The NMU golf teams battled through challenging conditions and a shortened format at the Flyer Spring Invitational in Chicago, with the women’s squad finishing 10th and the men finishing 13th after weather forced the event to conclude early at 27 holes.
Originally scheduled for 36 holes, the tournament was cut short following Monday’s play due to inclement weather, putting added emphasis on strong starts and limiting opportunities to recover from mistakes. Both Wildcat teams showed moments of promise but struggled to maintain consistency across the condensed format.
On the women’s side, NMU finished with a team score of +82, led by sophomore Abbie Pietila, who placed tied for 29th at +17. Pietila delivered a steady performance throughout, opening on the back nine with a +5 before settling in with a +4 over her next nine holes. One of her highlights came on the par-four sixth, where she carded a birdie to spark a strong closing stretch, playing her final four holes of the opening round at one-under. She wrapped up her tournament with a +8 over her final nine holes.
As a team, the Wildcats averaged 4.03 on par threes, 5.09 on par fours, and 5.93 on par fives. NMU recorded three birdies, 48 pars, and 46 bogeys, but were hindered by 38 double bogeys or worse, which proved difficult to overcome in a shortened event. Maddy Martens and Aavra Relich followed Pietila in the standings, finishing tied for 38th and 43rd with scores of +19 and +22, respectively. Martens opened with an 83 before posting a +8 over her remaining holes, while Relich improved after her opening round, finishing with a +6 stretch. Relich’s three birdies tied for fourth-most in the field, providing a bright spot for the Wildcats. Payton Donnelly (+24) finished tied for 45th, while Gabriella Moreau rounded out the lineup.
The NMU men’s team came out with a 13th-place finish, posting a score of +44. Freshman Jacob Daavettila led the way with an impressive showing, finishing tied for 10th at +4. Daavettila opened his tournament with a +1 over his first 18 holes, putting himself in a tie for fifth early in the competition. He came out strong with two birdies in his first three holes and added another on the eighth to make the turn at one-under 35. He continued to generate scoring chances on the back nine, adding two more birdies before closing with a +3 over his final nine holes.
His play on par threes stood out, as he led the entire field with an average score of 2.67, finishing two-under on those holes. He also tied for the most birdies in the tournament with six, showcasing his ability to capitalize despite the conditions. As a team, the Wildcats averaged 3.37 on par threes, 4.60 on par fours, and 5.23 on par fives. NMU recorded 14 birdies and 59 pars, but 50 bogeys and 12 double bogeys or worse limited their ability to climb the leaderboard.
Senior Tyler Annala provided a steady presence, finishing tied for 37th at +8. After opening with an 80, Annala rebounded with an even-par 36 over his final nine holes and found success on par fives with three birdies. Arthur Ylitalo, Levi Pennala, and Harvey Ylitalo rounded out the Wildcat lineup.
With the weather-shortened tournament behind them, both teams will look to build momentum heading into the Upper Iowa Invitational on April 3-4 in Waterloo, Iowa.
