Northern Michigan University’s Arthur Ylitalo putts during a past Wildcats meet. (Photo courtesy NMU)

AUGUSTA — The men’s golf team at Northern Michigan University finished in eighth place out of nine teams at the GLIAC Championship held at the Stonehedge Golf Course in this town located downstate between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo.

The three rounds held Wednesday and Thursday ended the Wildcats’ season after they were previously only able to play five rounds earlier going back to early March. The team also played in four tournaments last fall, each of two or three rounds.

NMU shot 36-over-par 888 for the three rounds, starting with 303, improving to an even-par 284 for the middle round, and ending with 301. Northern’s middle round was third-best in the field, and apparently matched the program record for an 18-hole team score.

Northern finished 11 strokes ahead of last-place Purdue Northwest, while also missing the four-team cut to the semifinals for team match play by 32.

Grand Valley State set the pace in qualifying with a 37-under 815, nearly three dozen strokes better than runner-up Davenport at 3-under 849. Ferris State and Wayne State tied for third with a 4-over 856s.

Saginaw Valley State missed the cut by just three strokes with a 7-over 859, while Wisconsin-Parkside was sixth with 14-over 866 and Roosevelt seventh with 21-over 873.

Junior Arthur Ylitalo led the Wildcats, shooting a 5-over 218 on the par-71 course. He opened with a 3-over 74, added a 1-under 70 and finished with another 74 to tie for 21st place.

He recorded two birdies and 11 pars in his opening round, four birdies and 11 pars in round 2, and three birdies and 10 pars in his final round.

Senior teammate Brady Badker was next with a 12-over 225 to tie for 33rd after rounds of 5-over 76, 2-over 73 and 5-over 76.

He put up two birdies in his second round and one more in the final trek.

NMU sophomore Levi Pennala was one stroke back at 13-over 226 on rounds of 81, 69 and 76 to tie for 35th. He suffered a quintuple-bogey on one hole of his opening round, when he also had two birdies, then showed amazing improvement in the second round with an opening birdie and three in all to go with just one bogey. His score tied for fourth best in the second round.

Freshman Jacob Daavettila came in at 15-over 228 on rounds of 77, 72 and 79 to finish 38th, carding a birdie in the first and second rounds with 37 total pars.

And Westwood graduate and NMU senior Tyler Annala finished with 18-over 231 with rounds of 76, 80 and 75 to come in 39th. He had a bit of a wild ride, totaling seven birdies, including three in his highest-scoring second round, when he also had his only two double-bogeys of the three rounds.

Grand Valley’s Bryce Wheeler and Ryan Gallagher tied for the best individual performances, each finishing at 10-under 203. Wheeler rolled up rounds of 65, 69 and 69, while Gallagher had 70, 67 and 66.

In all, nine golfers finished under par with three more finishing at even par in a field of 41 golfers who played all three rounds and 49 in total.

The team semifinals were scheduled to be held Friday afternoon with the finals this morning.

The women’s tourney began Friday, apparently also at Stonehedge GC.

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.