The Final Chapter Begins! Top Storylines & How to Watch the 2026 Powerball Cup
The 2026 Disc Golf Pro Tour season is down to its final chapter. This weekend, the world’s best players will descend on Ivy Hill in Lynchburg, Virginia, for the Powerball® Cup, competing for the title of DGPT Champion and a record-setting $350,000 purse. After a full season of battles, breakthroughs, and points races, it all comes down to one final weekend, with history and the biggest payday in DGPT history on the line.
ℹ️ Click here to view the 2026 Powerball Cup – Ivy Hill Caddie Book
The action will unfold at Ivy Hill Disc Golf Course, where open and wooded holes, elevation changes, and a mix of technical and attacking lines will put every part of a player’s game to the test. The course demands precision off the tee, creativity around the greens, and the ability to manage risk throughout the round. With starting strokes giving players an advantage based on their position in the DGPT World Standings, every shot at Ivy Hill could have an impact on who leaves Lynchburg as the 2026 DGPT Champion.
THE ADVANTAGE IS EARNED
The Powerball® Cup brings together the best players from the 2026 DGPT season, with the field consisting of the top 18 FPO players and top 28 MPO players in the DGPT Powerball World Standings, plus the top two FPO and top four MPO finishers at the MVP Open who finished outside the standings cut line. Players will begin the championship with starting strokes based on their position in the standings, rewarding season-long performance with a competitive advantage heading into the final event. For 2026, the starting-stroke spread has been tightened by one stroke, with the top MPO player starting at -7 and the top FPO player at -6.
Learn more about the Powerball Cup format, field, and what’s at stake in our latest article.
WEATHER THIS WEEKEND
POWERBALL CUP: FPO LOOKAHEAD
- FPO1 Feature Card: Ohn Scoggins, Holyn Handley, Silva Saarinen, & Missy Gannon
- FPO2 Feature Card: Eveliina Salonen, Ella Hansen, Catrina Allen, & Rebecca Don
1️⃣ Holyn Handley Looks to Go Back-to-Back
Holyn Handley enters the 2026 Powerball Cup as the defending champion, and she could hardly arrive with more momentum. Handley is fresh off her second Throw Pink Women’s Disc Golf Championship victory at Winthrop, where she posted a 1011 event rating, the second-highest-rated event of her career. That win also capped a season that has included 10 Tour event podiums and two victories, at the Big Easy Open and OTB Open. After finishing second in the DGPT Powerball World Standings, Handley will start the finale with a five-stroke advantage, trailing only Ohn Scoggins, who earned the top starting position.
Handley has already shown exactly how valuable that starting advantage can be. She entered last year’s season finale ranked first in the standings and started with the maximum advantage before going on to win by four strokes. She also produced the hot round of the weekend on Championship Sunday with a -7 at Ivy Hill which currently stands as the course record. At the same event, she led the field in fairway hit percentage, and then finished out the season by winning the Match Play Championship. Her two Tour wins came earlier this season, but Handley has developed a habit of saving some of her best disc golf for the final stretch.
Now, she has a chance to make even more history. A second consecutive victory would make Handley just the second player to win back-to-back Tour Championships, joining Missy Gannon, who accomplished the feat in 2023 and 2024. With a five-stroke head start, a recent win at Winthrop, and a proven ability to deliver when the season is on the line, Handley has positioned herself for another run at the title and the largest purse in DGPT history.
2️⃣ Season Win Streaks & Career Records at Stake
The 2026 Powerball Cup will make history with a $50,000 first prize, the largest in FPO history, surpassing the $40,000 Missy Gannon won in 2023. The projected $350,000 total purse is also the largest in disc golf history, raising the stakes for a field chasing titles and career milestones.
Gannon enters as the No. 4 seed with a four-stroke starting advantage and a chance to add to her Tour Championship legacy. A three-time champion in 2021, 2023 and 2024, she has earned $125,850 across seven appearances and leads FPO in career earnings with $484,520. But Paige Pierce sits just $6,517 behind her, while Ohn Scoggins trails by $39,342. With $50,000 going to the winner, the career earnings leaderboard could change significantly this weekend.
Both Gannon and Pierce are also fighting to preserve their Tour event win streaks. Gannon has won at least one Tour event every year since 2021, while Pierce’s streak dates back to 2011. Neither has won a Tour event in 2026, making this their final opportunity to keep those runs alive. Pierce finished second last year and led the field in C2 putting, but enters this time as the No. 17 seed with no starting-stroke advantage. For both, the finale offers a chance to preserve a remarkable streak while chasing the biggest FPO payday ever.
3️⃣ A Deep Field: New Faces & Familiar Champions
Ohn Scoggins enters the Powerball Cup as the No. 1 seed for the first time in her career, earning a six-stroke starting advantage after finishing third in 2025. She arrives with nine Tour event podiums and four victories this season, the most Tour wins in a single year of her career. Scoggins has also earned $60,600 across Tour Championship appearances without a victory, the most in the field among players still seeking their first title. After finishing seventh last year, including a combined five-over-par across her two Ivy Hill rounds, she will look to turn her best starting position into a championship.
European stars Silva Saarinen and Eveliina Salonen also enter with strong Player of the Year cases. Saarinen is the No. 3 seed with a four-stroke advantage, while Salonen starts fifth with three strokes. Both players have won five Tour events this season, the most in a single year for either player, and each captured two of the four PDGA Pro Majors in 2026. Saarinen finished third in last year’s finale, while Salonen placed fifth despite leading the field in birdie percentage, parked percentage and strokes gained tee-to-green. Both have a chance to cap historic seasons with another major performance.
The field also blends proven champions with new faces. Since the DGPT began in 2016, only Catrina Allen, with two titles, and Missy Gannon, with three, have won the season finale multiple times. Allen, however, has not finished in the top 10 since 2022. Meanwhile, five players will make their Tour Championship debuts, including wild-card qualifiers Matilda Ringbom and Anneli Tõugjas-Männiste. Nine of the 20 competitors have won a 2026 Major or Elite Series event, matching last year’s 45% share and setting up a finale with plenty of proven talent and breakthrough potential.
POWERBALL CUP: MPO LOOKAHEAD
- MPO1 Feature Card: Gannon Buhr, Ricky Wysocki, Calvin Heimburg, & Adam Hammes
- MPO2 Feature Card: Isaac Robinson, Niklas Anttila, Sullivan Tipton, & Anthony Barela
1️⃣ Can Heimburg Go Back-to-Back at Ivy Hill?
Calvin Heimburg returns to Ivy Hill as the defending Powerball Cup champion, fresh off a dramatic victory at the 2026 USDGC. The win marked the second PDGA Pro Major title of his career and his first on U.S. soil, with Heimburg leading the field in birdie rate, parked percentage and strokes gained tee-to-green. He now has a chance to carry that momentum straight into the season finale, where he enters as the No. 3 seed in the DGPT Powerball World Standings with a five-stroke starting advantage. That is two strokes fewer than Gannon Buhr, the top seed, but Heimburg has already shown this season that a deficit against the world’s top-ranked player is far from insurmountable.
Two of Heimburg’s six podium finishes this season have been victories, at the OTB Open and USDGC, and both came after back-and-forth battles with Buhr. In each, Heimburg delivered a clutch putting performance down the stretch to secure the win. He also knows what it takes to finish the job at Ivy Hill: his three-stroke victory in 2025 was the largest winning margin at the Tour Championship since Paul McBeth also won by three strokes in 2016, and Heimburg led the field in C2 putting. With a Major win fresh in his memory and a Tour Championship title to defend, Heimburg has a chance to close the season with another statement against the field, and against the world’s No. 1.
2️⃣ Championship History Runs Deep
Seven of the past 10 Tour Championship titles belong to players in this year’s field, with Ricky Wysocki leading the way with three, Chris Dickerson with two, and Gannon Buhr and Calvin Heimburg with one each. The only champions from that stretch not returning are Paul McBeth, Kevin Jones and Nathan Queen. McBeth’s absence is particularly notable, as this marks the first time in his career he has not qualified for the season finale, although his limited schedule this season played a major role.
No player has more Tour Championship success in this year’s field than Wysocki, who owns three victories, five podiums and nine appearances, tied with Dickerson for the most appearances. His 10th-place finish last year was actually his worst result at the event. Now the No. 2 seed with a six-stroke starting advantage, Wysocki enters after a frustrating runner-up finish at USDGC, where a strong final round was undone by a few unfortunate rollaways. He also showed last season that a slow start at Ivy Hill does not have to define his week, battling back from an opening round of +9 to finish 10th by playing some of his best golf over the final two rounds. With four Tour wins and seven podiums already this season, Wysocki has another opportunity to add to an already remarkable Tour Championship legacy.
3️⃣ A Few Spots, a Lot of Opportunity
Six players will make their Powerball Cup debuts this season: Zach Arlinghaus, Silas Schultz, Jake Monn, Zachary Nash, Fritiof Fagergren and Jaden Rye. Four players also entered the field through wild cards, including Arlinghaus and Fagergren, as well as Ezra Aderhold and Mason Ford, giving several newcomers a chance to make their mark at the biggest event of their seasons. Meanwhile, Isaac Robinson arrives with a different kind of history. In four previous Tour Championship appearances, he has never finished outside the top four, with results of 2nd, 4th, 4th and 2nd. He also shares the Ivy Hill course record of -12 with Evan Smith, with both players shooting it in Round 3 last year. The only thing missing from Robinson’s impressive Tour Championship resume is a victory.
The race to simply reach the finale was just as compelling. Corey Ellis was the only player to move into qualifying position after the MVP Open, climbing five spots to 27th and securing his place inside the Top 28. Paul Ulibarri and Evan Smith, meanwhile, entered the finale among the final qualifiers, both benefiting from their Tour victories and the guaranteed spots that came with them. Their presence is a reminder of just how competitive the season-long race can be, with every ranking position carrying real weight as the field narrows for the final event of the year.
All the action starts on Thursday, October 15th! Tune in to the Disc Golf Network and catch post-pro coverage from JomezPro all weekend.
HOW TO WATCH THE POWERBALL CUP:
2026 DGPT Powerball Cup | PDGA Event Page
Official scores, tee times, PDGA Live scoring, and round ratings can be found on the official event page on PDGA.com.
DISC GOLF NETWORK BROADCAST TIMES
Live daily broadcasts from Thursday 10/15 – Sunday 10/18
- FPO Coverage begins with Tournament Central at 9:30 am EDT / 8:30 am CDT / 6:30 am PDT / 4:30 pm EEST
- MPO Coverage begins with Tournament Central at 2:30 pm EDT / 1:30 pm CDT / 11:30 am PDT / 9:30 pm EEST
WATCH THE FIRST HOUR FREE ON YOUTUBE THIS YEAR!
As announced at the start of the season, thanks to our new partnership with Powerball, fans can watch even more disc golf for free this season! The first hour of every round will stream free on YouTube, and full Round 1 coverage is still available at no cost on Disc Golf Network. Fans can simply create a free account at www.discgolfnetwork.com and select DGN Free from the list of available options to enjoy complete round one coverage without having to enter payment information.
LIVE SCORES AND STATS
Live scores and stats will also be available on both the DGPT website and on PDGA Live all weekend.
WATCH THE PROS IN PERSON!
The 2026 Disc Golf Pro Tour Championship enters a new era as the Powerball® Cup, the season finale hosted at the Ivy Hill Disc Golf Course in Forest, Virginia. The DGPT, Bedford County, and the city of Lynchburg are excited to invite spectators to Ivy Hill to watch the top disc golfers in the world compete for a title!
🗓️ Click here to view the full Powerball Cup event schedule!
Treat yourself or a fellow fan to an unforgettable experience and watch the world’s best compete at a DGPT event near you! Find tickets and event details at tickets.dgpt.com, or click below to explore options including General Admission, Fairway VIP, Silver VIP, Gold VIP, and more. Discounted Early Bird tickets are also available for all 2027 U.S. events while supplies last!
POWERBALL CUP PRESS CONFERENCE:
Watch the Powerball Cup Press Conference on Disc Golf Network or the DGPT YouTube channel. Hear from defending champions and recent Tour winners Calvin Heimburg and Holyn Handley, DGPT points champions Gannon Buhr and Ohn Scoggins, Tour Director Jeff Spring, and more as they preview the season finale.
DGPT BETTING & DAILY FANTASY GUIDE: GAMING OPPORTUNITIES THIS WEEK
Your picks are waiting! Disc golf fans now have the opportunity to engage in various gaming opportunities, including Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) and regulated sports wagering. Check out NXTbet’s event analysis for the top bets and picks ahead of the weekend.
WHERE TO BET ON DGPT
Fans can visit nxtbets.com/playdgpt to view available gaming opportunities in their location and learn more about how to play DFS & Legal Sports Betting on DGPT events. Regulatory approval at the state level is required to offer gaming in each jurisdiction, and additional states will be added as approvals are secured.
In addition to exploring currently available opportunities, fans can read more about how to wager on the Disc Golf Pro Tour in NXTbets.com’s ultimate how-to guide. This educational resource provides information on how to research and choose a gaming platform or sportsbook, overviews the different kinds of wagering options available, explains how odds work in disc golf, and offers strategies for successful wagering.
Remember: The Disc Golf Pro Tour has strict rules governing who can and cannot bet on professional disc golf. Tour and tournament staff, volunteers, rules officials, and players are explicitly prohibited from participating in wagering. These rules help maintain the integrity of the game and ensure a safe, regulated betting environment for both fans and players. Additionally, the DGPT partners closely with IC360, a leading sports betting integrity and compliance organization that continuously monitors and analyzes betting activity across multiple platforms to detect potential abuse. To learn more about the DGPT’s gambling policy and safeguards, read the official announcement and visit dgpt.com/rules for the full policy.
DFS: Must be 18+ (19+ in AL, NE; 19+ in CO for some games; 21+ in AZ, MA, and VA) and present in a state where Underdog Fantasy operates. Terms apply. Concerned with your play? Call 1-800-MY-RESET or 1-800-GAMBLER or visit www.ncpgambling.org. NY: Call the 24/7 HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY or Text HOPENY (467369).
Sportsbetting: 21+ Please refer to Affiliated Operators’ T&C. Void where prohibited. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
LIVE COVERAGE
Disc Golf Network | Subscribe
The Disc Golf Network (DGN) is the home of live disc golf. The DGN is a subscription streaming and on-demand platform built by the Disc Golf Pro Tour. Covering the world’s best players competing in the sport’s most elite tournaments. For more information on Disc Golf Network offerings, check out this article → Check out the Disc Golf Pro Tour’s 2026 live media plan.
👉 What are the subscription tiers offered by the Disc Golf Network?
👉 Active PDGA members receive a discount on their monthly DGN subscription
👉 How to upgrade or downgrade your Disc Golf Network subscription
POST-PRODUCTION COVERAGE
JomezPro | Subscribe
JomezPro will continue providing free next-day lead card coverage with chase card inclusions for the FPO and MPO divisions at all DGPT (U.S.) and PDGA Pro Major events. At the European Open and the USDGC, post-pro coverage will first be available to DGN Pro subscribers (next-day) before being made available to DGN Standard subscribers and YouTube subscribers later.
