Paul McBeth Vs Ricky Wysocki - Disc Golf's Biggest Rivalry?

The world of sports has seen its fair share of famous rivalries. Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.

Disc golf has its own version of that, and it belongs to Paul McBeth and Ricky Wysocki. For over a decade, these two have gone back and forth at the highest level, trading World Championships, swapping PDGA ratings, and pushing each other to be better. What started as a battle for supremacy has become something bigger: a shared legacy that helped define what professional disc golf looks like today.

But the rivalry has also evolved. A new generation of players has crashed the party, and both McBeth and Wysocki now find themselves fighting to stay on top while names like Gannon Buhr, Isaac Robinson, and Anthony Barela rewrite the record books. Here's where the two legends stand heading into 2026.

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Paul McBeth: Six-Time World Champion

Paul McBeth's resume is staggering. With 152 career wins, 17 PDGA Major titles, and six World Championships, he's the most decorated player in disc golf history. His $10 million Discraft deal (signed in 2020) remains the sport's biggest sponsorship contract.

McBeth added that sixth World Championship in 2022 at Emporia, Kansas. He went to a one-hole playoff against Aaron Gossage, a relative unknown who played the tournament of his life. A coin flip gave Gossage the first tee shot on the island hole, and he left it short in the OB. McBeth just had to land on the green and par his way to another title. He did exactly that.

Then things got harder. At the 2023 European Open, McBeth tore the labrum in his throwing shoulder during the final practice round. That injury cast a shadow over the next two seasons. He finished 13th at the 2023 World Championships and went winless on the DGPT in 2024.

By 2025, the shoulder was no longer holding him back. McBeth won the Green Mountain Championship and finished tied for second at the USDGC (alongside Wysocki, no less). His current PDGA rating sits at 1047, and his career earnings have reached $867,517.

Off the course, McBeth runs the Paul McBeth Foundation, a nonprofit that has designed 25+ disc golf courses in underserved communities across Colombia, Kenya, Uganda, Guatemala, Mongolia, and other countries.

Ricky "Sockibomb" Wysocki

If McBeth is the most decorated player in the sport, Wysocki might be the most resilient. A two-time World Champion (2016, 2017), Wysocki has battled through Lyme disease, personal tragedy, and multiple sponsor changes to remain one of the best players on tour.

Wysocki's recent run has been remarkable. He won back-to-back DGPT Championship titles in 2022 and 2023, becoming the first and only three-time DGPT Tour Champion. His 2024 season was one of the best of his career: three DGPT event wins, 13 podium finishes, 18 top-10s, and a 100% cash rate. He posted the highest-rated MPO round at a DGPT event ever (a 1117-rated round at the European Disc Golf Festival).

The personal hardships have been well documented. He contracted Lyme disease in 2019, which left him bedridden for months and dropped his rating to 1042. His sister Lauren passed away during the 2021 Dynamic Disc Open, an event that shook everyone on tour. McBeth personally assisted Wysocki during that tournament, offering tips and support throughout the rounds.

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Wysocki has fully recovered from Lyme disease and is competing at an elite level. His current PDGA rating is 1051 (higher than McBeth's), and his career earnings of $895,164 make him the all-time PDGA career earnings leader. He left Dynamic Discs at the end of 2024 and signed a three-year deal with Discraft in February 2025, making him McBeth's teammate for the first time.

McBeth Vs Wysocki: How Do They Compare?

On the course, their styles haven't changed much. McBeth is calculated, focused, and stoic. Wysocki brings charisma and energy, with a willingness to go for jaw-dropping shots that McBeth would never attempt. The two competitive energies remain a thrill to watch when they share a card.

Here's how their career numbers stack up as of early 2026:

• World Championships: McBeth 6, Wysocki 2
• PDGA Major Titles: McBeth 17, Wysocki 5
• Career Wins: McBeth 152, Wysocki 131
• Career Earnings: Wysocki $895K, McBeth $868K
• Current Rating: Wysocki 1051, McBeth 1047
• DGPT Tour Championships: Wysocki 3, McBeth 0

Both players won PDGA Rookie of the Year (McBeth in 2008, Wysocki in 2011). McBeth has three Player of the Year awards (2013-2015), while Wysocki earned the honor in 2017. Wysocki also picked up DGPT Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022.

Watch Paul and Ricky battle it out in a sudden death playoff at the 2014 Worlds:

The New Guard

The biggest change in the rivalry since 2022? McBeth and Wysocki are no longer the clear top two in the sport. A new generation has arrived, and they're not waiting their turn.

Gannon Buhr (Discmania) won the 2025 World Championship in Finland at just 20 years old. He also won the 2022 USDGC at 17 (youngest major winner ever) and the 2024 European Open. Four career majors already. He's ranked #1 in the world.

Isaac Robinson (Latitude 64) won back-to-back World Championships in 2023 and 2024, ending McBeth's streak of finishing in the top two at Worlds every year since 2012.

Anthony Barela (Discraft) won the 2025 USDGC, his first PDGA Major. McBeth and Wysocki both finished tied for second behind him. That result perfectly captured the current state of things: the two legends still competing at the top, but no longer dominating it.

Teammates, Not Just Rivals

Perhaps the most surprising twist in this rivalry? McBeth and Wysocki are now on the same team. When Wysocki signed with Discraft in February 2025, the two greatest rivals in disc golf history became teammates. They share a sponsor, throw the same plastic, and still push each other on the course every weekend.

The rivalry hasn't ended. It's just matured. Both players are in their mid-30s, both are navigating careers in a sport that's getting younger and more competitive every year, and both are still capable of winning any tournament they enter. The difference now is that they seem to genuinely respect what they've built together.

Above all else, we can expect intense competition from these two for years to come. This rivalry has driven both of them to push themselves and constantly challenge each other, and it's helped build disc golf into the sport it is today.