From backyard putts to world championships, West Virginia’s Corey Ellis is on a line straight for greatness.
Cover Photo: No stranger to the lead card, Corey Ellis has proven himself against the world’s best. Photo by Kevin Huver
Most kids grow up wanting tobe astronauts or race car drivers. Not Corey Ellis. After his dad handed him a disc at age five, he was hooked. Today, the Milton, West Virginia, native is competing on the world stage with sponsorships from Discraft and Squatch and even a signature shoe from Idio Sports. Between tournaments, we caught up with Ellis to talk about the grind of training, staying calm in big moments, and chasing a dream against all odds.
BRO: What was your childhood like, and how did disc golf come into the picture?
Ellis: My dad took me out to play disc golf when I was five. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, but my parents made sure we never went without. Disc golf was great because all you needed was your discs, and if you didn’t lose them, you could keep playing for free.
BRO: When did you realize you wanted to take it beyond a hobby and go pro?
Ellis: In 2009, my aunt—my dad’s sister—passed away in a house fire. She had three daughters, and my dad was the only one left to take them in. That same summer, he got laid off from work. My mom told me, “Why don’t you go spend time with your dad? Go play disc golf with him.” That summer, we played two or three rounds a day, every single day, rain or shine. I got good really fast, and shortly after that, I started playing tournaments. That fall, my dad took me to the U.S. Disc Golf Championship in Rock Hill, South Carolina. At the end of the event, they had a distance showcase over a big lake—guys were throwing 700 or 800 feet. I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. From then on, that’s all I wanted to do.
BRO: When did disc golf shift from something you did on the side to your main job?
Ellis: After high school, I worked as a server at a Mexican restaurant for three and a half years. They were really good with my schedule, so I could play local pro tournaments on the weekends. On my lunch break, I’d go home and practice putting in my backyard every day for that whole hour and a half. That really helped me get to another level. In 2018, I got sponsored by Discraft, and after that, I got overwhelmed trying to balance two jobs. I quit the restaurant and went on tour full-time. I’ve been living off disc golf ever since.
BRO: How did people react when you said you were pursuing a career as a professional disc golfer?
Ellis: To be completely honest, I didn’t tell people for a while. If I explained that I was traveling to play tournaments, they’d just be confused or think it was a joke. Almost everybody—except for a handful of people—told me to stop playing and get a real job. One older guy told me I should quit so I could pay into his Social Security. That was in 2018. Now, I’m a major champion and get paid to play.
BRO: What’s the biggest misconception about disc golf?
Ellis: People still label it as a “hippie” sport because of the old image of people throwing frisbees on the beach. And yeah, there are casual players. But at the pro level, it’s different. In Finland, for example, there were over 10,000 spectators at the Professional Disc Golf Association World Championships. It’s a big deal.
BRO: What are some recent career highlights?
Ellis: This year’s World Championships in Finland was my best finish yet—14th place. I also won the 2023 European Open, the 2024 New Zealand National Championship, and I’m a four-time West Virginia State Doubles Champion with my dad.
BRO: Do you have a go-to disc setup?
Ellis: For putting, I use a Discraft Challenger OS. For driving, it just depends on the hole. For distance, I will use a Discraft Force. For midrange, I use a Discraft Buzzz.
BRO: Is there a player you’ve especially looked up to or learned from?
Ellis: Growing up, I watched every bit of disc golf content I could find on YouTube. Paul McBeth was a huge influence on me. Now he’s a good friend—we’ve even stayed at his house in Florida during the winter and played a couple of tournaments together.
BRO: What does your routine look like when you’re on tour?
Ellis: We’re on the road at least nine months a year, logging 35,000 miles or more, so it’s a lot of travel. Whenever we can, we cook instead of eating out. Lately, that’s meant a lot of pasta. We can make a big batch and eat on it for a couple of days. I try to keep my diet pretty clean. I don’t drink soda and stick mostly to water and coffee. But I only drink one cup of coffee before a tournament round, so I don’t get jittery. On the training side, I putt 200 to 300 times a day and do mobility exercises before every round to prevent injury. I also use a breathing technique I learned from a sports psychologist to slow my heart rate and stay calm under pressure, especially in those big moments.
BRO: What’s your favorite course to play, and why?
Ellis: I’d have to say Rotary Park in Huntington, West Virginia, because it’s where I grew up playing. With the long tees and certain pin positions, it’s not an easy course. Even though it’s one of the older courses in the state, it can still challenge a lot of players.
BRO: What’s your best tip for someone just getting into the sport?
Ellis: Remember to have fun. That’s why we all started playing, after all.
