Mallery and Warder tie, while Shreve, Spradlin, Huff post division wins

One-third of the field under par
Warder rallies from six down to forge tie
Shreve holds off Spradlin
Huff completes first round

* Week 1 results
* Week 2 photo gallery
* League standings after Week 2
* Allegany County Disc Golf Club on Facebook
* Youth Disc Golf Clinic set for July 3
* Allegany County Disc Golf Club – website
* Mile Lane Disc Golf Course on Facebook

MOUNT SAVAGE — There seems to have been an explosion. Don’t worry, though. This incident does not require the likes of traditional first-responders arriving in the immediate future with sirens blaring, willing to serve the greater good.

Instead, disc golf players have heard the sound. They seem to like what they hear, and they are coming to play.

Week 2 of the Allegany County Disc Golf Club’s Summer Flex League included 18 players — a jump of 38 percent from Week 1 — toeing the tee pads at Mile Lane Disc Golf Course in Mount Savage. This time, 18 players completed a total of 24 rounds of disc golf — 432 holes — with at least one player in each of the four divisions. Week 2 allowed players to complete their rounds between Friday (June 17) and Monday (June 20).

There is no cost to play a league round, though club membership is required. Club membership is also free.

The league weekend happened to include Father’s Day, and many players celebrated with a round of disc golf. Thirteen of the 18 players (72.2 percent) included dads with their sons, daughters and/or significant others.

Women’s division

Becky Shreve, 41, of Cumberland, won the women’s division for the second consecutive week. Playing from the blue (short tees) for all 18 holes, Shreve posted a 65 on the par 54 course that features challenging lines and more than a few trees. Shreve threw for par on seven of 18 holes (38.9 percent) and threw her lone birdie on No. 3, the “island hole” that requires the thrower to land the disc inside a specified perimeter around the orange basket or risk a penalty stroke.

Shreve finished 12th overall among 18 competitors — and one place ahead of her closest competitor in the women’s division. They also happened to both play on Monday evening. Stephanie Spradlin, 42, of Frostburg, threw a 71 on her first time at Mile Lane Disc Golf Course in Mount Savage. Spradlin threw for par five times, and her only birdie came on No. 8 — down to the yellow basket, just in front of the fallen tree that drove long-tee players the best kind of crazy over the weekend.

Krystal Mallery, 50, of Mount Savage, took third with a round of 77 — her first-ever league round (anywhere) and first round of 18. Mallery complained of arthritis-related pain during the round and there was some concern she might not be able to finish. She did finish — only to learn the medical condition she played through is much more serious than arthritis. Nicole Davies, meanwhile, indicated she had to play a round to try and beat her mom (Mallery) but fell short by three strokes. Mallery finished with a 77 while Davies threw an 80.

Youth divisions

Josiah Spradlin played twice over the four-day period. The first time, he threw a 13 over par 67. Notably, the 12-year-old Frostburg resident was just ahead of his younger brother on Saturday. Luke Spradlin-Vogelsang had himself a round — easily the best of his young life — despite conditions that included a steady 18 mph wind with gusts up to 32 mph and was only two strokes behind his older brother after the front nine. On the back nine, Luke struggled to keep pace and settled for a score that is eight strokes better than his previous 18-hole effort — a performance that, inarguably, came on a much easier course in Cumberland.

AlleganyPlayground photo
Karli Huff struggled in her disc golf debut, but did so with a smile. When her disc landed in the baby swing in the front yard, or high in a tree, it was outright laughter.

Both boys played again on Monday evening, and Josiah, who also won Week 1, was on a roll almost from the start. After a bogey on No. 1, he rattled off eight baskets of par or better on seven of them, including two birdies (Nos. 3 and 9). On the back nine, his drives were fearless and the 12-year-old Frostburg kid threw for par five more times en route to a personal best round of 58, only four over par.

Karli Huff, meanwhile, played on a different level altogether. It was the 12-year-old Frostburg girl’s first time on a disc golf course and only the second time in her life she’s held a disc. Huff served as a milestone of sorts for the Allegany County Disc Golf Club in that her division — girls 17-and-under — was the only division in Week 1 that did not have a contestant. Huff took the trees and missed putts in stride on Monday evening and threw a personal best score of 98. She managed her first bogey on. No. 15, the 230-foot journey to the yellow basket in the woods. It is the fourth longest hole from the blue (short tees). Huff also 11 double bogeys, indicating her scores will plummet once some of the fundamentals of throwing are ironed out.

Men’s division

One of the primary negatives, if there are any, of a flex league is that the best players don’t always go head-to-head. But that’s true even when everyone is on the course at the same time, as the player with the hot round can frequently be on something other than the lead card.

So it was disappointing to know that Colby Mallery, 18, of Mount Savage, and David Warder, 31, of Frostburg, weren’t throwing toe-to-toe over the weekend. But what a competition! They both landed with 6 under par scores of 54. Both players managed seven birdies — Mallery on Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 15 and 16, and Warder on Nos. 3, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17.

Separately, Mallery birdied No. 1 and maintained that one-stroke lead through four baskets. On No. 5, a 233-foot uphill par 4 to the lime green basket, Mallery tripled his lead when he threw for birdie while Warder bogeyed. Mallery opened his lead to four strokes on the next basket, as he threw for par and Warder threw for bogey. Mallery continued his hot streak on the front nine and led by six strokes at the midway point.

Then the roles reversed themselves. It was Warder on the offensive, earning six of his seven birdies (85.7 percent) on the back nine to rally. He cut the six-stroke deficit by one-third on No. 10, then in half (by another two) on No. 12. Warder pulled to within one stroke on No. 14, but he and Mallery matched throwing for par on the next two baskets. Hole No. 17 features a 341-foot black MVP basket with an intimidating configuration that includes a dog leg to the right, below both homes (through the trees) situated on the privately owned course. There, Warder threw a birdie on the par 4 hole and Mallery — who has been known to have a shot at an eagle on the hole — threw, this time, for par. The two tied on No. 18 to seal the tie.

AlleganyPlayground photo
Ethan von Hagel threw a second round in Week 2 of the Summer Flex League, lowering his score by five strokes and earning a tie for third place.

The next four players also ended in ties — one tie for every two competitors. Ethan von Hagel, 19, of Cumberland, threw a second round for a 3 under par 57, the same score earned by 20-year-old Frostburg resident Sam Wolodkin. They took third place. Finishing in a tie for fifth place was Bill Shreve, 46, of Cumberland, and Devon Spiker, 19, of Frostburg, each with a 58.

Nic Davies, 26, of Mount Savage, celebrated his birthday on Saturday with a score of 60, good for seventh place, while father-in-law Scott Mallery, 54, of Mount Savage, finished in eighth with a 61. Kevin Spradlin, 43, of Frostburg, earned a top 10 finish with a second effort of a 63, three strokes better than his previous best. Youngsters Ethan Shreve, 18, of Cumberland, took 10th place with a 64 while Noah Spradlin, 22, of Frostburg, claimed 11th place (80) in only his second 18-hole round of disc golf.

Summer Flex League action continues July 1-4 at Central Assembly of God in Cumberland. The course is not available to play on Sundays until 2 p.m. Players can play as many rounds as they want, as their best round counts.