Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech’s Niilo Maki-Petaja is tied for 25th on the player leaderboard after shooting 72 (E) in round one Monday in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional.
It was a tricky first 18 holes at the Seminole Legacy Golf Club, in particular on the back nine which had two spurts of intense rainfall. One of the downpours resulted in play being suspended for almost 30 minutes while Maki-Petaja was on No. 15.
There was also the 30-minute fog delay to begin the round, which started a little shaky for Maki-Petaja who three-putted for bogey on the opening hole. He quickly settled in though, draining back-to-back birdies on No. 2 and No. 3.
What followed was a string of 13 straight pars. The sophomore had a couple of solid up-and-downs, including the one on the Par 4 No. 9. After missing the fairway right on the second-hardest hole for the first round, he would ultimately sink a 15-footer to shoot 35 on the front.
In that stretch of pars, four of them came on the Par 5s that he was unable to take advantage of. He also overcame the rain delay by chipping to within a foot to save par on the Par 3 No. 15.
The third birdie of the day finally came on the Par 4 No. 17. After his drive perfectly split the fairway, Maki-Petaja’s approach landed six inches from the hole. He would tap in to get to two under with one hole remaining.
He once again found the fairway on the Par 4 No. 18, his 11th fairway hit on the day. However, his approach shot rolled off the green. As another heavy rainfall started, Maki-Petaja would ultimately make double bogey to finish Even in round one.
Host Florida State owns a seven-shot lead on the team leaderboard while the Seminoles’ Luke Clanton is in first after shooting six under.
