Victoria Eriacho-Paul tees off to start 2022 Junior Worlds. Photo: Justin Anderson / PDGA

The phrase ‘it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon’ doesn’t apply anymore when a PDGA World Championship is on the line.

On Wednesday, the 287-player field at the 2022 PDGA Junior Disc Golf World Championships raced out the gates in the Peoria, Illinois area, kicking off a week of disc golf with a competitive opening day.

Some of the 10-division field played two rounds to start their championship and the others will see that schedule on Thursday. The courses were tough, like the Junior 18’s trek through Wildlife and Sunset Hills.

The competition is close — seven of the divisions are separated by less than three strokes. Junior 12 is tied between Ellis Huxhold and Hyrum Hart.

Ellis Huxhold has a share of the lead in MJ12. Photo: Justin Anderson / PDGA

The scores were low, like Victoria Eriacho-Paul’s 909-rated second round to build a big lead in FJ18.

Overall, it was a long day of disc golf and a PDGA World Championship that started fast.

Chasing Titles

2022 USADGC champion Ilkin Groh and 2021 PDGA FA1 World Champion Cadence Burge are leading their respective divisions after the first day.

Cadence Burge had a strong second round on Wednesday. Photo: Justin Anderson / PDGA

Groh had back-to-back 1000-rated rounds to build a two-stroke lead over Henry Bente in MJ18. Andrew Filimoehala is three strokes behind Groh. MJ18 shifts to Maxwell Park on Thursday.

In FJ15, Burge bounced back with strong second round at Goodfield Park and leads Chloe Lynn Orona by three.

Brady Harbinson is in second place in MJ18. Photo: Hayden Henry / PDGA

Tight Leaderboards

Over in MJ15, the same grueling opening schedule – Wildlife and Sunset Hills – produced the tightest leaderboard after the first day.

Patrick Yu was consistent all day, bouncing back from just a few miscues with birdie runs and leads by one stroke. Brady Harbinson had the hot round at Sunset Hills and is tied with Ryan Mulder and Colin Bryant in second at 6-under. Five more players are within four strokes of the lead.

Hyrum Hart and Ellis Huxhold met at the top of the leaderboard in different ways. Huxhold had 13 birdies on the day and Hart kept it clean down the stretch at Bradley Park. Thomas Rouse is one stroke back in third.

Hailey Huber had the hot round at Goodfield. Photo: Jennie Weigand / PDGA

Hailey Huber had three birdies at Goodfield Park and has a three-stroke lead over Kaylee Pearson in FJ12.

Oliver Beavers got into the 40s at Goodfield Park and leads Gideon Davenport, who went bogey-free, and Cole Kresge by one stroke in MJ10.

Georgia’s Henry Tabor kept it clean and leads Tanner Grayum, who had the only birdie of the day on hole 6 at Goodfield, by one stroke in MJ8.