The first DGPT+ event of the season is officially in the books, closing out our Texas swing in true Lone Star fashion. Barbasol’s Open at Austin presented by Hampton Inn and Home2 Suites Austin East delivered four rounds of big moments across Sprinkle Valley and Harvey Penick, with historic wins, playoff drama, and plenty of highlight reel shots under the Texas sun. From near throw-ins and signature lines to nonstop pressure on nearly every shot, this stop had all the grit and flair fans have come to expect from one of the most iconic events in the state. Here are some of the top moments from the week in Austin…
1) Paul Ulibarri’s Career Defining Moment
Paul Ulibarri delivered one of the most emotional and unexpected storylines of the 2026 season at the Open at Austin, capturing his first ever DGPT victory and finishing at 36-under after a 1-hole playoff win over Ezra Robinson. The victory also marks his first Elite Series win in 15 years, officially putting “champion” back next to his name in a moment that felt like a full circle breakthrough in his career.
“My wife and my daughter are at home and it’s Mother’s Day… it’s a pretty good gift to give to my wife. I love you Sarah, I love you mom, my family, my big brother out there competing at the Masters, and all of my fans.”
Coming into the event, Ulibarri had not cracked a top-10 on Tour in 2025 and his best finish of the 2026 season was a 19th place showing at the PDGA Champions Cup, making this turnaround all the more striking. He responded with one of the most complete performances of the week, leading the field in fairway hit percentage at 88% and finishing with a 56% birdie rate. In the final round, he was perfect on the green, going 15-for-15 in C1 putting, a 100% performance that helped keep him in control down the stretch. The win also vaults him up 20 spots in the DGPT Powerball World Standings into 18th, marking a major leap forward and a reminder that persistence can still pay off in a big way on Tour.
2) Ohn Scoggins’ Cowboy Hat Comeback
Ohn Scoggins continued her dominant stretch on Tour at the Open at Austin, securing her second DGPT victory of 2026 and her seventh career Tour win. Fresh off her win at Waco, the first JomezPro Series event of the season, Scoggins has yet to finish outside the top-4 this year and has now extended her active top-10 streak to 20 consecutive Tour events. The victory also marks her second Open at Austin title, adding another chapter to what is quickly becoming one of her most consistent seasons yet.
Scoggins powered her way to the win by leading the field in multiple key stats, including birdie percentage at 47%, C1X putting strokes gained at 9.81, and total putting distance with 1,211 feet. She was also one of just two players in the FPO field, alongside Silva Saarinen, to avoid a single double bogey across the entire 4-round tournament. Notably, she shot the hot round at Harvey Penick at -10 in the final round, powered by a perfect 14-for-14 in C1 putting, a display of precision that became the backbone of her comeback, especially after entering the final round three-strokes behind Saarinen.
The event ultimately came down to a battle with Saarinen, with Scoggins acknowledging the pressure after the round:
“It feels amazing, Silva played so well, every hole was so hard to take from her, I knew I had to fight very hard to win.” She also made it clear this is not a peak but a baseline for her expectations going forward: “I’m not going to stop playing or putting, I’m not born that way, I was born to work hard and believe in putting my heart and soul into the game.”
That mindset showed in full as she now heads straight into the Santa Cruz Masters Cup, a DGPT Q-Series event this weekend as the current DGPT Powerball World Standings leader with 921 points, moving past Holyn Handley.
3) Jaden Rye Takes Third in Austin
Jaden Rye delivered a breakout performance at the Open at Austin, finishing third for his first career DGPT Tour podium and marking a major step forward in his young professional career. The Murphy, Texas native and Emporia State competitor, who signed a one-year deal with DGA in January 2026, has already been building momentum this season after winning the D1 Mixed Singles National Title at the Collegiate Disc Golf National Championships in Rock Hill by six strokes. Coming into the event, his best Tour finish was a seventh place showing at the 2024 Des Moines Challenge, one of four total top-10 finishes on Tour, making this podium a clear career milestone.
Rye’s performance was backed by elite efficiency across the board, finishing the event with a 50% birdie rate and leading the field in strokes gained from tee-to-green at 19.59. He saved his best for last, posting a -12 final round to tie for the hot round at Harvey Penick and secure his spot on the podium, highlighted by a 61% birdie rate, a key eagle on Hole 11, and a bogey-free finish. He also led the field in parked percentage at 22% and went a perfect 16-for-16 in C1 putting alongside a 100% scramble rate, showcasing complete control during his final push. The result moves him up 19 spots in the DGPT Powerball World Standings into 22nd, signaling a rapid rise for one of the sport’s emerging young talents.
A scorcher on Championship Sunday! 🔥
Jaden Rye takes a 12 under 1085-Rated (unofficial) round into the clubhouse. He’ll be watching the action from there, he’s tied for the lead! pic.twitter.com/rRpW0tKd8t
— Disc Golf Pro Tour (@DiscGolfProTour) May 10, 2026
4) Silva Saarinen Adds Another Podium
Silva Saarinen added another podium finish to her 2026 campaign at the Open at Austin, ending the event in second place to secure her third podium of the season, which also includes a PDGA Pro Major victory at the Champions Cup. In a year where she has been remarkably consistent, Saarinen has finished outside the top-6 just once in six events, a 12th place showing at KCWO, further cementing her presence at the top of the FPO field.
She entered the final round with a three-stroke lead after a dominant opening stretch where she set the tone across all three rounds at Sprinkle Valley and Harvey Penick. Saarinen opened with a -5 in Round 1, followed by a blazing -8 in Round 2 where she led the field with 11.69 strokes gained from tee-to-green, and then another -8 in Round 3 to carry a comfortable advantage into Sunday. However, the final round proved to be a difficult shift, as a few uncharacteristic missed short putts opened the door for Ohn Scoggins, who delivered one of the strongest putting performances of her career to close the gap.
Saarinen still finished at -27, just one stroke behind Scoggins at -28, with both players finishing well ahead of the rest of the field by 7+ strokes, underscoring their separation from the pack and setting the stage for what is shaping up to be a growing rivalry at the top of the FPO division. She currently sits 3rd in the DGPT Powerball World Standings and continues to lead the Tour in birdie percentage at 40.83%.
5) Ezra Robinson Goes Bogey-Free in Austin
Ezra Robinson’s strongest all-around performance of 2026 came at the Open at Austin, finishing in second place and earning his first podium of 2026. Coming into the event, his best finish was a ninth place showing at the season-opening Supreme Flight Open, making this leap into contention a clear step forward as he continues to stack strong results early in the year.
Robinson stood alone as the only player in the field to go bogey-free all four rounds, delivering a relentless level of consistency that kept him in the hunt all week. He opened the tournament with one of the hottest rounds in Round 1, firing a -13 at Sprinkle Valley with a 72% birdie rate to grab the early lead card momentum, and he would remain there for most of the week aside from a brief move to the chase card in Round 3. Across the event, he posted a 50% birdie rate, went a perfect 7-for-7 in scrambling, and maintained a 91% C1 putting percentage.
His strongest chance came on Hole 18 in regulation, where he had a putt just inside C2 for the win but came up just short, sending him into a one hole playoff against close friend Paul Ulibarri. A difficult tree hit on his upshot in the playoff ultimately proved costly, opening the door for Ulibarri to capitalize and take the victory. Even so, Robinson’s runner-up finish moved him up 10 spots in the DGPT Powerball World Standings into 15th, marking a breakout level week in both performance and positioning.
“I was super nervous [going into the final round]. This has been a really slow season for me, so to be in this position again, being a couple [strokes] back trying to take down another one, I really wanted it… I grew up watching Paul [Ulibarri], and to see him come back… I’m really glad he got a win, and I know that means the most to him, his family, and to Discraft.”
BONUS) Lisa Fajkus Strikes First on Iconic Hole 18!
Lisa Fajkus has been putting on a show this season, and she wasted no time making her presence felt at the Open at Austin. In Round 1, she stepped up on the redesigned Hole 18 at Sprinkle Valley, a demanding 780-foot par 5, and calmly splashed in a 190-foot throw-in for birdie to record the very first birdie of the tournament on the hole.
She would go on to be one of just five FPO players to birdie it all week, a standout moment on a tough scoring hole. Fajkus carried that momentum throughout the event and finished strong once again, securing an 8th place result and another top-10 finish to add to her consistent start to the season.
Lisa Fajkus has put on a show for us so far this season! 👏🍿 pic.twitter.com/tQ1BEGIpCH
— Disc Golf Pro Tour (@DiscGolfProTour) May 12, 2026
Editor’s Note: Tour events include DGPT Elite Series, DGPT+, DGPT Playoff, and PDGA Pro Major events.