Shreve birdies No. 6, holds on for modified doubles win

Raynor 2nd, E. Shreve and Spradlin tie for 3rd
Doubles play resumes Dec. 5 in Cumberland

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CUMBERLAND — No tie. No Scott Mallery. No problem for Bill Shreve.

The 45-year-old Cumberland man and his partner, son Ethan Shreve, birdied No. 6 on the front nine, propelling Shreve to an individual lead in modified doubles play to wrap up Week 6 in the Western Maryland Disc Golf Fall/Winter Doubles League at Central Assembly of God in Cumberland.

Kevin Spradlin photo | AlleganyPlayground.com
Bill Shreve throws from No. 6 on the red tee. He and partner Ethan Shreve birdied the hole in two strokes.

It was a lead Bill Shreve, who played one day earlier in the inaugural Ace Race event at Mile Lane Disc Golf in Mount Savage, built on over the remaining 12 baskets. Shreve finished with a score of 46, followed by Keith Raynor, 45, of Vale Summit, in second place with a round of 50. Ethan Shreve, 18, of Cumberland, and Kevin Spradlin, 42, of Frostburg, each scored a 53 to tie for third. Josiah Spradlin, 12, of Frostburg, rounded out the field with a 55. It was the younger Spradlin’s first time throwing from the white tees on the back nine, so his second-half score of 28 was even more impressive.

With five people registered for the 2 p.m. tee time, Bill Shreve pulled a magic trick from the hat of disc golf veteran and administrator Scott Mallery, leaning on the Week 2 format which made the odd man out be a rotating position over 18 holes. During play on Oct. 31, Shreve tied with Mallery (48 each).

Kevin Spradlin photo | AlleganyPlayground.com
Josiah Spradlin, 12, tees off on No. 8. His partner was Ethan Shreve but, at least for this hole, Josiah did not need him.

At each tee on Sunday, the pairs alternated — it started out with the two Spradlins, then the Shreves, with Raynor on his own for the first hole. The odd player out was able to have a mulligan on one shot during each hole, similar to a doubles team having the option to choose between partners’ throws.

Raynor and Bill and Ethan Shreve each shot solo four times, while Kevin and Josiah Spradlin each played the odd man out three times. Comparing each player’s first three solo holes, the scoring looked like this:

Kevin (2, 3, 5 = 10)

Josiah (4, 4, 3 = 11)

Bill (2, 3, 2 = 7)

Ethan (3, 3, 4 = 10)

Keith (2, 3, 3 = 8)

Kevin was the only player to shoot solo only once on the shorter red nine, scoring a birdie on No. 5.

With the help of his rotating partners, Kevin Spradlin stayed even with Bill Shreve through the first five baskets. Then Shreve and his son birdied No. 6. Bill Shreve gained another stroke on No. 9 — another birdie — for a two stroke lead over Spradlin and Raynor at the midway point (21 to 23). Ethan Shreve was at 24 while Josiah Spradlin threw a 27.

Kevin Spradlin photo | AlleganyPlayground.com
Keith Raynor tees off from No. 10, the first white tee on the back nine.

Fall/Winter Doubles League action continues on Sunday, Dec. 5 at Central Assembly of God in Cumberland with a tee time of 2 p.m. for all players, members and non-members alike. Registration begins at about 1:30 p.m. The registration fee is $5 per player ($2 goes to the league, $1 goes into the ace fund and $2 goes into the weekly winner’s purse).