Northern Michigan University senior golfer Eric Yun lines up a putt during a 2023-24 Wildcat men’s meet. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — A Northern Michigan University golfer may have just one-upped his teammates in his amateur championship tournament experience this summer.

Eric Yun, who was listed as a redshirt senior on last year’s NMU roster, tied for 39th place at the 119th Canadian Amateur Championship that finished on Aug. 8 at the Riverside Country Club in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Yun played in a national championship while three of his teammates were able to compete in their own U.S. state amateur finals during this month and in July.

Yun, listed as a resident of Markham, Ontario, finished with a four-day score of 1-over-par 289 on rounds of 73, 72, 68 and 76.

The field started with more than 200 golfers, according to a news release from NMU Sports Information, and Yun made the cut just one stroke above the cut line for the final two days of play.

His 1-over opening round included five birdies and seven pars, while his even-par second day had two birdies and 14 pars.

He then turned in his 4-under-par round on Aug. 7 with six birdies and 10 pars, including a bogey-free 32 on the back nine to move into a tie for 20th.

Yun also had a strong start to the final day, going out on the first nine holes at 1-under, but finished the day 4-over to end up near the middle of the pack of 89 golfers who made the cut.

His three teammates in U.S. state amateur finals were led by Russel Sprecher, listed as a senior on last year’s NMU roster, who finished 29th at the 103rd Golf Association of Michigan Amateur Championship on Aug. 6. Though listed as a resident of Casper, Wyoming, he likely was eligible for the Michigan event due to his past several years living in the state while attending Northern.

Playing at Barton Hills Country Club in Ann Arbor, he made the 31-man cut in a field of 84 on the number after two rounds, both played Aug. 5 at 6-over-par 146 on rounds of 72 and 74. He totaled seven birdies and 18 pars in those two rounds.

After a long weather delay on Aug. 6, Sprecher finished with a 9-over 79 for a 15-over 225 total.

Arthur Ylitalo, a freshman last year for NMU, tied for 31st on July 17 at the end of the 121st Minnesota Golf Association Amateur Championship at Minnesota Valley Country Club in Bloomington.

A resident of Buffalo, Minnesota, Ylitalo shot a 1-over 220 on rounds 72, 75 and 73. The field began with 156 golfers, cut to the top 63 after two days, which Ylitalo made by two strokes.

And Brady Badker of Menominee missed the cut and finished in a tie for 124th at the Wisconsin Amateur Championship held at The Legend at Merrill Hills in Waukesha that he finished on July 16.

Badker, a sophomore for NMU last year, shot a 21-over 163 on rounds of 78 and 85 to miss the 78-golfer cut by nine strokes.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.