James Conrad matched the Brewster Ridge course record to grab the GMC lead after one round. Photo: DGPT

James Conrad first entered the Vermont woods two weeks ago to quarantine, practice and explore the green mountains.

On Thursday, he went on a morning stroll through Brewster Ridge.

Conrad fired off a record-matching, 13-under par 48 to kick off the weekend at the Disc Golf Pro Tour’s Green Mountain Championship at Smugglers’ Notch Resort.

In contrast, Sarah Hokom finished strong, birding four-of-five on the back nine to build a one-stroke lead in the FPO division.

“It was a great round – we went off early, had a nice card and great weather,” Conrad told DGPT CEO, tournament director and course designer Jeff Spring after his 1089-rated round. “Being here practicing helped. It was great to be here quarantining to practice and get out in the area. I wasn’t questioning anything, just had to execute.”

The reigning USDGD champ did just that, particularly on the green. Conrad finished 100% in Circle 1X and Circle 2 putting – canning four 38-footers to go with a 73-foot throw-in in his round, his highest rated since Round 2 of the 2019 World Championships.

Conrad sliced the trees at Brewster as well, with an 83% fairway hit mark and 50% C-1 in regulation.

His lone blemish of the day came on the 380-foot 16th and was OB "by three inches," he said.

He was joined in the clubhouse early by Dan Brooks-Wells, a Pennsylvania native, who rattled off a bogey-free 10-under par 51. Brooks-Wells was one of four players with a clean-sheet opening round. Chris Dickerson went 9-under without a blemish, Jonathan Propalis fired off an 8-under and Austin Hannum finished 6-under bogey-free.

Paul McBeth started out six-for-six but a bogey on the ninth and another on the 13th dropped him to a 9-under 52 and a tied for third with Dickerson.

There are 14 MPO players at 6-under or better as action shifts to the Fox Run track.

In the afternoon, Hokom stayed focused on the shot in front of her with a strong finish for a 4-under 57.

Behind Hailey King, who started 5-under through 12 holes, Hokom went even par through the front nine before grabbing birdies on 12 through 14 and another on 16 to grab the lead.

King had slip-ups on 13 and 16 for a 3-under 58, one shot out of the lead and three ahead of third place.

“The first round doesn’t mean much except you can shoot yourself out of it,” Hokom told the DGPT’s Hannah McBeth. “You can’t win it on the first day.

“I’ve just got to stick to my routine and not worry about scores. Of course, I want to win but you can’t want to win so badly that it messes up your mental game.  You’ve just got to find that middle ground.”

The defending champ’s first-round total was one stroke better than her total through three rounds in 2019.

Hokom finished second in fairway hits (72%), second in C-1 in regulation (33%) and first in scramble and C1X putting, both at a sterling 100% rate.

King, whose 996 round is the second-highest in her young career, stayed clean through the front nine at 3-under, hit a 49-foot birdie on 10, parked 11 and hit a 27-foot par saver on 12. She bounced back from a bogey on 13 before an OB double-bogey on 16 led to a three-stroke swing to give Hokom the lead.

Kona Star Panis and Paige Pierce round out the lead card after shooting even-par 61s on the day. Jessie Weese also finished even.

Action resumes on the Disc Golf Network with coverage kicking off at 12:35 p.m. ET.