Maki-Petaja Posts 71, Sits in Top 10 after Round One

Monday, May 13

Baton Rouge, LA

18 Holes

Louisiana Tech University

NCAA Regionals

Maki-Petaja shoots 71 (-1) in Round 1 of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional

Photo by: Kane McGuire

Maki-Petaja Posts 71, Sits in Top 10 after Round One

5/13/2024 5:25:00 PM | Men's Golf

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The freshman Bulldog was one of just 14 players to finish in the red on day one

By: Kane McGuire

BATON ROUGE – Louisiana Tech's Niilo Maki-Petaja opened the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional on Monday by shooting a 71 (-1) in round one, putting the Bulldog in a tie for ninth at the University Club.

On an overcast day with shifting winds and challenging pin locations, Maki-Petaja was only 14 players among a field of 75 to finish in the red after 18 holes. He fired a 34 on the front that included two birdies and an eagle, followed by a 37 on the back.

The freshman got off to a hot start, hitting a 9-iron to within our four feet on the Par 4 No. 2 where he would make birdie. He followed that up with another birdie on the longest hole on the course, the 632-yard Par 5 No. 3. His wedge approach hit the flag stick and bounced back, which only required a tap-in putt to quickly get to two under through three holes.

Maki-Petaja gave one back on the Par 4 No. 4 after missing the fairway right, but he came up with a brilliant up-and-down on the Par 5 No. 5 to save par.

Arguably his best shot of the day was on the following hole where he stuck a 5-iron to within two feet on the Par 5 No. 6 where he would make eagle to get to three under. He finished the front nine with par-bogey-par to shoot 34 (-2).

A couple of near-missed birdie putts on No. 10 and No. 11 was followed by a tough double bogey on the Par 4 No. 12, which put him back at Even for the day. Another up-and-down par save at the Par 3 No. 13 then led to birdie on the Par 4 No. 14, which played as the toughest hole on the course in round one (just seven total birdies made).

Maki-Petaja would go par-par before attacking yet another Par 5, this one No. 17. After coming up just short of the green in trying to make it on in two, he would make the five-foot putt to get back to two under. He would finish the round at one with a bogey on the finishing hole when he came up short-sided.

QUOTABLES
Head coach Matt Terry

"I was really proud of the way Niilo played today. One under is always solid, especially on a golf course like this where you are going to make some bogeys. He had three up-and-downs on the par threes which was really good. It kind of offset some of the birdie opportunities that he missed. It all balances out at the end of the day. Tomorrow, we will go out and try to execute the same way."

Niilo Maki-Petaja
"I thought I had a lot of good moments. It was all in all a good time on the course today. I hit a lot of really good wedges that helped with my scoring. You can always do things better, but I was very happy with how coach and I made our game plan for today and stuck to it."

NOTABLES

Shot his 20th round at or under par for the season, one round shy of tying the program record.
Shoot four under on the par fives, tying for the second-best scoring average (4.00) among the field.
Marks the eighth time this season he has made at least five birdies/eagles in a single round.
Was one of just four golfers to make an eagle in round one (fifth eagle of the season).

UP NEXT
Maki-Petaja will be in the last pairing on Tuesday for round two. The Bulldog will tee off at 10:34 a.m. CT at the University Club.

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