The OTB Open presented by MVP Disc Sports officially returned to Stockton for its debut as a DGPT+ event, pushing the world’s best through four grueling rounds of shifting winds, punishing OB, and nonstop lead card movement. Crucially, the tournament continued an unbelievable trend of drama on Tour, delivering consecutive playoff finishes following Paul Ulibarri’s historic victory at the Open at Austin. With Calvin Heimburg and Gannon Buhr matching that intensity by trading blows down the stretch and hitting insane highlights just to stay alive, the competitive fire on tour right now is unmatched. Here are some of the top storylines and biggest shots from an unforgettable week at the OTB Open…

1) Vinny is Back: Heimburg Puts the “OT” in OTB

Calvin Heimburg reminded the disc golf world exactly why he is a perennial powerhouse, capturing his first victory of the 2026 season at the OTB Open. As the defending champion from 2024, Heimburg returned to Swenson Park to secure his 12th career DGPT event victory, placing him fourth all-time behind Paul McBeth, Ricky Wysocki, and Gannon Buhr. With this win, Heimburg continues an incredible seven-year streak of winning at least one DGPT event each season since 2020, which stands as the longest active streak in the sport.

Heimburg set the tone immediately in round one, tearing through the Swenson A-pin layout to post a blistering 13-under par. The performance was rated at 1090, marking the highest-rated round of the weekend and the fourth highest-rated round of Heimburg’s storied DGPT career. A flawless 16 for 16 performance in Circle 1 putting anchored that initial burst, signaling that his putter was dialed in for a special weekend. By the time Sunday wrapped up, Heimburg led the tournament with a 56% birdie percentage, a 71% scramble rate, and he had a near-perfect 98% in Circle 1 putting, missing just a single attempt all weekend (63/64).

The tournament ultimately transformed into a two-man heavyweight bout, as Heimburg and Gannon Buhr cleared the rest of the field by eight strokes. The drama peaked on the 18th hole in regulation after Buhr parked his approach to put pressure on Heimburg, who answered by drilling a clutch, edge-of-circle death putt to force a playoff. Returning to the 18th tee for the playoff, both players carded mediocre drives, forcing them to get aggressive. Heimburg pulled the trigger on a risky, 500+ foot hyzer carry over the water, beautifully parking his disc near the pin. A partially obstructed Buhr attempted a flex forehand that left him at the edge of the circle, and his subsequent low miss allowed Heimburg to tap in for the dramatic win.

This victory is the culmination of a steady upward trend for Heimburg, who had a slower start to 2026 than fans are accustomed to seeing. He has now rattled off five consecutive top-10 finishes across his eight events this season, moving up one spot into 2nd place in the DGPT Powerball World Standings, mirroring the elite form that saw him win his first Major at the 2025 European Disc Golf Festival and cap off last year by winning the DGPT Championship. That 2025 Major victory also came down to a thrilling battle with Buhr. The budding rivalry adds a fascinating layer of anticipation for fans later this summer, as Heimburg and Buhr are notably slated to be teammates for the upcoming DGPT Doubles Championship at the Preserve. With only the Northwest Championship remaining on the West Coast swing before the tour heads across the Atlantic, Heimburg is picking up major momentum at the perfect time ahead of the European stretch.

2) Holyn Handley Conquers California: A Dominant Full-Circle Victory

Holyn Handley secured her 11th career DGPT victory in dominant fashion, capturing her second win of the 2026 season with a comfortable 4-stroke margin and a total score of -28. The performance caps off a consistent stretch of play for Handley. Through eight DGPT events this season, she has now landed on the podium five times and finished outside the top-5 only once, which occurred back at the Open at Austin. This win also bumps her back up to first place in the DGPT Powerball World Standings.

Handley completely controlled the tournament by leading the FPO field in nearly every major statistical category. She posted a field-best 47% birdie percentage, driven by elite accuracy that allowed her to lead the tournament in reaching Circle 1 in regulation at 51% and Circle 2 in regulation at 83%. When she did find trouble, she remained highly efficient, leading the field with a 50% scramble rate by converting four of eight par-saving opportunities. Handley closed out the weekend by shooting the hot round on Sunday with an 8-under par performance, sealing a sentimental hometown victory for the competitor who fondly noted that she got her start in California playing disc golf.

3) Buhr Turns Up the Pressure Down the Stretch

Any recap of the weekend would be incomplete without highlighting world number one Gannon Buhr, who claimed a second-place finish after the playoff battle with Calvin Heimburg. Entering the final round trailing Heimburg by five strokes, Buhr mounted a furious comeback by carding the hot round of the day at 10-under par. His relentless pressure forced Heimburg to earn every bit of the victory, proving exactly why the young phenom remains the most feared competitor on tour.

Buhr’s weekend was defined by efficiency, particularly during a moving day surge in round three. He shredded the Swenson Park B-pin layout to post a surging 13-under par, 1088-rated round that catapulted him onto the final day lead card, anchored by a flawless 11 for 11 performance in Circle 1 putting. By Sunday’s conclusion, Buhr tied Heimburg for the field lead in birdie percentage at 56% and matched him for the fewest bogeys with a mere 3 over the entire weekend. Additionally, Buhr led the field in hitting both Circle 1 in regulation at 56% and Circle 2 in regulation at 83%, while pacing everyone in strokes gained from tee-to-green with a dominant 28.19.

Fresh off a victory at the Santa Cruz Masters Cup the week prior, this marks Buhr’s sixth podium finish in eight DGPT events this season. He has yet to place outside the top-10 in 2026, with his worst finish being a lone seventh-place showing at the Open at Austin. Despite the narrow playoff defeat, Buhr maintains a commanding lead in the DGPT Powerball World Standings. He will look to rebound immediately at the Cascade Challenge this weekend at Shelton Springs, and he can find solace in the fact that he and Heimburg will soon join forces. If this weekend was any indication, team “HeimBuhrg” is going to be nearly impossible to stop at the upcoming DGPT Doubles Championship at the Preserve.

4) Clash of the Titans: The Three-Way Battle Atop the FPO

While Holyn Handley hoisted the trophy at the OTB Open, the broader storyline in the FPO division is the intense three-way battle defining the 2026 season. Handley’s second DGPT victory of the year catapulted her back into first place in the DGPT World Standings, but her rivals are breathing down her neck. This constant shuffling at the top of the leaderboard has injected excitement into the Tour’s FPO division, establishing these three competitors as the undisputed tier of the division.

Silva Saarinen secured yet another commendable second-place finish at Swenson Park, marking her second consecutive runner-up performance following the Open at Austin. The Finnish star has now found the podium in four of her six DGPT appearances this season, a stretch highlighted by her PDGA Pro Major triumph at the Champions Cup. Saarinen remains comfortably in third place in the World Standings, driven by unmatched accuracy off the tee. DGPT season statistics reflect her dominance, as she continues to lead the FPO field this season in both birdie rate at 41.67% and fairway hits at 82.91%. That precision was on full display over the weekend, as Saarinen completely dismantled the course from tee to green, leading the entire field in parked percentage at 13% and pacing the competition with 26.39 strokes gained tee-to-green.

Ending in third place at the event was Ohn Scoggins, whose finish narrowly dropped her to second in the World Standings behind Handley. Scoggins has been a model of absolute excellence, racking up three consecutive DGPT podium finishes and never falling below fourth place in any DGPT event this season. Her resume already includes two Elite Series wins at the Supreme Flight Open and the Open at Austin, alongside victories at the Waco JomezPro Series event and the Santa Cruz Masters Cup. Scoggins put on a putting clinic over the weekend, leading the field in Circle 2 putting at 37%, average putting distance at 16.4 feet, and a staggering 1,168 feet of total made putts. Her weekend peak came during a historic round two, where she shredded the Swenson A-pin layout for a course-record 12-under par, a 1035-rated performance that stands as the third highest-rated round of her career.

With Handley, Saarinen, and Scoggins trading blows week in and week out, the races for the FPO points title and DGPT Player of the Year are reaching a fever pitch. Each player possesses the weaponry to dominate any course on tour, leaving fans to wonder who will ultimately separate themselves from the pack as the season progresses.

5) Swenson Shakeup: MPO Standings Reposition After OTB

With Calvin Heimburg securing his first victory of the 2026 season, the OTB Open served as a critical inflection point for the rest of the MPO field. Several players capitalized on the four-day event to reshape the season narrative. Adam Hammes, a two-time winner last season, secured a tie for third place to claim his second podium of the year, vaulting him to fifth in the DGPT World Standings. Sharing that third-place podium was Gavin Babcock, who carded a 1054 event rating, his highest since 2024, to jump eight spots into 18th in the standings. Anthony Barela also maintained his steady play, securing a tied-fifth finish. While Barela still searches for his first win of the season, his consecutive top-10 finishes give him significant momentum heading into next weekend’s Cascade Challenge, where he returns as the defending champion.

The weekend also produced a major breakthrough performance from Zachary Nash. After a strong opening round, Nash earned a spot on the lead card and held his ground for the remainder of the tournament. He finished tied for fifth, marking the first top-5 finish of his career and netting a career-best 1047 event rating. The performance elevates Nash seven spots into 10th place in the World Standings. Just behind him, the Robinson brothers anchored the bottom half of the top-10. Ezra Robinson finished seventh while leading the tournament with a 91% fairway hit percentage, moving to 11th in the standings. His brother Isaac finished eighth, quietly maintaining his fourth-place position in the world standings with steady, consistent placements.

Conversely, the weekend proved difficult for some of the sport’s perennial heavy-hitters. Ricky Wysocki struggled to find his rhythm at Swenson Park, finishing tied for 18th on the heels of a tied-26th finish at the Open at Austin. Despite this recent slide, Wysocki’s season remains strong overall, backed by three podiums and a victory earlier in the year. With top contenders Niklas Anttila and Paul McBeth skipping this event, the leaderboard shuffle has tightened the margins at the top of the standings. As the tour packs up for Washington, the MPO division remains highly volatile.

BONUS) Drew Gibson Finds Chains on 13!

During Round 3 on Swenson Park’s B-pin layout, Drew Gibson delivered one of the biggest highlights of the weekend, carding an ace on the island green at the 298-foot par 3 Hole 13. Gibson ultimately finished tied for 55th, but the moment added to the momentum he’s built following his recent win at the 2026 Beaver State Fling A-Tier. With the Tour heading back to Portland and Glendoveer for the Northwest Championship in just a few weeks, Gibson is shaping up as a player to watch at the end of the West Coast swing.

Editor’s Note: Tour events include DGPT Elite Series, DGPT+, DGPT Playoff, and PDGA Pro Major events.