Calvin Heimburg Wins the 2026 United States Disc Golf Championship
Silence Before the Roar
Thousands of spectators held their breath as Calvin Heimburg lined up a 36-foot death putt with the United States Disc Golf Championship on the line. Elevated basket, with a steep slope leading toward out of bounds behind it. Make it, and he’s the USDGC Champion. Miss, and there’s a very real chance his disc skips or rolls straight out of bounds, taking his chance at the title with it.
Then came the roar. Calvin buried the putt and let loose the most raw, impassioned display of emotion we’ve seen from him. The crowd matched, jumping up and down, pumping their fists, and celebrating as though the victory were their own.
Vinny embraced his caddie and best friend, Zach Melton, in a long hug of thanks and relief. After eight previous appearances at Winthrop, Calvin Heimburg was finally the United States Disc Golf Champion, claiming his second Major title and his first in the States.
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Calvin Heimburg – 1st
The Three Best Go Head-to-Head-to-Head
Gannon Buhr entered Championship Sunday with a four-stroke lead over Calvin Heimburg and seven strokes over Ricky Wysocki. With the world’s top-ranked player holding that kind of advantage, there was a possibility the tournament could be decided early. Instead, the final round became a three-way battle between the same players who finished first, second, and third in the 2026 Powerball World Standings.
Gannon struggled early, playing the first six holes at even par. Ricky birdied his first four holes to close the gap, while Calvin stayed steady before making his move on the back nine.
The turning point came on Hole 10. Ricky’s eagle bid barely trickled out of bounds, and Gannon threw long in the tailwind and went OB too. Reading the wind, Calvin adjusted his drive, landing short before safely skipping onto the green for an eagle. Ricky saved par, while Gannon took double bogey, giving Calvin a four-stroke swing on the leader.
Calvin followed with birdies on Holes 11 and 12, going four-under across three of Winthrop’s most punishing holes. The three players continued trading strokes, with thousands of fans lining the fairways. By the end of Hole 16, Calvin held the solo lead at 23-under, with Ricky and Gannon one stroke back.
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Ghosts of 2020
Six years earlier, Hole 17 had cost Calvin Heimburg his chance at a first USDGC title. In 2020, Calvin entered the island hole with the lead, missed the green on his first attempt, and landed his second shot in Circle 2. His putt for bogey caught the cage and rolled out of bounds, effectively ending his championship hopes.
Now, in 2026, Calvin found himself in an eerily similar position. He entered Hole 17 with a one-stroke lead. His tee shot landed in bounds but rolled off the back of the island, forcing him to throw again. His second attempt found the green, leaving him with another Circle 2 putt for bogey.
Same hole. Same stakes. Similar putt. This time, Calvin buried it.
Gannon Buhr birdied the hole to move one stroke ahead, but Calvin’s clutch bogey save kept him alive heading into the final hole. Six years after watching his USDGC hopes slip away on the 17th green, this time Calvin had given himself a chance to win.
The Putt Players Dream About
Gannon Buhr entered the final hole with a one-stroke lead and landed his drive in a good position to approach for birdie and lock up the win. Ricky Wysocki’s drive rolled out of bounds, while Calvin’s stayed in bounds but left him a difficult angle for his approach.
Then everything changed. Gannon’s foot slipped on his second shot, sending his disc into a tree and out of bounds. Calvin’s approach went wide and flirted with OB but landed safely, leaving him a 36-foot putt for the win. In just a few moments, Calvin’s championship fate was back in his own hands.
The crowd fell more silent than seems possible for that many people. Calvin lined up the putt, buried it, and all at once the emotion poured out of everyone at Winthrop. Thousands of fans erupted as Vinny embraced his longtime friend and caddie, Zach Melton. Calvin’s father was there too, watching his son win a professional tournament in person for the first time. For a player known for keeping his emotions in check, the celebration said everything about what this championship meant to him.
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Career-Defining Victory
Calvin shot seven-under in the final round, finishing at 23-under for the event, two strokes ahead of Gannon and Ricky. He only missed three C1 putts all week and hit four C2 putts in the last six holes of the tournament. He averaged 1065-rated across four rounds and led the field in Parked Percentage, Circle 2 Hits in Regulation, and Strokes Gained Tee to Green.
Calvin was already one of the defining players of his generation before this weekend: years of elite consistency, victories against the best fields in the world, a Player of the Year title, a Major Championship at the European Disc Golf Festival, and a reputation as one of the game’s premier throwers.
But for all his success, the USDGC title had eluded him. Three previous podium finishes at Winthrop, the heartbreak of 2020, and eight appearances without a victory made this championship particularly meaningful. Calvin grew up watching the USDGC and dreaming of winning at Winthrop. As significant as his first Major victory at the European Disc Golf Festival was for his career, this was the title he’d been chasing since he was a kid. And now he’s got it. If he retired tomorrow, Calvin would have a Hall of Fame-worthy career.
For Team Innova, seeing Calvin lift the USDGC trophy at Winthrop carries special significance. Our top MPO athlete won one of the sport’s most prestigious championships at an event that has been part of Innova’s history since its beginning.
Top Team Innova Storylines
Ohn Scoggins – 2nd
Ohn Scoggins came within a single stroke of adding the Throw Pink Championship to her extraordinary 2026 season. She finished at 17-under, one behind Holyn Handley, taking second place after entering Championship Sunday with the lead.
Ohn’s final round was a battle. A costly nine on Hole 12 put her in a difficult position, but she fought back with a birdie on 13 and three consecutive birdies on Holes 16, 17, and 18. She finished with a two-under final round, just one stroke shy of forcing a playoff.
The runner-up finish adds another podium to a season that has included multiple DGPT victories and the Powerball World Standings title. Ohn has put together arguably the best season of her career and remains a contender for Player of the Year.
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Eveliina Salonen – 3rd
Eveliina Salonen added another top-event podium to her 2026 season, finishing third at 11-under. With a 17-stroke victory at Worlds, a completed Career Grand Slam, multiple DGPT wins, and a host of podium finishes, the two-time World Champion is likely the frontrunner for Player of the Year.
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Henna Blomroos – 4th
Henna Blomroos finished fourth at two-under, moving up three positions with a one-under final round. It was another strong result for Henna, whose season includes her first Tour win and 2nd place at the Champions Cup.
Photo by DGPT
Bradley Williams – 7th
Fresh off winning the MP40 World title at Masters Worlds, Bradley Williams finished seventh at the USDGC at eight-under.
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Up Next: 2026 Powerball Cup
October 15–18 | Lynchburg / Bedford County, Virginia
The DGPT season concludes with the Powerball Cup, where the Tour’s top players will compete for the largest purse in DGPT history. Ohn Scoggins enters with the best starting stroke advantage in FPO at six-under. Calvin Heimburg will start at five-under, two strokes behind MPO Powerball World Standings winner Gannon Buhr.
Catch the action live on the Disc Golf Network, post-produced on JomezPro, and find the final tournament recap of 2026 at Innovadiscs.com
The post Calvin Heimburg Wins the 2026 United States Disc Golf Championship appeared first on Innova Disc Golf.
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