Shania beats Tim — and the field

S. Farris gets first win over T. Farris

Upcoming rounds:
* Sunday, Feb. 19: Week 8 of Winter Doubles League at Central at 2 p.m.
* Monday, Feb. 20: Club round in Lonaconing at 2 p.m.
* Wednesday, Feb. 22: Glow round at Mile Lane at 6 p.m.
* Friday, Feb. 24: Glow round in Lonaconing at 6 p.m.
* Sunday, Feb. 26: Week 9 of WDL at Mile Lane at 2 p.m.
* Wednesday, March 1: Glow round at Mile Lane at 6 p.m.
* Saturday, March 4: ACDGC Doubles Championship

MOUNT SAVAGE — Finally.

Shania Farris had a chance to beat husband Tim Farris during a glow round in Lonaconing on Feb. 10. There, Shania was third overall at the midway point — only two strokes behind the leader — but, more importantly (from at least one person’s perspective), five strokes ahead of Tim.

And yet, Tim finished with a 12 over par 68 in the couple’s first round at Living Waters Church Family Life Center. In the dark, Shania fell out of contention and finished one stroke behind Tim. bolstered by a field-worst 40 over the back nine.

Shania Farris

That was the third close call in about a month for the Farris couple. They played a Fisher Cup round on Feb. 4 at Woodsboro Regional Park in Frederick County. Shania never led, but was tied with Tim on five of 18 holes and down by only one stroke on 12 others — including the last one. Tim finished with a 57 to Shania’s 58.

Then, on Jan. 8 in Week 2 of Winter Doubles League, the format was a combined score — which offered each player a chance to notch individual rounds. Shania trailed Tim by a single stroke after the front nine but could not quite close the gap, finishing the round with a three-stroke deficit to her other half (who, incidentally, was named the club’s Player of the Month in January).

On Friday at Mile Lane Disc Golf Course in Mount Savage, Shania was tied for second after the front nine, only one stroke behind Tim. Once again, Shania’s second-half performance disrupted the standings — this time, in her favor.

Shania threw the second-best back nine and finished with a one over par 55 on the 18-hole layout from the short tees, giving the 26-year-old Wiley Ford, W.Va., woman her first win over her husband in league competition. Tim has been playing disc golf for approximately 18 years; Shania for less than two. As the small field of five players traipsed through slick mud and endured invasive steady winds of around 13 mph and a temperature of about 30 degrees that, with the wind child, felt closer to 18, Shania clearly blamed Tim for being in such a predicament. Players even saw a few fresh snowflakes.

All was forgiven a total of 18 holes later.

It came down to the final basket. Shania (52) led Tim (54) by two strokes after 17. Shania figured she’d be fine even if she bogeyed No. 18. That wasn’t accurate. Tim’s drive was a good one, and he made the putt — nothing was a given, given the winds this night — to put pressure on Shania. Suddenly, Shania knew she was putting from the inner half of Circle 1 for the win.

She made it.

It was a night full of drama — the couple’s first glow round at Mile Lane — but Shania was consistently the top storyline. It was Shania’s first outright win since the couple joined the couple on New Year’s Day. It was also the first outright win by a female in any Allegany County Disc Golf Club-sponsored round.

Shania started off with a bogey on No. 1 — Tim saved par — but birdied the next three holes to take a one-stroke lead over Tim. She gave up the lead with a bogey on No. 5, then Tim took a two-stroke lead after Shania bogeyed three of the next four baskets. She cut Tim’s lead in half on No. 9 when she threw for birdie to his par.

Tim led with a 26, and Shania had a 27. The three others in the field — Frostburg residents Kevin Spradlin, 43, Noah Spradlin, 23, and Luke Spradlin-Vogelsang, 9 — were, for competition’s sake, an afterthought. Kevin was tied with Shania for second, while  Noah was at a 31 and Luke had a wind-aided 40.

Shania forged a tie with Tim on No. 10 when she threw for birdie, set up by a well-executed drive that went between the big tree and the shed. Then Tim ran into trouble on No. 12, when he threw for double bogey, putting Shania out front by two strokes. Shania gave one of those back on No. 13 when she threw for bogey, and Tim knotted the score at 42 apiece on No. 14 when he threw for birdie to Shania’s par.

But trouble found Tim a second time this night. Playing the final six holes on the 18-hole layout for only their second time, and first from the short tees — they joined the club for rounds starting on Jan. 1 — Tim found it difficult to get his bears. Shania, meanwhile, played as if it was 2 in the afternoon. While Tim double bogeyed No. 15, Shania threw for par — earning her a two-stroke lead and the first one of the night she wouldn’t relinquish.

Kevin hung on for a tie with Tim for second place with a 56. Noah, who has been playing only eight months, finished with the best second-half of the field (27) to tally a 58 — only two shy of his best mark — while Luke finished with a 76 after an experiment-filled back nine that will undoubtedly pay dividends in future rounds.

 

 

 

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