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Missoula, MT, WPH Press –
The 2026 R48 Red marks the 104th event in the history of the Race 4 Eight tour, with the tour spanning eighteen states and two countries since the Race 4 Eight’s inaugural 2011/12 season.
The 2026 R48 Montana Red Death will feature R48 #1 Martin Mulkerrins aiming for his first title in Montana after several near misses in “The Garden City.” Mulkerrins will enter the 2026 Red on the heels of his seventeenth Race 4 Eight title win in Juarez just five days prior.
R48 #2 Ray Ure is the hottest player in handball, having won the 2026 R48 Player’s Championship, 2026 USHA Four Wall Nationals, and the 2026 La Grange Icebreaker and will be hunting for his first Red title in his first start of the 2026/27 season. 2025 R48 Red defending champion and R48 #4 Lucho Cordova will be seeking a title defense in Missoula, while R48 #5 Ivan Burgos, R48 #6 Mark Doyle, R48 #7 Danos Cordova, and R48 #8 Sean Lenning will look to climb the rankings in the season’s second event.
Check out all of the important 2026 R48 Montana Red tournament information below.
2026 R48 Montana Red
- Date: September 18-20, 2026
- Site: Peak Racquet Center, 4990 Buckhouse Ln., Missoula, MT 59804
- Tournament director: WPH + Don Schmidt
- Tournament sponsor: JR WPH
- Pro Events: R48 Men’s pro singles
- List of R48 Montana R48 Men’s pro champions: Carroll (2018, 2019, 2020, 2023), D. Cordova (2024), Lucho (2025)
- Defending Montana Red R48 champion: Lucho
- Number of ranked R48 and WR48 pros entered: 15 (as of this post)
2026 R48 Red starting times + follow the 2026 Red brackets HERE
2026 Red press release HERE
Race 4 Eight Fun Facts and History of Champions HERE
2026/27 Race 4 Eight Rankings and Methodology HERE
Race 4 Eight pro player bios HERE
WPH Coaching Centers HERE
WPH Workout Central HERE
2026/27 Race 4 Eight schedule HERE
WPH RACE 4 EIGHT: The World Players of Handball’s 2026/27 Race 4 Eight Powered by ESPN features nine Race 4 Eight stops from California to Mexico, all culminating with The Player’s Championship in St. Louis, MO in May of 2027. Similar to NASCAR’s Nextel Cup and the FedEx PGA Playoffs, players earn points in the Race 4 Eight’s regular season stops to qualify for the season-ending Player’s Championship and bonus prizes.
For more information on the WPH Race 4 Eight title sponsor opportunity, please contact World Players of Handball Executive Director David Vincent at dave.vincent@wphlive.tv or World Players of Handball Development Director David Fink at david.fink@wphlive.tv. For more information on the World Players of Handball, please visit wphlive.tv
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
2026 WPH R48Pro Stop #2 ‘The Red’ – ESPN+ Broadcast Schedule
Missoula Montana – Sept 19/20, 2026
Saturday, September 19th, 2026 (Mountain Daylight Time)
10:00 Men’s Pro Singles Martin Mulkerrins (IRE) def Dylan Hernandez (CA) 5, 10
11:00 Men’s Pro Singles Mark Doyle (IRE) def Ivan Burgos (AZ) 8, 10
12:00 Men’s Pro Singles Ray Ure (IL) def Coleman McGrath (CA) 12, 6
1:00 Men’s Pro Singles Lucho Cordova (MEX/TX) def Daniel Cordova (TX/MEX) 5, 11
2:45 9th Semifinals John Chapman (CO) def Jeff Streibig (MO) 26-24
3:30 Men’s Pro Singles Doyle def Mulkerrins 10, (3), 14
4:30 Men’s Pro Singles Ure def L. Cordova (10), 4, 4
Sunday, September 20th, 2026 (Mountain Daylight Time)
10:00 WPH ESPN+ Pregame Show
10:15 Men’s 5th Place Final Hernandez vs McGrath
11:30 Men’s Pro Singles Ure vs Doyle
Watch all the action LIVE on ESPN+. Get interviews, some live coverage and extras at Patreon.com/wphlive
Follow the brackets beginning Friday, September 18th, here: https://www.r2sports.com/website/event-website.asp?TID=42362