Not nasty in Marquette, though it certainly has been that way around here, but nasty in the places south — or much further south — that they usually play this time of year.

This week’s tournament was scheduled to start this morning and run through Sunday at Bedford Valley Golf Club in downstate Battle Creek.

Ten of the league’s 11 full members will field teams, the only exception Michigan Tech. The field includes the top-ranked team in the Midwest and No. 9 in all of NCAA Division II, Grand Valley State. It also includes the No. 3 team in the region and No. 23 overall, Wayne State, along with regional No. 6 Ferris State (48th nationally) and No. 7 Saginaw Valley State (66th nationally).

NMU, meanwhile, was able to play in Florida for the Saddlebrook Spring Kickoff in early March and in central Illinois for the Flyer Spring Invitational at Lewis University at the final day of March and first day of April. Northern finished third of six teams in Florida and 10th of 13 in Illinois.

Northern Michigan University men’s golfer Walter Ylitalo tees off during the 2024 GLIAC Championships held in Augusta, just a few miles from the GLIAC Championships event scheduled for Friday through Sunday in downstate Battle Creek. (Photos courtesy NMU)

But the SVSU Invite set for Lexington, Kentucky, in mid-March and the Bill Blazer Memorial in central Ohio early this month were canceled.

Today’s opening day at the GLIACs includes 18 holes of stroke play, with another 18 in the same format on Saturday morning. At that point, the top four teams advance to match play semifinals that afternoon, then the championship match on Sunday.

Wildcats head coach Ben Johnson brings five golfers to Battle Creek — senior Walter Ylitalo, his sophomore brother Arthur Ylitalo, plus junior Tyler Annala, a Westwood High School graduate, senior Russel Sprecher and freshman Levi Pennala.

Bedford Valley is an 18-hole, “classically designed masterpiece” as NMU Sports Information describes it, that was conceived by William Mitchell in 1965 and purchased by the Scott family in 1988.

NMU SI goes on to describe it as “a favorite of golf purists for its shot value and challenging layout, the ‘Big Course’ as it is locally known, boasts sweeping greens, mammoth bunkers and fairways lined with majestic oak trees.”

Arthur Ylitalo

It’s further described with having a practice facility and staffed with professional associates. This complex has hosted the Michigan Open, Michigan Senior Open, Michigan Maxfli PGA Junior Championship, Michigan Publinx State Match Play and the NCAA Division III Championship.

A weather forecast for today in Battle Creek shows highs in mid-70s, mostly cloudy skies with a small chance of rain, and winds generally south-southwest from 15 to 20 mph.

Saturday will cool into the mid-50s, but again not much chance of rain, while Sunday will be even slightly cooler with winds around 15 mph but probably no rain again.

Northern finished eighth at the 2024 GLIAC Championships held at Stoatin Brae Club just a few miles away in Augusta after shooting a 39-over-par 607, which included a 13-over 297 in its second round.

That weekend, the Wildcats played par-5s at 8-under, second best only to Grand Valley, and recorded the fourth-most birdies with 19.

Russel Sprecher

Sprecher had a 4-over 75 with a birdie on his second day for an overall total of 6-over 148 and tie for 17th, NMU’s best score.

Arthur Ylitalo posted even-par 71 his second round with three birdies and a 2-under 34 on the front nine as he finished at 8-over 150 to tie for 23rd place.

Walter Ylitalo had NMU’s second-best round on day 2 of 3-over 74 with two birdies, putting him at 10-over 152 to tie for 25th.

Annala and Eric Yun each posted rounds of 6-over 77 on the second day, Annala including three birdies.

During Northern’s two rounds, Sprecher, Annala and both Ylitalos each played par-5s at 2-under. Sprecher had 27 pars in 36 holes, second in the field, while Arthur Ylitalo had six birdies, only two away from the most of all golfers during qualifying.

Levi Pennala

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