. Silva Saarinen finished with a 9 and a 7 on Hole 18. Despite a strong overall performance, Kristin Lätt’s rounds were derailed by back-to-back scores of 11 and 10, keeping her just out of reach of the win. Anniken Kristiansen Steen and Kaire Tekku both faced the same outcome, each taking 13 and 10 on their Sprinkle Valley attempts.

With par set at 5, these numbers reflect triple to quintuple bogeys—some of the most damaging possible scores at this level of play. For several European contenders, Hole 18 was not just the most difficult hole on the course, it was the moment the leaderboard slipped away.

Community Reactions: Exciting or Excessive?

The disc golf community was quick to react. On Reddit, some defended the high-risk, high-reward nature of the hole:

“I love the idea that it’s truly not over until the putter goes in the basket on 18… it’s great that you’re forced to make a game-time decision while the pressure is on.”

Others raised concerns, especially regarding the hole’s fairness across divisions:

“I like it for MPO, but it should be a little easier for FPO.”

Image: udisc.com

One user even ran the numbers:

“The last year European Open had the bunker rule, it averaged +0.73 over par for FPO. Versus +3.55 today at Sprinkle Valley.”

Still others questioned whether a hole this punishing belongs on a course that doesn’t even host the final round:

“They don’t even finish at Sprinkle Valley. The last two days are at the other course. I could see liking it as a tourney finisher but all the damage will have already been done.”

Whatever one’s opinion, Hole 18 at Sprinkle Valley has become one of the most talked-about—and feared—holes on tour. For spectators, it adds drama. For players, it adds risk.