The Quest for Worlds! Top Storylines & How to Watch the 2026 PDGA Pro World Championships

DGPT DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP: FPO LOOKAHEAD

• FPO1 Feature Card: Catrina Allen + Silva Saarinen (Team Allen/Saarinen) and Paige Pierce + Missy Gannon (Team GOAT Money)
  
• FPO2 Feature Card: Ella Hansen + Raven Klein (Team Causing a Rivka) and Kat Mertsch + Chandler Reign (Team KatDawg)
  

The 2026 Doubles Championship at the Preserve features 20 FPO teams with plenty of experience spread throughout the field. Eleven teams feature at least one M/ES champion, but only two teams have both players as M/ES champions, and both of those teams also feature two former Preserve champions. There are also some fun connections throughout the field. Three teams feature players from the same state and city, while two teams are made up of sisters: Team “Mandujano’s” with Alexis and Valerie Mandujano, and “Team Kohut” with Peyton and Kylie Kahut. Perhaps the most interesting coincidence is that both pairs of sisters have PDGA numbers just one number apart from each other.

Here’s a look at the top FPO storylines headed into this weekend…

1️⃣ A Proven Duo at the Preserve

Silva Saarinen and Catrina Allen, Team Allen/Saarinen, enter the 2026 Doubles Championship at the Preserve as the highest-ranked FPO team by average DGPT Powerball World Standings, combining for an average ranking of 4.5. Saarinen is currently 2nd in the standings and rated 991, while Allen sits 7th and is rated 968, giving them a combined average rating of 979.5. They are also the only FPO team with both players inside the DGPT top 10. Both know what it takes to win at the Preserve, with Saarinen claiming the 2025 title and Allen winning in 2023. Saarinen’s victory last season was her first DGPT win in the United States, and she led the field in birdie rate at 46% and strokes gained putting at 8.25.

Both players bring strong 2026 résumés into the weekend. Saarinen has collected six podiums, including three Tour wins, while Allen has two podiums, giving the duo an average podium finish of 4th this season. Allen enters after consecutive 3rd-place finishes at Ledgestone and the Discmania Challenge, while Saarinen is coming off a 7th-place finish at Ledgestone following back-to-back Tour victories. Their scoring potential is further highlighted by the DGPT season stats, with Saarinen ranking 2nd in parked percentage and 5th in scramble rate, while Allen ranks 6th in parked percentage and 7th in scramble rate. With two former Preserve champions bringing elite tee-to-green positioning and recovery ability, this team has both the experience and scoring potential to be one of the favorites.

2️⃣ Can Goat Money Cash In?

Missy Gannon and Paige Pierce have the résumé to match their Team Goat Money name. The duo combines for $778,047 in M/ES career earnings, the most of any FPO team in the field, with Gannon ($409,377) and Pierce ($368,670) ranking No. 1 and No. 2 individually in that category. They are also the only other team that brings Preserve titles between them (3), with Gannon winning in 2024 and Pierce claiming the event in both 2020 and 2021. Their average DGPT Powerball World Standing is 11th, the third-best mark in the field, with Gannon currently 4th and Pierce 18th, while their combined average rating is 974.5 (Gannon 986, Pierce 963).

Their 2026 seasons have been a bit different, but both enter with plenty to prove. Gannon has one Tour podium and remains winless, but has remarkably yet to finish outside the top 8 this season, while Pierce has two top-10 finishes, including a season-best 8th place. Pierce is coming off an 18th-place finish at the Discmania Challenge, her best result since the Northwest Championship, while Gannon finished 4th at DMC. Gannon also leads the FPO field in C1 putting this season, a skill that could pair especially well with Pierce’s power off the tee. With Gannon’s putting, Pierce’s distance, and three Preserve titles between them, Goat Money has plenty of tools to make a run.

3️⃣ California Girls Bring the Game

Ohn Scoggins and Taylor Chocek enter as the second-highest ranked FPO team by average DGPT Powerball World Standing, at 9.5, with Scoggins ranked 3rd and Chocek 16th. However, they are also the most imbalanced team by PDGA rating, with Scoggins rated 989 and Chocek 945, a 44-point difference that gives them a 967 average. Scoggins brings plenty of doubles experience, having won the 2023 and 2024 PDGA Worlds Mixed Doubles Championships alongside Joel Freeman. She also enters with six podiums, including two wins, and has yet to finish outside the top 10 in 2026, extending her active top-10 streak to 25 events.

Chocek has also put together a solid season with three top-10 finishes, including a podium, giving this duo plenty of scoring potential despite their rating gap. Scoggins is coming off her worst finish of 2026 at DMC, 10th place, while Chocek finished 24th. At the Preserve last year, Scoggins finished 7th while leading the field in C2 putting at 33%, while Chocek finished 26th. According to DGPT season stats, Scoggins leads the field in both C2 putting at 27.38% and scramble rate at 47.33%, while Chocek ranks 2nd in C1X putting and 6th in scramble rate, giving California Girls two players capable of cleaning up difficult situations around the green and fairway.

DGPT DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP: MPO LOOKAHEAD

• MPO1 Feature Card: Gannon Buhr + Calvin Heimburg (Team HeimBuhrg) and Simon Lizotte + Eagle McMahon (Team Crush Boys)
• MPO2 Feature Card: Isaac Robinson + Ezra Robinson (Team Robinson Bros) and Ricky Wysocki + Adam Hammes (Team Wysocki/Hammes)

Here’s a look at the top MPO storylines headed into this weekend…

1️⃣ The Team to Beat: HeimBuhrg

Gannon Buhr and Calvin Heimburg, better known as Team HeimBuhrg, enter the Preserve as perhaps the most intimidating MPO duo in the field. Their combined average DGPT Powerball World Standing is 2, with Buhr ranked 1st and Heimburg 3rd, while their 1057 average rating is also the highest in the field (Buhr 1062, Heimburg 1052). Another standout stat is their best shot strokes gained (SG) total of 12.73, nearly 2.5 strokes better than the next closest team, Wysocki/Hammes at 10.11. Even in Alternate Shot, where their SG total drops to 6.36, they still lead the field by a wide margin.

The duo’s 2026 résumés are equally impressive. Buhr has collected 11 podiums, including six wins, while Heimburg has five podiums, including one victory, meaning the pair has combined to win 7 of the 15 M/ES events played this season. Buhr is coming off a 2nd-place finish at the Discmania Challenge, while Heimburg finished 6th. Buhr also enters the Preserve with a perfect top-10 record in five appearances, including last year’s dominant 11-stroke victory at -42, when he led the field with a 76% birdie rate. Heimburg finished T6th in that event. According to DGPT season stats, the two are collectively inside the top 10 in every tracked category, from fairway hits and parked percentage to C1 and C2 putting, making HeimBuhrg a team that seemingly has no obvious weakness.

2️⃣ Wysocki and Hammes Bring Elite Balance

Ricky Wysocki and Adam Hammes enter the Preserve as the second-highest rated team in the MPO field, combining for a 1046 average rating (Wysocki 1053, Hammes 1039). Their average DGPT Powerball World Standing of 3.5 is also second-best in the field, with Wysocki ranked 3rd and Hammes 5th. They also lead all teams in combined C2 putting at 37.2%, while both bring elite tee-to-green games that make them dangerous from virtually anywhere on the course. In the Round 3 Alternate Shot format, their total strokes gained drops from 10.11 to 5.05, roughly the expected 50% reduction, but their strength remains in having two genuinely elite players rather than relying on one player to carry the team.

The Preserve has historically been one of Wysocki’s best venues. Excluding his first appearance, he has finished 1st, 2nd, 1st and 1st, although he settled for 8th at last year’s event. Hammes finished T17th in 2025, giving him an opportunity to improve on that result alongside one of the course’s most successful players. Wysocki enters with five podiums, including two wins, while Hammes has three podiums this season, although both are looking to bounce back from their most recent results at DMC, where Wysocki finished 14th and Hammes 12th. Their individual season stats further highlight the team’s balance, with Hammes ranking 1st in parked percentage, while Wysocki ranks 2nd in scramble rate and 3rd in C2 putting, meaning even when they miss their intended lines, they have the short game to keep scoring.

3️⃣ The Robinson Bros: Hunting for a Win

Isaac Robinson and Ezra Robinson bring both experience and sibling chemistry to the Preserve as Team Robinson Bros. The brothers have combined for seven career Tour wins, with Isaac holding five and Ezra two, although both remain winless in 2026. They have still shown plenty of contention this season, with Isaac collecting three podiums and Ezra two, while their 1041 average rating (Isaac 1048, Ezra 1034) ranks third in the field. Their average DGPT Powerball World Standing is 8.5, with Isaac ranked 4th and Ezra 13th.

The brothers are coming off mixed results at the Discmania Challenge, with Isaac finishing 14th and Ezra 26th, but the Preserve offers a fresh opportunity. Neither played the event last season, so they will be experiencing the current Preserve layout together for the first time. With seven career wins between them and both still searching for their first victory of 2026, there may be no better opportunity for the Robinson Bros to find that winning form together.

All the action starts on Friday, August 14th! Tune in to the Disc Golf Network and catch post-pro coverage from JomezPro all weekend.

PDGA PRO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS PRESS CONFERENCE:

Watch the PDGA Pro World Championships Press Conference on Disc Golf Network or the DGPT YouTube channel. Hear from defending World champions Gannon Buhr and Ohn Scoggins, recent Tour winners Ricky Wysocki and Silva Saarinen, 6x World Champion Paul McBeth, Tournament Director Nate Heinold, and more as they preview the biggest PDGA Pro Major of the season!

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