What’s up, discgnerates? It’s The Disc Golf World. I’m Jefferson and alongside me as always, Swiss Cheese. We’re recapping everything you need to know from the Northwest Disc Golf Championship. And first thing’s first: this event really needs a new name.
That said—it’s a fan and player favorite, a staple on the Pro Tour, and for the first time an Elite+ event combining the famous Milo McIver and Glendoveer East tracks. The event was pretty controversy-free…until the very last hole. But let’s not skip ahead. Let’s get into the MPO recap!
MPO Recap: A Wild Ride from Start to Finish
Round 1 Highlights
Paul Ulibarri came out hot in Round 1 with an 11-under, two strokes clear of second place. A 1079-rated round that included hitting 4 of 6 from outside C1. Vintage Uli energy.
Round 2 Fireworks
- Ganon Buhr dropped a 1080-rated 12-under to take the lead.
- Paul McBeth also jumped nine spots with his own 12-under—going 16-for-16 in the circle.
- Looked like classic McBeth, until it didn’t. He opened Round 3 at +5 through 9 and never recovered, falling 12 spots.
Round 3 Drama
Ganon managed only a 7-under but still held the lead—now tied with Anthony Barela, who posted a 1085-rated 12-under with seven straight birdies at one point.
At 27-under overall, they sat five strokes ahead of Cory Ellis and Kyle Klein, who joined the final round lead card.
Championship Sunday: Hole-by-Hole Chaos
Isaac Robinson surged early, going 5-down on the front nine to apply pressure. But Gannon started with a birdie to reclaim the lead, as AB couldn’t convert from outside C1. Burr then extended his lead on hole 2 with another birdie after AB hit a tree on approach.
But the wheels wobbled fast:
- Hole 3: Ganon airballed a C1X putt and missed the comeback, a 2-stroke swing tying it up.
- Hole 5: Ganon went long OB on approach, faced a death putt, then missed the comeback. Another 2-stroke swing in AB’s favor.
- Hole 6: AB turned one straight OB. Ganon got a stroke back.
Kyle Klein Joins the Party
Klein started cooking with birdies on 8 and 9 to share second. Hole 10 delivered the first star frame, with Ganon finally birdieing again but still two back.
Back Nine Battle Royale
- Hole 11: Easy birdies for everyone on the 1100-foot par 5.
- Hole 12: Klein laced a roller for his 5th straight birdie. AB’s roller hit a guardian tree, costing him a stroke to Klein and Ganon.
- Hole 13: Ganon hit a clutch flex line while AB parked it to match for birdie.
- Hole 14: Klein snapped his streak while AB barely stayed in bounds for birdie. Ganon’s creative upshot hit a tree but he drained a C2 putt to save par.
Meanwhile, Klein kept sneaking closer, tying Gannon with four holes to play. Hole 15 was a lead card forehand clinic for easy birdies. On 16, Gannon faced a must-make C1X putt but grazed chains and missed while AB drained his to stay up.
Hole 17 and the Final Showdown
AB’s roller hit early, forcing a crazy approach he nearly parked but clipped the last tree. Gannon answered with a perfect upshot, applying pressure. AB had to knee-putt a 25-footer—nailed it. One-stroke lead heading to 18.
And 18 was pure drama:
- Gannon had told Big Jerm pre-round he’d be down two but catch him on 18. He placed his drive perfect, setting up an eagle chance.
- AB’s drive wasn’t nearlt good and his approach smacked a tree dead center. Gannon needed birdie to tie and nailed it while AB had to scramble for par.
The Controversy: Slow Play on 18
Social media lit up over Gannon’s approach taking ~70 seconds—well over the 30-second rule (and even the proposed new time limit). People argued it wasn’t called because of context and knowing it would only be a warning anyway. Drew Gibson posted about it, asking why DGPT staff doesn’t enforce these rules on the Elite+ lead card.
AB had a 20-footer to force a playoff—but it leaked right and spit out hard. Was it a bad putt or a classic spit out? The community is split. Even pros chimed in:
- Andrew Presnell posted a Breaking Bad meme siding with “team spit out.”
- Ben Callaway: “Miss, can’t leave it low flat right on these baskets—they pop out every time.”
Drop your thoughts in the comments! Was it a bad putt or an unfair basket?
Final Standings
- Ganon Buhr: Defends both titles. Second win of the season.
- Anthony Barela: Drops to second with the bogey on 18.
- Kyle Klein: Tied for second after a strong final day.
Swiss—hit them with the FPO recap!
FPO Recap: Holland Hanley’s Statement Victory
Look—I know the MPO finish had us all disassociating like we took an Elon-level K-hole. But there was plenty of action on the FPO side too—even without Kristen Tattar and the European field.
Early Rounds at Milo
- Missy Gannon showed her control game, going 8-under bogey-free on Day 1, and another 8-under (with one bogey) on Day 2.
- Holyn Handley kept pace with a 6-under back nine on Day 1 to tie Missy, then only lost one stroke on Day 2.
Heading to Glendoveer with a Single-Stroke Gap
Handley’s distance advantage paid off immediately on the more open Glendoveer layout. She opened Day 3 with five straight birdies, taking the lead on hole one and never looking back.
She posted a bogey-free 10-under (unofficially rated 1024). Missy managed 5-under, while Paige Pierce matched Handley’s 10-under to climb into a tie with Missy for second.
Final Round Dominance
- Handley backed up the 10-under with an 8-under final round.
- That was two strokes better than the next best score, giving her a 7-stroke victory—the largest margin on tour this season (tied with Kristen Latt’s biggest win).
- Paige’s front-half struggles let Missy lock in second place and forced Paige to birdie the final three holes to claim solo third. That’s Paige’s third straight podium on the West Coast swing.
Season Implications
Holyn and Kristin are now tied with three wins each—making the Player of the Year race even more interesting. And Paige keeps her podium streak alive, showing vintage form when it matters most.
Wrap-Up and Next Steps
That’s everything you need to know from the Northwest Disc Golf Championship! Don’t miss out on all the latest disc golf news—make sure to hit that subscribe button down below
