N. Spradlin 2nd, E. Shreve works on backhand
2/23: Shreve holds off Farris in night of bests
MOUNT SAVAGE — Wednesday night was the start of meteorological Spring; winter is, unofficially, in the rearview mirror.
So it was under a Waxing Gibbous phase moon — a situation in which the moon is more than 50 percent illuminated, but not yet a Full Moon — that Bill Shreve cruised to an Allegany County Disc Golf Club glow round victory at Mile Lane Disc Golf in Mount Savage. The brilliantly lit moon made it easier for Shreve and his five competitors to see all of his birdies.
An image of the Waxing Gibbous moon over Mile Lane Disc Golf in Mount Savage.
Shreve, 46, of Cumberland, finished with eight birdies — 44 percent — and missed his best mark from the short tees on the 18-hole layout by only a stroke en route to a convincing casual club round win. Shreve finished at six under par 48. Noah Spradlin, 23, of Frostburg, was second with a 57 (also only one off his best, set Dec. 31, 2022). Ethan Shreve, 19, of Cumberland, and Kevin Spradlin, 44, of Frostburg, tied for third with a 58. Nine-year-old Frostburg friends and neighbors Gary Schultz Jr. and Luke Spradlin-Vogelsang played alternate shot and finished with a 77.
From the start, it was clear Shreve was on a roll. He birdied three of the first four baskets, tallied five birdies on the front nine and led by five strokes at the midway point with a four under par 23. The older Spradlin men were tied for second at 28, while Ethan Shreve was fourth with a 30.
Early on in the round, however, the younger Shreve — typically a forehand specialist — took some backhand advice from his dad. And just like that, the younger Shreve was whipping solid backhand throws straight as an arrow towards the target. The only problem over the rest of the round was that Shreve was that, all too often, Shreve overshot the basket.
Ethan Shreve had the second best back nine and was the only player in the field to record a negative split from the first half to the second half.
It was Bill Shreve’s second consecutive glow round win, highlighting the value of his new glow discs. This time, though, he had some breathing room. On Dec. 31, 2022, Shreve lowered his personal best on the same layout to a 52 but still lost by a stroke. On Feb. 22, Shreve shaved five strokes off his personal best, tallying a seven under par 47. But he had Shania Farris on his heels the entire time. He won the match by a single stroke.
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