Nate Sexton leads by one stroke at the halfway point of the United States Disc Golf Championship

Nate Sexton started the second round of the United States Disc Golf Championship with four straight birdies and went on to shoot -9 (58) to lead the tournament by one stroke at the halfway point. Sexton, who is from Corvallis, Or., finished the round with 11 birdies and two bogies.

Defending champion Jeremy Koling from Charlotte sits in second. He started strong making eight birdies over the first 12 holes but struggled closing out the round shooting one-over par during the final six holes. He finished his round -6 (61).

Gregg Barsby had the hot round for the first 16 holes but he shot four-over par on the last two holes to finish the round -7 (60). He is in a three-way tie for third place.

Three who mattered

Austin Turner. The Charlotte disc golfer who started touring professionally this year, had a ricochet hole-in-one on the 284-feet, hole No. 7. This hole is guarded by a bamboo fence with a hole that the disc golfers have to navigate their disc through to reach the target. His drive hit the right side of the hole in the fence and bounced directly into the Innova DiscCatcther target. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsarW_EjDwA

Paul McBeth. The 2015 champion struggled shooting -2 (65). He uncharacteristically had three double bogies and two bogies.

Barry Schultz. The 48-year-old Charlottean is keeping up with the young guys and currently sits -10 (61, 62) tied for 8th place. Schultz won the USDGC in 2001, 2003 and 2006.

They said it

“Now that was really bad.”

Kevin Jones described his score to his caddy after finishing the easiest hole on the course, par 4, 499-feet No. 9. His tee shot landed less than inch of being in bounds and then his putt rolled out-of-bounds. He carded a triple bogey 7.

By the numbers

$1,000 There is a $1,000 prize for anyone who aces hole No. 3. After two rounds, no one has accomplished that on the 389-feet, par 3 hole.

17. Hole 17 has wrecked a few rounds over the nineteen years the tournament has been played at Winthrop University. Today was no different. USDGC rookie Jones, from Greenwood, Arkansas, had been playing well and was sitting at -14 and tied for second. After throwing out-of-bounds three straight throws, he carded an 8 for the par-3 hole. He finished the round shooting -2 (65) and currently is tied for 8th.

This story was originally published October 5, 2017 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Nate Sexton leads by one stroke at the halfway point of the United States Disc Golf Championship."