The BEast Returns! Top Storylines & How to Watch the 2026 Waco Annual Charity Open
It’s almost time for the DGPT’s very first JomezPro Series event! Innova presents WACO powered by Legit Disc Golf, kicking off a new series where JomezPro will provide exclusive next-day post-produced coverage. Free on YouTube, the Series gives fans more opportunities to experience top-tier disc golf between DGPT Elite Series and PDGA Pro Major weekends, featuring both classic courses and exciting new venues. With the trusted JomezPro crew capturing the best shots, biggest moments, and unique stories from each stop, it’s the ultimate way to catch all the action you won’t see anywhere else.
ℹ️ Click here to view the 2026 Waco Brazos Park East Caddie Book
For decades, the Waco Annual Charity Open (WACO) has been a cornerstone of disc golf, celebrated for its rich history and enduring impact on the sport. In recent years, it has earned a reputation for challenging players’ skill and determination, particularly on the iconic Brazos Park East course. Top pros like Silva Saarinen and Ohn Scoggins in FPO, along with Calvin Heimburg and Niklas Anttila in MPO, will be ready to take on the challenge at the BEast!
JomezPro Series Points Structure
As announced at the start of the season, players will have the opportunity to earn a limited number of bonus points toward the Powerball® World Standings at each of the three JomezPro Series events held before the Powerball® Cup. The JomezPro Series Finale will not award points and will instead focus on providing a fun offseason competition opportunity for players, along with another great weekend of coverage from JomezPro.
JomezPro Series points are as follows:
- 20 Tour Points for a Win
- 10 Tour Points for a Top-5 finish
- 5 Tour Points for a Top-10 finish
WEATHER THIS WEEKEND
The 2026 Waco Annual Charity Open in Waco, Texas is set for a gradually improving weekend after a wet start. Friday looks the most active, with light rain and scattered thunderstorms likely throughout the day, NE winds up to 25 mph, and cooler highs in the low to mid 60s. Saturday trends drier but still breezy and cool, with early rain possible, NNE winds up to 20 mph, and highs in the upper 60s to low 70s. By Sunday, conditions improve noticeably with dry weather, lighter ENE winds up to 15 mph, and warmer highs in the mid to upper 70s, making it the best weather day of the tournament.
For any weather-related updates, delays, or safety information, check the DGPT Event Status Updates page.
WACO: FPO LOOKAHEAD
FPO1 Feature Card: Ohn Scoggins, Silva Saarinen, Kona Montgomery, & Emily Weatherman
Here’s a look at the top FPO storylines headed into this weekend…
1️⃣ Ohn’s Waco Standard: Always in the Mix
Ohn Scoggins keeps showing up at Waco, and the results back it up. In five career starts at the event, she has landed on the podium three times and has never slipped outside the top-10. That level of consistency lines up neatly with her 2026 campaign so far, which opened with a win and has yet to drift beyond the top five. It is a steady climb that has her sitting 2nd in the DGPT Powerball World Standings, giving her the most points of anyone in this field and turning every strong finish into a chance to pad the lead.
There is also a new streak to track. With Silva Saarinen’s run coming to a close, Scoggins now holds the longest active DGPT/Major top-10 streak at 19. She is coming off a 3rd place finish at the Kansas City Wide Open, where she led the field in C2 putting at 38%, and her season-long numbers continue to highlight why she is so tough to shake. A field-best scramble rate of 59.21% paired with being 2nd in C2 putting at 24% makes her one of the most reliable players when things get tricky. At a place where she rarely puts a foot wrong, that combination could once again turn consistency into contention.
2️⃣ Silva Looks to Recalibrate in Waco
Silva Saarinen arrives at this event with a slightly different kind of spotlight than usual. In a shortened FPO field, she is the highest-rated player at 988 and, according to DGPT season stats, leads the field in birdie percentage at 41.45%, reinforcing her reputation as one of the most dangerous scorers on Tour. She returns to a course she has only seen once before at last year’s Waco stop, where she finished 13th but led the field in C2 putting at 31% and topped strokes gained putting at +9.43, a reminder that even when the placement is not peak Silva, the scoring upside is still very real.
This time around, the narrative includes a rare dip in momentum. A 12th place finish at the Kansas City Wide Open marked her lowest result of the season and snapped an active streak of 19 straight DGPT/Major top-10 finishes, the longest such run in the field. Even with that blip, she remains firmly in the mix at 3rd in the DGPT Powerball World Standings. The early-season putting numbers have cooled compared to her 2025 dominance, but Waco has already shown what happens when that part of her game clicks. If the greens start to feel familiar again, this could be a timely reset point for one of the Tour’s most consistent podium threats.
3️⃣ Waco Winners with Something to Prove
Even in a shortened field, Waco still features a pair of past champions in Catrina Allen and Kona Montgomery, both with history on the course and something to prove. Allen, the 2019 winner, has quietly put together a steady 2026 campaign with four top-10 finishes in six starts and has exceeded her 960 rating at all but one event. Her track record in Waco is deep, with seven top-10s in nine appearances, including a win and three podiums, though last year’s missed cash stands out as an uncharacteristic stumble. Now sitting 6th in the DGPT Powerball World Standings after a 7th place finish at the Kansas City Wide Open, she is trending in the right direction. The consistency is there, and if it all syncs up, the ceiling still looks like a familiar one for the two-time World Champion.
Montgomery, the 2021 Waco winner, arrives with a bit of momentum of her own. Through four events this season, she has already recorded two top-10 finishes, surpassing her 2025 total, and is coming off a 6th place result at Jonesboro, her best finish since 2022. While she skipped the Kansas City stop, her form points upward, and Waco has been a mixed but notable venue for her, with two top-10s in five starts including that victory. Like Allen, she also missed cash here last season, adding an extra layer of motivation. Sitting 24th in the DGPT Powerball World Standings, Montgomery has a chance to turn a familiar setting into a meaningful jump, especially if she can channel the form that once carried her to the top of the podium.
WACO: MPO LOOKAHEAD
MPO1 Feature Card: Adam Hammes, Niklas Anttila, Calvin Heimburg, & Zachary Nash
Here’s a look at the top MPO storylines headed into this weekend…
1️⃣ Hammes Returns to the Scene of the Clutch
Adam Hammes returns to Waco with the kind of history that is hard to ignore. The defending champion delivered one of the most memorable finishes of last season, cashing a clutch putt on 18 to seal the win and post a 1060-rated performance, his second-best event rating of the year. That week, he caught fire with a 56% birdie rate and used the momentum to springboard into another win later in the season, finishing 2025 with two victories. His Waco resume backs it up as well, with four top-10 finishes in seven starts, including two podiums and that breakthrough win.
This time, he arrives looking to reset after a rare stumble. A 36th place finish at the Kansas City Wide Open marked his lowest result of the season, though the shortened final round leaves a bit of context to consider. Outside of that, his 2026 campaign has been steady, with four top-10s in six events and a podium at Jonesboro, placing him 6th in the DGPT Powerball World Standings after finishing 10th last year. The underlying numbers still point to scoring potential, highlighted by the 2nd best parked percentage in the field at 11.71% and a strong 34.94% C2 putting clip. Returning to a course where everything once clicked could be exactly what he needs to find that gear again.
2️⃣ Calvin Climbing Into Contention
Calvin Heimburg arrives at Waco as the highest rated player in the field at 1049, and for the first time this season, it feels like the results are catching up to the expectation. He is coming off a 2nd place finish at the Kansas City Wide Open, his first podium of the year, and a performance that hinted at a return to form. While the start to 2026 has been uncharacteristically slow by his standards, the trend line is pointing firmly upward with three straight top-5 finishes, improving each time with 5th at Champions Cup, 4th at Jonesboro, and now 2nd in Kansas City.
That recent surge has already translated into movement in the DGPT Powerball World Standings, where Heimburg now sits 4th after jumping two spots. He has not yet claimed a win at Waco, but the course has treated him well, with four top-10 finishes in six appearances, including a podium. Last season, he finished 5th while carding a notable 57% birdie rate, showing just how well his game can fit the scoring demands here. If the upward trajectory continues, this could be the week where strong history and rising form finally meet at the top.
3️⃣ New Series, Same Intensity
Waco and the BEast have a way of revealing who is ready to take the next step, and this year adds another layer with the debut of the JomezPro Series. A shortened field and a slightly different points structure might suggest a lighter touch, but that is not the expectation. If anything, this sets up as a prime opportunity. A win here means making history as the first champion of a new series, stacking momentum, and grabbing valuable bonus Tour points with the Open at Austin, a DGPT+ stop, right around the corner. The timing alone makes this event feel anything but secondary.
The list of players with something to gain is deep. Rising names like Cole Redalen and Niklas Anttila are looking to add another win to their 2026 campaigns, while proven champions such as Calvin Heimburg, Adam Hammes, Isaac Robinson, Ezra Robinson, and Mauri Villmann see a door open to get on the board this season. Then there is a group of past winners who have been waiting for a return to the spotlight, including Joey Buckets, Greg Barsby, Jesse Nieminen, Emerson Keith, Parker Welck, Jeremy Koling, Bradley Williams, and former Waco champion Colten Montgomery. Add in hungry contenders still chasing a first Tour victory like Aaron Gossage, Luke Taylor, Andrew Marwede, Raven Newsome, Paul Krans, and Chandler Kramer, and the picture sharpens quickly. Shortened field or not, this is a week where urgency meets opportunity, and no one is likely to treat it as anything less than a full-speed chase for the win.
All the action starts on Friday, May 1st! Follow live scores and stats all weekend, and catch next-day post-produced coverage from JomezPro after each round.
HOW TO WATCH THE WACO ANNUAL CHARITY OPEN:
Innova presents WACO powered by Legit Disc Golf | PDGA Event Page
Official scores, tee times, PDGA Live scoring, and round ratings can be found on the official event page on PDGA.com.
JomezPro Next-Day Lead Card Coverage
The JomezPro Series will bring YOU exclusive next-day coverage from a new set of tournaments on the Disc Golf Pro Tour. These events won’t be broadcast live on the Disc Golf Network, the only place to watch them is on JomezPro, free on YouTube!
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 DGPT and WACO team are excited to welcome spectators to Brazos Park East to watch the world’s best disc golfers compete. With no live coverage of the event, fans on site will be the first to see the action unfold as it happens! Treat yourself or a fellow fan to an unforgettable experience and catch a DGPT event up close and in person.
🗓️ Click here to view the full Waco event schedule!
Find tickets and details for this event and more at tickets.dgpt.com or click below to explore options like General Admission Passes, Fairway VIP Passes, Silver VIP Passes, Gold VIP Passes, and more.
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.
Click the button below to see winner odds, expert picks, finishing positions, and more for the 2026 Kansas City Wide Open
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
POST-PRODUCTION COVERAGE
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JomezPro will continue providing free next-day lead card coverage with chase card inclusions for the FPO and MPO divisions at all JomezPro Series, 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.
