Home field advantage shines in Saturday Morning Tag League debut

* Photo gallery – nearly 200 photos.
(AP apologizes that photos of players on the other card were not able to be obtained today. Unusual circumstances, to say the least).

MOUNT SAVAGE — At least for a day, there was, indeed, home field advantage.

Seven players toed the tees for the debut of the Saturday Morning Tag League at Mile Lane Disc Golf Course in Mount Savage, and two of the top three players live along the course’s namesake road and play at Mile Lane on a regular basis. They know the ins and outs. They know the lines — and, yes, they know the trees on a level no other player might understand.

Allegany Playground photo
Colby Mallery, 18, of Mount Savage, placed third in the Saturday Morning Tag League debut.

Scott Mallery, 53, of Mount Savage, led the field with a 12 under par score of 63. Newcomer Derek Hunter, of Bedford, Pa., was second (64) while Colby Mallery, 18, of Mount Savage, was third (65). B.J. Lewis placed fourth (66), while Seth Wilson, 28, of Cresaptown, placed fifth (70) and Nic Davies, 25, of Mount Savage, was sixth (71). Kevin Spradlin, 43, of Frostburg, rounded out the field with a distance 79.

Mallery led Hunter by stroke strokes at the midway point, and Lewis by three strokes. On the back half, Colby Mallery shot a hot round of 5 under 34, while Hunter was only one stroke off the pace.

The tag league, which will play twice a month through mid-October, played for the first time in a scored round on 24 holes, including 12 short (blue tees) and 12 long (red tees).

The seven competitors were within six strokes — ranging from 34 to 40 — of each other on the back nine (long tees).

Play resumes at 10 a.m. May 28 at Mile Lane Disc Golf Course in Mount Savage.