The Northern Michigan University (NMU) women’s golf team endured a physically and mentally demanding opening day at the NC4K Classic in Grove City, Ohio, facing over nine hours of play under freezing conditions. Hosted at the Pinnacle Golf Club by Ohio Dominican University, the tournament kicked off at 11 a.m. ET, launching the Wildcats into a grueling stretch of 18 holes followed by partial play into a second round just before nightfall.
Temperatures stayed in the 40s throughout Monday, challenging players with both the cold and the length of the round. NMU stood in 16th place after day one with a team score of +93, this included a first-round 353 (+65) and a +28 in their interrupted second round.
Top Wildcat Performers
Three Wildcats, seniors Maggie Pietila, Hailey Bolander, and freshman Maddy Martens, led the team through the frigid conditions. All three finished the day tied for 48th with a total of +19 after 27 holes. Pietila was especially noteworthy, recovering from a rough first round (+16) to shoot just +3 over her next nine, highlighted by birdies at holes 9 and 11 where she went -2 across five holes.
Martens contributed consistency, posting +12 in the first round and +7 in her next nine holes. Her birdie on the par-four 17th anchored her performance. Bolander led the trio in first-round scoring with a +10, though she slowed slightly with a +9 through nine second-round holes.
Depth in Adversity
NMU’s lineup showed persistence beyond its top golfers:
- Graduate Payton Dube: +39 through 25 holes
- Freshman Abbie Pietila: +41 through 27
- Sophomore Gabriella Moreau: +42 through 25
- Freshman Abby Luke (individual): +43 over 26 holes
Outlook for the Final Day
The Wildcats are slated to return to play Tuesday at noon ET, wrapping up the second round with hopes of improving their individual and team standings to close the regular season strong. The final round promises a test of resilience as NMU aims to regroup and climb the leaderboard despite the Ohio chill.
For more details, read the full article on the NMU Athletics website.
