Jake Monn finds himself with a share of the lead at the USDGC. Photo: Justin Anderson / PDGA

Jake Monn has the game to match his towering size.

Just a heads up: He’s 17 years old.

Monn turned heads on Friday in a day of big moves at the Winthrop Arena and is now a co-leader in his first trip to the United States Disc Golf Championship in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

“It feels really good,” Monn told Terry Miller of the Disc Golf Network after posting a 9-under round with a huge contingent of family and teammates in tow.

Monn’s round was steady in every area – opening with back-to-back circle 2 hits, scrambling for par on two OB shots and limiting his round to just a single bogey. He birdied 14 through 17 to jump four spots into the T1 position.

A somewhat local to Rock Hill, the Simpsonville, South Carolina native first experienced disc golf in a PE class and then the sport became a family affair.

“(2021 PDGA Amateur World Champion) Evan Scott and I both started playing in elementary school — indoor recess with minis,” Monn said. “We went home and were playing with ultimate Frisbees and throwing to a soccer goal.

“My dad came out and said ‘oh, this looks like something I played in college’ and then we just started playing disc golf.”

Monn played for a few years and then stopped. A trip to the International Disc Golf Center for the 2017 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championship sparked his interest once again.

“I got hooked again,” he said.

Monn first accepted cash in 2020 and has 23 career wins but wasn’t able to qualify for USDGC on Monday Qualifying in 2020 and 2021.

He earned his spot in 2022.

Monn made the jump from the B Pool to A Pool and finished 20th at PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships earlier this year in Kansas. He had the hot round in the fourth round — a 1077-rated round, his sixth 1060-plus rated round of his career.

His career, so far.

The next step is the lead card at a PDGA Major.

“I’m just going to remember this forever,” Monn said. “This has been so much fun. I can’t wait to go out and see what I can do and try to keep a steady head.”

Ricky Wysocki is in a three-way tie for the lead with two rounds to go at the USDGC. Photo: Justin Anderson / PDGA

Wysocki, Anttila Hold Steady

Ricky Wyoscki went 35 holes before his first bogey at Winthrop. Niklas Anttila, adding to the youth storyline on the lead card, maintained his pace.

It makes for a three-way tie heading into Moving Day at USDGC.

Wysocki bogeyed 18 for a 7-under round, matching Anttila, the rising 20-year-old from Finland, for a 15-under total with 36 holes to go.

Bradley Williams had the hottest round of the day at 10-under to jump 16 spots and is 13-under. Williams had one of two bogey-free rounds on Saturday, joining Chris Dickerson, whose 9-under round jumped him 27 spots to T9.

There were plenty of moves throughout the day on Friday.

Paul McBeth had a 9-under round and will lead the chase card at 12-under. Corey Ellis was another 9-under and jumped 18 spots into T7.

In total, 10 players are within five strokes and with that, the 24th USDGC is shaping up to be yet another classic finish.

Live coverage of the USDGC begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on the Disc Golf Network.