The NMU men’s and women’s golf teams wrapped up their first spring competitions with solid finishes in the Saddlebrook Spring Kickoff over spring break. The men’s team secured third place, while the women’s team finished sixth under the fiery Florida sun.
The NMU men’s team maintained its third-place position throughout the three-day competition, finishing with a total score of +101.
No. 18 Missouri S&T dominated the field with a +36 finish, while McKendree claimed second at +71. Walsh and Roosevelt battled for fourth and sixth, posting +109 and +110, respectively, with Saint Xavier finishing at +185.
The course remained consistent throughout the tournament, with players averaging 81.78 in the final round and 81.71 for the week. The only under-par hole was the par-five 14th, averaging 4.78.
NMU finished fifth in par-three scoring (+43), fourth in par-four scoring (+145), and fifth in par-five scoring (+14). The Wildcats recorded the third-most birdies (30) and fourth-most pars (137), alongside 106 bogeys and 51 double-bogey+ scores.
Walter Ylitalo paved the way for the Green and Gold, finishing 10th overall with a +18 total, posting a final round of +8 (79). He recorded three birdies and ranked 10th in par-four scoring (+15) and seventh in par-five scoring (-3). He finished second in birdies among the field, amassing an impressive total of 9.
His brother, Arthur Ylitalo recorded the best final round for the Wildcats at +3 (74); placing 12th overall at +20. His back nine performance included three birdies in a six-hole stretch. Arthur ranked seventh in par-three scoring (+4) and par-five scoring (-3), tallying seven birdies for the week.
Tyler Annala and Russel Sprecher would round out the Cats’ performance as they tied for 21st at +33 for the tournament. Sprecher closed out the team scoring with a birdie on the par-five 14th.
The NMU women’s team placed sixth at the Saddlebrook Spring Kickoff, posting a final score of +207. No. 5 ranked Marian won the event at +92, followed by Bethel (+134) and McKendree (+154).
The course was at its toughest on the final day, with an average score of 92.56. NMU ranked sixth in par-three (+82), par-four (+235), and par-five (+91) scoring.
Maggie Pietila would lead the Wildcats, finishing 13th overall with a +38 total. She recorded the team’s only birdie in the final round on the par-four 11th. Pietila ended the week ranked sixth in par-three scoring (+6) and fourth in par-four scoring (+16). She tied for sixth in birdies (4) and placed sixth in pars (25).
The freshmen also contributed to the team total as Maddy Martens finished 20th at +50, and Abbie Pietila posted the best final round for the Wildcats at +15 (87), moving up three spots to 26th at +59.
Junior Hailey Bolander followed closely, finishing 27th at +60 after a +18 (90) round. Both NMU teams showed promise, setting a strong foundation for the rest of the spring season.
