USDGC Post Event Pulse: Barela Wins First U.S. Title, Gannon takes Throw Pink
Anthony Barela on the elevated tee of #7 at Winthrop on Championship Sunday
Anthony Barela Wins His First Major
Anthony Barela bested the field at Winthrop this weekend to earn his first Major victory of his career. Barela, who finished sixth in the Pro Tour Standings, came into the event with quality past performances, taking second in 2024. This year, he left no doubts, shooting -31 to win by four over Ricky Wysocki and Paul McBeth.
Barela shot under par all weekend, with his separating round occurring on Friday. AB shot a -10, 1083-rated round to jump up to solo third heading into the weekend. He shredded the back nine, carding seven birdies, including four in a row from holes 12 to 15. Barela backed up his hot round with consistent play throughout the weekend. His -7 final day highlighted by an eagle on 10 was enough to win the United States Disc Golf Championship.
For a rising star, his first Major win came at one of his favorite events:
“It’s honestly just a dream come true. This feels like the most prestigious tournament we have in the States every single year. This is my ninth year coming to this tournament, and every year it’s just been like a dream.
As Barela continues to become a defining part of the modern game, he remarked on competing against McBeth and Wysocki on the final day:
“To play with Paul and Ricky in that final round, I’ve been looking up to them my whole life. To have Paul drill a 100-foot putt on hole 16, it’s just crazy, and to still win the tournament, it couldn’t have gone any better.”
At the end of the day, it came down to confidence:
“I knew I was going to miss some putts today, it was way more windy than it has been, and it’s just hard to read. I was just so confident in my throwing that I knew I was going to have more chances and more putts I wasn’t really worried about anything until we got to hole 17 because I know I had to stick that island, and as soon as I stuck the island it was just a sigh of relief that I don’t think anyone could ever understand what I was feeling.”
And confidence comes from many places, including Barela’s close relationship with fellow competitor Paul Ulibarri:
“…It has just been so helpful, especially Uli, after worlds we had a long talk about like what’s going to happen [going] forward and how I should prepare for this tournament. I honestly think that helped me a lot, so shout out Uli.”
And Barela had his dad on the bag for his first Major win:
“It was just so special. He’s never seen me win in person before and having him there was an extra comfort that just really helped me get through it, just unreal, I love you dad.”
Anthony Barela captured his second win of the year, his first major, and sixth podium, adding to his impressive season. Barela posted his highest Pro Tour Standings finish of his career, placing sixth with 1,667.2 points. As a result, he will start the Tour Championship at -5, three strokes back of Gannon Buhr.
Barela’s major win continues to propel him towards the top echelon of the sport. If Barela can harness sustained consistency to complement his incredible raw talent, he will be a weekly force to reckon with in 2026.
Missy Gannon Continues Her Winning Ways
Missy Gannon won her third tournament in her last four starts and collected her second Throw Pink Women’s Disc Golf Championship* win of her career this weekend in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Gannon shot -13 to win by three strokes over Anneli Tõugjas-Männiste. This win marked Gannon’s second time winning back-to-back events this season. She took down MVP last month, and earlier in the season, Gannon won the PDGA Champions Cup and Cascade Challenge in consecutive weeks.
Missy won this event thanks to her two hot rounds on Thursday and Saturday. She opened the tournament shooting a -6 to take the one-stroke lead. Gannon shook off a tough Friday performance and made moves. She shot -10 on Saturday, and carded an impressive ten straight birdies from hole six to fifteen. Her hot round put her one stroke back going into Championship Sunday. Gannon scrapped out a -1 round, which was enough to hoist the trophy as Silva Saarinen and Anneli Tõugjas-Männiste struggled during the final round, shooting +3. Silva was still in it with a good start on the back nine, but a bogey on hole 15 and a triple bogey on 16 ended her chances. This win not only adds to Gannon’s momentum but also impacts the FPO Player of the Year conversation.
Missy Gannon reflected on her win at Winthrop:
“I am just glad it’s over, I mean, I love coming here, but man, every day just tested us. That’s what Winthrop is: it’s a mental battle. We have all the shots; we can make these shots happen, but you have to be able to keep your emotions calm and just try not to think about what’s going on. Stroke swings can happen on every single hole, and so you have to stay focused and not worry about what other people are doing and just see what happens, you know. My biggest thing is staying patient, and that’s what I had to do today. It was tough at times, and then it was okay at times; you just have to hold on tight.”
Gannon expressed her gratitude for the game and the fans:
“It’s just a testament to my experience and my gratitude for the fact that I can do this for a living. Every time I walked by people, they were chanting ‘Big Money Missy’ or ‘Let’s Go Missy’, and that’s just such a nice thing, and I appreciate all that love. I could really feel it, and so yeah, using whatever energy I could to just keep pushing.”
Gannon’s fifth win of the year firmly places her as the FPO Player of the Year, as I see it.
She has five wins, a major victory (Champions Cup), and eight podiums. Her competitors lack the number of wins and major hardware to create a convincing argument. On top of that, Gannon is going into her best event over her career and the one that landed her the nickname “Big Money Missy” as the tour comes to a close with the Tour Championship next weekend in Virginia.
Missy Gannon has won two straight times at the Tour Championship (‘23 & 24) and will play for the rare three-peat. She starts at -7, just one stroke back of Holyn Handley, and will tackle two difficult tracks: New London Tech and Ivy Hill Golf Course. If Gannon continues her high level of consistent play, she will three-peat, live up to her nickname, and cement her second straight DGPT Player of the Year award.
Ricky Wysocki’s Hot Round
Ricky Wysocki was four strokes away from ending his winless streak, but unfortunately, his hot round on Friday wasn’t enough. Ricky scorched the course in round two. He started the round -11 through 11 holes, with an eagle on hole ten. Wysocki continued to battle windy conditions and finished his hot round at -13. Ricky’s 51, -13, 1102-rated round tied the Winthrop Gold course record.
Wysocki battled all weekend, pushing for his first win of the year. He shot -2 and -6 on Saturday and Sunday to finish at -27 in a tie for second with Paul McBeth. Winning on tour comes down to consistency and late-round execution. Wysocki is already a proven winner and one of the best chasers on tour. If he can find consistency and get hot on the final day, he will have a chance at the win in Virginia.
Ricky Wysocki’s 14-year Elite Series/Major win streak is at stake this weekend at the Pro Tour Championships. This is his last chance to get a win and extend the streak to 15 years. Ricky is a two-time Pro Tour Champion and had success in 2024 at these courses, finishing sixth at Worlds.
Anneli Tõugjas-Männiste Ends Her Season in Style, Takes Second Place
Anneli Tõugjas-Männiste garnered her best finish of the year, placing second at the Throw Pink Women’s Disc Golf Championship. Tõugjas-Männiste’s -7 moving day vaulted her into the lead and ultimately earned her second.
Tõugjas-Männiste held the lead over Friday and Saturday, heading into Championship Sunday with a one-stroke advantage over Gannon. Unfortunately for Anneli, she couldn’t keep Saturday’s momentum and struggled on the green, resulting in 14 pars overall and a couple of bogeys on the back nine that dashed her chances at a win. Despite the end result not being what she wanted, she showcased her complete game and ability to battle at the top.
Anneli captured two podiums, four top-fives, and six top-ten finishes this season. Her previous best finish was third place at the Turku Open in Finland. Tõugjas-Männiste will look to harness this momentum heading into the offseason as she can reflect on a great 2025 and prepare for the 2026 season.
Eva Lutsenko, Youngest Player to Qualify and Play in Throw Pink
Eva Lutsenko, a 12-year-old disc golf phenom from Spartanburg, South Carolina battled Monday Qualifying to earn her spot in the main event. Eva is the youngest player ever to qualify for Throw Pink. Lutsenko finished second in the qualifying field with a score of +3. She finished the event in a tie for 33rd with a field of 55 competitors. Lutsenko put together her best round on Saturday, shooting even par and collecting five birdies on the day.
Lutsenko is no stranger to the spotlight. She has won back-to-back Junior World Championships in the FJ12 division as well as consecutive US Women’s titles, all four in 2024 and 2025.
Eva is furthering the narrative of the strong movement of youth talent in the FPO field. Earlier this season 15-year-old Ida Lehtomäki earned second place at the World Championships, and at 22, Silva Saarinen has made a name for herself as a rising star with four wins and a major title in 2025. The future of FPO is bright, and we should all tip our caps to the veterans who have inspired this generation of disc golf talent.
*Note: The USDGC and Throw Pink Women’s Disc Golf Championship take place concurrently at the Winthrop arena each year, but they are sanctioned separately by the PDGA, and neither event awards points towards the DGPT World Standings. The USDGC is a PDGA Pro Major, and the Throw Pink Women’s Disc Golf Championship is a PDGA A-Tier. The USWDGC (the official FPO U.S. Championship) is a separate event that takes place earlier in the season each year.
