Competitors that included the Northern Michigan University men’s golf team tried to get in two full 18-hole rounds of golf to begin the Bulldog Fall Classic, and despite starting around 9 a.m., two or three holes were left for everyone to finish up on Tuesday morning.

They did that, then played a third round later Tuesday in this event also called the Midwest-Central Regional Preview at the Katke Golf Course, the home course for Ferris State in Big Rapids, according to an news release about the event from NMU Sports Information.

The Wildcats finished 17th of 19 teams in their first competition of the less-than-month-long fall season.

Northern finished at 92-over-par with the combined scores of four golfers over three rounds. NMU as a team improved each round, shooting 35-over, 29-over and then 28-over.

Northern Michigan University’s Arthur Ylitalo, right, tees off with fellow competitors watching during a Wildcat men’s golf meet during the 2024-25 season. (Photo courtesy NMU)

The Wildcats finished ahead of the Davenport B team at plus-96 and Roosevelt at plus-101 and just behind 16th-place Lewis at plus-84, 15th-place Purdue Northwest at plus-80 and 14th-place Northwood B at plus-79.

At the top of the standings was Rockhurst at plus-12, which included an opening round of a sizzling 6-under-par. That gave Rockhurst a 15-stroke victory over runner-up Gannon.

As a team, NMU averaged 3.40 strokes on each par-3 hole, 4.54 on par-4s and 5.42 on par-5s. The team had eight birdies and 153 pars.

Junior Arthur Ylitalo led the Wildcats overall and on the final day. His third round came in at 5-over 76 for a three-round total of 14-over 227 as he finished in a tie for 41st place individually among the 106 golfers.

He started out hot in Tuesday’s full round, going 1-under-par on his first seven holes on the back nine, birdieing the 548-yard, par-5 15th.

He cooled off at 6-over for his final 11 holes, even with another birdie on the 420-yard, par-4 fifth.

Ylitalo ended with 34 pars in 54 holes, just three behind the top number of parred holes by any golfer.

He also led Northern with four birdies, his par-5 scoring of 1-under, while also making the fewest bogeys and double-bogeys on the team.

Freshman Jacob Daavettila was second among Wildcats overall at 24-over, tied for 79th, and third in the final round with a 7-over 78. In that round, he was 2-over in his first seven holes, then sandwiched one of his two tournament birdies on the 440-yard, par-4 10th between a pair of double-bogeys.

Daavettila had NMU’s best scoring on par-3s at 3.27 per hole.

Then came senior Tyler Annala, a Westwood High School graduate, at 26-over in the three rounds, tied for 85th, including a 10-over 81 in the final round. His consistent play produced a pair of 8-over 79s the first two rounds, too.

Annala was second on the team in par-4 scoring, par-5 scoring and total pars.

Senior Brady Badker and sophomore Levi Pennala each finished at 32-over par, Badker shooting a 6-over 77 and Pennala a 10-over 81 in the final round.

Badker actually was 1-under in his first six holes in the final round, stringing together pars with a birdie on the same hole Ylitalo did, the 15th. He was also the only NMU player without a double-bogey in the final round.

Pennala, playing as an individual, had earlier rounds of 12-over 83 and 10-over 81 to go with his final 81.

And freshman teammate Harvey Ylitalo also competed as an individual, rolling up a 30-over total with 12-over the final day. He had a pair of birdies over the three rounds, second only to brother Arthur Ylitalo for Northern.

With the Wildcats’ women’s team playing this Monday and Tuesday at the Warrior Invitational at The Orchards Golf Club near Detroit, the men’s team resumes action for the two-day Motor City Shakedown at TPC Michigan in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 29-30.

Both of those upcoming tourneys are hosted by GLIAC member Wayne State.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the meet. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.