GLADSTONE — Scott Saari of Wawonowin Country Club in Champion made the championship flight after Monday’s first day of the Upper Peninsula Senior Golf Championship at Terrace Bluff Golf and Country Club in Gladstone.

Saari, the 2018 champion of this tourney, shot 74 during the 16th annual tournament to trail leader Tim Kramer of Riverside Country Club in Menominee by three strokes in a crowded field in the top flight.

More than 120 golfers played Monday, which included four former champions of this senior event or the regular U.P. Golf Association men’s championship. The event was scheduled to wrap up Tuesday, barring predicted bad weather.

Kramer, who is actually a Wisconsin resident who lives near Marinette, shot 71 to lead by one or two strokes ahead of eight other golfers.

Tom LaVigne of Iron Mountain, Gary Sharpe of Sault Ste. Marie, Troy Carlson of Rapid River and Joe Quinn of Gladstone all came in at 72. Quinn is the 2014 UPGA men’s champion.

At 73 were defending champion Mark Ray of Highland Golf Club of the Escanaba area, three-time champion Jim Wagner of Marinette, Dan Soderman of Nahma and Steve Douglas of Terrace Bluff. Wagner won this tourney from 2014-16.

Joining Saari with 74 was Matt Smith Jr. of Irish Oaks in Escanaba, who won the UPGA men’s regular event in 2004, and Erik Spindler.

And at 75 is Larry Bratonia of Irish Oaks, the ’17 UPGA senior champ.

Golfers were scheduled to return to the course on Tuesday morning, with the championship flight to tee off in the early afternoon.

This event was originally scheduled for June, but was moved back to accommodate extra time needed to prepare with the coronavirus pandemic.