Curious Moments at the 2026 Big Easy

There were some exciting moments—and some unusual ones—at this past weekend’s 2026 MVP Big Easy Open in New Orleans. The MPO field finished with a sudden death playoff between Ricky Wysocki and Gannon Buhr. However, it was the chain of events leading up to the playoff that seemed most notable.

For starters, there was plenty of talk about the tough design of the course. The Parc des Familles park features narrow, wooded fairways, making it a real challenge for the players.

Regardless, the course is also a challenge for the audience at home. For anyone watching on the Disc Golf Network, the course appears to just be trees, trees, trees. It’s hard to see where the players are throwing, where the baskets are located, etc.

That makes the broadcast a bit less fun for the viewer—since it’s hard to track the flight of discs, or see where the players are aiming.

The real action on the final day came after Wysocki threw his opening drive on the par-5 16th hole. His disc landed in a patch of trees and shrubbery. After Wysocki studied his shot, and attempted to gauge whether he could throw a forehand or backhand, he began to clear some loose branches and debris that were blocking his shot.

At one point Wysocki could be seen collecting some branches from the area around his disc. He then walked around his disc and piled the debris behind him in another patch of shrubbery. As one of the announcers observed, “He’s moving branches that are in front of his lie.”

Eventually he threw his shot. A few minutes later, one of the announcers remarked that the “branches extended farther back than the angle we were given.” Meaning, Wysocki might have been correct in moving some of the shrubbery.

At the 17th tee, before the players teed off for the next hole, an official could be seen discussing the issue with Wysocki and the other players on his card. He asked Wysocki, “Why did you move the debris?”

In the ensuing discussion, Gannon Buhr correctly observed that it looked like “multiple” twigs and branches were being moved. Wysocki insisted that the objects he moved were behind his disc. Eventually, the rule official let the group make the call. It was decided that Wysocki acted properly, and play could continue.

The moment was undoubtedly tense, though, and Buhr commented afterward to the official, “I don’t want to make it weird, ‘cause it looked…it could’ve…you know what I mean…”

Buhr’s subsequent drive on 17 ended up low and short. But in one of the weekend’s most exciting moments, he somehow nailed a 110-foot putt to make a clutch birdie.

Commentator Brian Earnhardt said, “After the tense moment on the teepad, it’s hard to settle your nerves.” But somehow Buhr hit the putt—keeping him within one stroke of Wysocki with only one hole left to play.

Adding to the tension of the moment, the group was forced to wait several minutes on the teepad of 18 before they could start the final hole.

It was also a windy day. When Buhr finally stepped up to the teepad, he could be seen struggling to decide on a forehand or backhand amidst the changing wind gusts.

Wysocki ended up struggling on the hole, and lost a stroke to Buhr. That forced a sudden death playoff.

There was more tension on the first playoff hole. After Wysocki’s approach shot landed out of bounds, he and Buhr discussed where the disc had crossed the boundary line.

Wysocki insisted he went wide over the trees. Buhr pointed at something else. After several minutes of debate, one of the announcers said, “It’s kind of wild, there’s still not a conclusion here.”

Eventually, Wysocki took his shot. One of the announcers observed,  “With no actual spotter standing under it, it’s hard to get a read. Ricky’s going to have to take it from the other side.”

Wysocki made a good effort, but missed the putt. Buhr then made par to win the hole—and the tournament.

Buhr had started the day four strokes behind Wysocki. It was an impressive performance, to come from behind and then win in a playoff.

Overall, though, it was vaguely disconcerting to see such a jumble of unclear rule calls. Wysocki seemed defensive at one point when discussing the shot on the 16th hole. And Buhr appeared nervous about pressing the issue, even though he had a valid point.

In the end, it was a big win for Buhr in the second tournament of the season.

On the FPO side, big congratulations to Holy Handley. She won with a score of -9. That was a huge eight strokes ahead of second place finisher Valerie Mandujano. Handley has continued to rise in the FPO division over the past two years, and this win gives her a strong start for 2026.