N. Gaughan’s eagle highlight’s Week 3 of SYL

Week 4 set for The Glades on April 28

* Allegany County Disc Golf Club on Facebook
* Previous results: Week 1 … Week 2

CUMBERLAND — Familiarity, it is often said in the athletic environment, breeds success. Noah Gaughan likely would agree.

The 12-year-old Cumberland boy nailed an eagle on No. 5 and threw for par eight other times as the Allegany County Disc Golf Club’s Spring Youth League competed in Week 3 at Central Assembly of God in Cumberland.

Noah Gaughan makes the tap-in putt on No. 3.

Gaughan finished second in the youth standings with a two under par 34. He was a single stroke behind Luke Spradlin-Vogelsang, 9, of Frostburg, who tallied a 33. But Spradlin-Vogelsang has been playing disc golf since September 2021. Gaughan has played only four times — once last September during the club’s Fall Youth League, and three times this Spring. On Friday, he was the only player to improve his average number of strokes per hole in Week 3 from Week 1. Gaughan averagdd 4.25 strokes over 12 holes at Mile Lane Disc Golf in Mount Savage earlier this month. On Friday, he averaged 3.77 strokes over nine holes from the short tees.

Isaiah Gaughan, 11, of Cumberland, was third with a 68. With a mantra of “straight and flat,” the younger Gaughan ran into trouble early but found his groove over the last three holes. On the youth-adjusted par, he threw for bogey on Nos. 7, 8 and 9 to finish out the round under mostly gray skies. Gaughan appeared headed towards a double bogey on No. 8, but he surprised himself — and everyone else — and made a putt from about 15 feet away from the pin.

But it was the older Gaughan brother who stole the show. Noah Gaughan started his round by throwing for par on the first four baskets. Then came No. 5, which is 180 feet from the pin and offers players a gentle, downhill slope. The “straight and flat” mantra had already started to stick with Gaughan, and he out drove everyone on his card. Like his brother later did on No. 8, Gaughan seemed to surprise himself and others by making the putt from about 18 feet away from the basket. His putter banged the chains and settled at the bottom of the cage.

Kevin Spradlin, 44, of Frostburg, led the adults with a two under par 25. Jay Goodman, 20, of Frostburg, was one stroke behind with a 26. Newcomer Chris Gaughan played his first round of disc golf and finished a respectable 10 over par 37. He threw for bogey on eight of nine baskets — along with a double bogey on the aforementioned No. 4 with a steep ascent — and just missed a couple of par-saving putts.

After league play, Goodman conducted a clinic with the three kids that focused on the backhand — going for the straight and flat throw. Both Gaughan brothers improved significantly during the instruction, and it seems the sky’s the limit for both boys in future rounds.

Week 4 of Spring Youth League will take place on Friday, April 28 at The Glades at Meshach Run in Accident. Tee time is 5:30 p.m. A putting clinic will take place prior to the start of play, so players (and parents) should allow up to two hours for the session instead of the normal 90 minutes.

The league is free and open to players of all experience levels ages 8 to 17.