ROCHESTER, N.H. — Just over the Maine border in Rochester, New Hampshire, professional disk golfers are keeping a close eye on a boy they call "The Granite State Kid."
Uriyah Kelley can toss with the best of them, adults included.
"The last tournament I played in was at Birch Park," says Uriyah. "There were 39 men. I beat 34 of them."
Not bad for a fourth grader. When he plays in his age group, Uriyah is even more of a force. His skills have caught the attention of sponsors and pros like German star Simon Lizotte, who traveled to New England to play doubles with the young thrower.
Disk golf is a lot like regular golf, and Uriyah has picked it up fast. His woods and irons are kept in a back pack he carries around the course -- no caddy needed. Uriyah surveys his surroundings, chooses his disk, and lets it rip. More often than not, it lands where he wants, but the young star still has a big milestone left to hit.
"One of my dreams is to get my first ace," says Uriyah, the disc golf term for a hole in one.
He's got plenty of time to play. He's only nine, and his fan base is ten times that number.
"You can see the support he's got out here," says Dennis Grzywacz, owner of Salmon Falls Disc Golf in Rochester. "He's naturally skilled and he takes it in stride. He's got a good head on his shoulders and that's a big part of golf."
Uriyah knows there are going to be misses, but he let's them roll off his back. There's always another hole, and another chance at that ace.
"You get to have a lot of fun with it," says Uriyah. "It just feels really great having good shots."