Raynor, Shreve rally for disc golf win

Doubles play continues Jan. 23 in Mount Savage
Shreve solidifies lead in MVP race, Raynor tied for 2nd

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Previous disc golf coverage from Oct. 4 – Jan. 9

CUMBERLAND — At the 2 p.m. start of Western Maryland Disc Golf Fall/Winter Doubles League action on Sunday at Central Assembly of God in Cumberland, it was about 16 degrees with a light snow.

Nicki Raynor makes the putt on No. 16, as she and teammate Bill Shreve took a one-stroke lead with two baskets to play.

As the time passed, the cold had an obvious effect on Keith Raynor and Ethan Von Hagel. It was cold. They were cold, to the point that Raynor had trouble writing down the players’ scores. For Nicki Raynor and Bill Shreve, though, well, things were just started to heat up.

Nicki Raynor, 45, of Vale Summit, and Shreve, 45, off Cumberland, teamed up and turned it on at just the right time to turn a three-stroke deficit into a three-stroke victory.

Team Raynor-Shreve were down by three after the first nine baskets, and cut into the lead by one stroke with a birdie on No. 10. They took away the rest of the lead on No. 15 — the basket in the woods. Both teams struggled on this par 4 hole and while Team Raynor-Shreve bogeyed the basket, Team Raynor-Von Hagel threw for a triple bogey.

With three baskets to go, the score was tied.

On the very next basket, Nicki Raynor made the putt from about 8 feet to take the lead. The top two teams tied on No. 17, and Team Raynor-Von Hagel double bogeyed No. 18 to seal their loss.

Bill Shreve drives from the red tee on No. 8.

Team Raynor-Shreve threw a consistent 29 on both the front nine and back nine. Nicki Raynor struggled with her putts on the front nine, but both she and Shreve seemed to warm up to the challenge during the second hour of play.

Team Raynor-Shreve earned the win by making par on 13 of 18 baskets, with a single birdie (No. 10) and four bogeys (Nos. 1, 5, 13 and 15). Comparatively, Team Raynor-Von Hagel finished with two birdies and made par on 11 baskets, with three bogeys (Nos. 8, 13 and 16) and two double bogeys (Nos. 15 and 18). They combined to throw a 26 on the front nine and a 35 on the back nine.

Keith Raynor is now tied for second in the MVP standings.

Kevin Spradlin, 42, of Frostburg, played an individual round without the use of mulligans and finished with a 65, his second best score on the course since he began playing in late August 2021.

Spradlin made par seven times on the front nine (29) but only once on the back nine (36).

Doubles play is scheduled to resume on Sunday, Jan. 23 at Mile Lane Disc Golf, located at 14708 Mile Lane in Mount Savage.

MVP standings update

By sharing a victory with Nicki Raynor, Bill Shreve increased his overall lead in the inaugural Fall/Winter Doubles League MVP standings to 12 points. Keith Raynor’s second-place finish and four MVP points moved him into a tie for second with David Warder.

Nicki Raynor, meanwhile, entered Sunday in 15th place with only three points. She had participated in the first weekend of doubles league action on Oct. 24. Her shared win on Sunday, though, helped her climb five spots. She is now 10th with eight points, only two places and three points behind Ethan Von Hagel.

Ethan Von Hagel has played three consecutive weeks and is now ninth in the MVP race.

There are six scheduled weeks of doubles league left, weather permitting. The Fall/Winter Doubles League wraps up on Feb. 27. The Spring/Summer League begins Thursday, March 17 in Cumberland.

The updated race for Fall/Winter Doubles League Most Valuable Player through play on Jan. 16.

 

 

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