The 2026 PDGA European Open ushered in a new era for one of disc golf’s most prestigious championships as the event made its debut at Tallinn’s iconic Song Festival Grounds in Estonia. Building on the momentum of last year’s European Disc Golf Festival, players and fans were once again treated to packed crowds, a festival atmosphere, and one of the most electric settings in the sport. The Rockstar course provided a demanding test of skill with its blend of open fairways, wooded sections, elevation changes, and strategic scoring opportunities, creating the perfect stage for a week filled with standout performances. From Major champions adding to their legacies and rising stars breaking through on one of the sport’s biggest stages, to dramatic leaderboard battles and memorable moments throughout the field, the European Open once again delivered a championship worthy of its reputation.
Here are some of the top storylines and biggest shots from an unforgettable week in Estonia…
1) The Gannon Buhr Show Continues
Gannon Buhr continues to redefine what dominance looks like in professional disc golf. At just 21 years old, Buhr captured the 2026 PDGA European Open for his fifth career PDGA Pro Major title, fifth Tour victory of the season, and 24th career Tour win. The victory was never really in doubt, as Buhr grabbed the lead in the opening round and never relinquished it, carrying a commanding nine-stroke advantage into Championship Sunday before ultimately winning by four.
The foundation was laid early with an 11-under opening round that featured a perfect 15-for-15 performance inside C1. He only tightened his grip on the tournament from there, highlighted by a scorching 12-under round in Round 3 that tied Teemu Lampainen for the hot round of the weekend and established a new course record on The Rockstar layout at Tallinn Song Festival Grounds. By the end of the tournament, Buhr led the field in birdie percentage (63%), parked percentage (17%), C1 in regulation (57%), C2 in regulation (76%), and strokes gained tee-to-green (33.32), putting together one of the most statistically dominant performances of the season.
At this point, the conversation around Buhr continues to shift from season dominance to historical greatness. He now owns eight podium finishes and five victories through ten Tour events in 2026, with just one finish outside the top four all season. The European Open further extended his lead atop the DGPT Powerball World Standings, where he now holds a staggering 524-point advantage over second place. The win also gives Buhr his third career season with five or more Tour victories, tying Ricky Wysocki for the second-most such seasons in Tour history behind only Paul McBeth’s five. With half the season still ahead, the 21-year-old continues to chase not only another Player of the Year award, but a place among the most dominant single-season performances the sport has ever witnessed.
2) Eveliina Salonen’s Fifth Major Title
Eveliina Salonen added another major chapter to her already impressive resume at the 2026 European Open, capturing her fifth PDGA Pro Major title and 10th career Tour victory. The win marks her second Tour victory of the 2026 season, following her triumph at the Kansas City Wide Open, and serves as another reminder of just how dangerous the Finnish star is on the sport’s biggest stages. Remarkably, in 23 career PDGA Pro Major appearances, Salonen has finished outside the top 10 only three times while collecting eight podium finishes.
Salonen’s victory was built on elite play from start to finish. She led the field in birdie percentage at 46%, strokes gained tee-to-green at 28.08, and C1 in regulation at 47%, consistently giving herself scoring opportunities throughout the weekend. She wasted no time taking control either, opening the tournament with the hot round of the event at 9-under, highlighted by an eagle on the 738-foot par 5 Hole 11, one of only three eagles carded all weekend. During that round, she posted a 56% birdie rate, went a perfect 17-for-17 inside C1, converted her lone C2 attempt, and gained an impressive 9.38 strokes tee-to-green. When Championship Sunday arrived, Salonen delivered once again, matching her opening score with another 9-under round fueled by a 56% birdie rate, an 86% fairway hit percentage, and a field-leading 92% C1X putting performance. The victory not only secured her fifth Major title, but also propelled her up eight spots in the DGPT Powerball World Standings to 6th place, putting her firmly back in the conversation as the season enters its next stretch.
3) Wysocki’s Sunday Charge Falls Just Short
For the third time this season, the spotlight found its way back to a familiar rivalry as Ricky Wysocki and Gannon Buhr once again finished atop the leaderboard. While Buhr ultimately controlled the tournament from start to finish, Wysocki proved to be the only player capable of applying any real pressure down the stretch. The six-time Major champion finished solo 2nd at 32-under, securing his fourth Tour podium of the season to go along with his victory at the season-opening Supreme Flight Open. Remarkably, Wysocki’s European Open performance adds to one of the most impressive Major resumes in the sport, as he has now podiumed in 25 of the 49 PDGA Pro Majors he has played, including six victories.
Wysocki’s week began with a strong 10-under opening round that left him just one stroke behind Buhr heading into Round 2. While consecutive 6-under rounds in the middle of the tournament allowed Buhr to build separation, Wysocki refused to go away quietly. He closed with the hottest round of Championship Sunday at 10-under, trimming Buhr’s nine-stroke overnight lead down to four by the final putt. Along the way, he led the field in C2 putting at 73%, converting eight of eleven attempts, and put on a final-round putting clinic by going a perfect 3-for-3 from C2. He also finished second in the field in birdie percentage at 60%, trailing only Buhr.
Although the comeback ultimately fell short, Wysocki’s performance once again demonstrated why he remains one of the sport’s most consistent contenders on the biggest stages. He finished four strokes behind Buhr but an impressive nine strokes clear of third place, showing just how far ahead the top two were from the rest of the field. With a minor rib issue worth monitoring as the European swing continues, Wysocki still exits Estonia firmly in 2nd place in the DGPT Powerball World Standings, with another major podium adding to an already impressive 2026 campaign.
4) Julia Fors’ Breakthrough Major Podium
One of the biggest breakout performances of the European Open came from Julia Fors, the young Swedish standout from Kungsbacka, who secured the first Tour podium of her career with a runner-up finish. Despite competing in just nine Tour events since making her debut in June 2024, all of them in Europe, Fors has steadily climbed the ranks, and this weekend felt like a glimpse of what may be ahead. Prior to the European Open, her best Tour finishes were a pair of 8th-place results at the 2025 PCS Open and 2025 Ale Open. Now, she can add a PDGA Pro Major podium finish to her growing resume.
Fors put herself in contention with a spectacular Moving Day performance, firing the hot round of Round 3 at 8-under to move within a stroke of the lead heading into Championship Sunday. During that round, she led the field with a 50% birdie rate, went a perfect 15-for-15 inside C1, and gained 5.37 strokes with her putting. Her consistency throughout the week was just as impressive. By tournament’s end, Fors was one of only two players, alongside Kristýna Jurčíková, to finish with just 10 bogeys, the fewest in the field. She also tied Henna Blomroos for the fewest OB strokes at six and led the entire field in C1X putting strokes gained at 7.87. With the EuroTour swing now underway, the European Open may prove to be the breakthrough moment that launches Fors from promising young talent to legitimate title contender.
5) Big Names & Breakthroughs Fill Out MPO Top-10 in Portland
The European Open week was about more than just crowning Major champions. The festivities began with the 2026 Presidents Cup, where Team USA captured its 14th Presidents Cup title, continuing its long-standing success in one of disc golf’s premier international team competitions. Once the action shifted to the European Open itself, several players across both divisions put together noteworthy performances beyond the tournament’s headline winners.
While the European Open crowns its champions, it also has a way of shining a spotlight on some of the sport’s rising stars and most consistent performers. In FPO, Czech Republic native Kristýna Jurčíková delivered one of the breakout performances of the weekend, finishing 3rd in just her fifth career Tour event and second PDGA Pro Major. Not only did it mark her first top-10 finish, but also her first career podium. Elsewhere, Ella Hansen continued her strong run with a fourth consecutive top-10 finish in 4th place, while Missy Gannon once again showcased her trademark consistency with another top-5 result. Finnish standout Iida Lehtomäki also continued an impressive season, securing her second top-10 finish in a PDGA Pro Major this year after previously finishing 5th at the Champions Cup.
The MPO field featured plenty of notable storylines as well. Gavin Babcock continued the best stretch of his career, earning his second podium finish of the season in 3rd place and climbing five spots to 8th in the DGPT Powerball World Standings. Including the Cascade Challenge, he has now recorded four consecutive top-10 finishes and continues to trend toward a potential breakthrough victory. European fans also had plenty to cheer for as Finland’s Teemu Lampainen secured his first career Tour podium in just his 17th Tour start, pairing a 3rd-place finish with a field-leading 86% fairway hit rate. Eagle McMahon remains one of the hottest players on Tour with his third consecutive top-5 finish, while Calvin Heimburg continued his remarkably steady season with another 5th-place finish, giving him six top-10s in his last seven Tour events. Together, these performances helped round out a European Open filled with both established contenders and emerging stars making their mark on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
BONUS) Ace Alert: Keiti Tätte Finds the Chains at Estonia!
Keiti Tätte carded an ace in the opening round of the European Open, parking her tee shot on the 328-foot, par-3 8th hole straight into the basket! She went on to finish the tournament in 25th place.
Editor’s Note: Tour events include DGPT Elite Series, DGPT+, DGPT Playoff, and PDGA Pro Major events.