KRISTIN LÄTT PDGA Europe FPO Player of The Year presentation:
"First things first: we're gathering all our positive energy in this stage so that, whatever happens to your foot, may these good vibes help you heal quickly. We all want to see you back—happy and full of energy—for the important events coming up.
Preparing a speech about someone is not that easy. Doing it twice in a row is even harder. But three times? Without repeating yourself? That’s a real challenge. At least there’s one change this year: a new last name. That helps… a little.
So I ask myself:
What defines a true champion? Is it the wins?
She ended’24 season as she started ’25: with multiple Elite victories and a similar scene in some of them: a close final round and Silva Saarinen swallowing the bitter pill of seeing victory slip through her fingers. Even the celebrations were quieter than usual by the mixed emotions of the moment.
And then came the Ale Open in Sweden. Same contenders. But on this occasion, Silva showed her best game, shone brightly and finally achieved that well-deserved victory.
And on that 18th green, magic happened: neither her caddie and soul mate Jenny Karppinen, nor the TD had time to react: the FIRST person to rush over and hug her was her rival. Tears of joy began to wet Silva's glasses and the photo of the two women embracing quickly circled the world.
A few hours later, she was back on the course, caddying for her husband Silver: we walked down the fairway together and I said: "You know? What you just did on that green made you a greater champion than even if you had won."
She asked me: “What did I do?”
And I replied: “You did nothing… and you did everything. We all noticed the sincere joy you felt at your fellow player's victory, even at the expense of your own triumph. That image will remain in our memories forever and has made you an even greater champion."
And then she smiled…
Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present, for the third year in a row, the PDGA Europe FPO Player of the Year award to Miss Kristin Lätt!"
Kristin Lätt
PDGA Europe
PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships
