BECKER, Minn. – The Yellowjacket men's golf team returned to the links Thursday, seeing action in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Preview held at Pebble Creek Golf Club. Off the heels of winning its only home event of the 2024-25 season, the 'Jackets have been playing great golf to begin the campaign.
 
Last season the Yellowjacket men finished atop the team standings at the UMAC Preview, with just three strokes separating themselves between second place North Central. Thursday's action saw a similar storyline play out with UWS finishing in first place by just two strokes, followed by the Rams.
 
UW-Superior saw Andrew Rude (Superior, Wis./Superior) and Nate Burke (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) in a logjam for first place, accompanied by Gordon Skaar of Northwestern. In a playoff hole to determine the individual medalist, Nate Burke (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) drained a putt that barely caught the right edge of the cup to emerge as the top finisher.
 
Tournament Notes

• UWS saw 13 of its golfers in action Thursday, the most of any UMAC school.
• Burke and Rude catapulted the Yellowjacket charge, firing identical rounds of one-over 73. Burke finished the front nine with a 38 but set himself up for success with an eagle on the par-five 16th and a birdie on the par-three 17th to place him in a tie of first.
• Rude finished his day with four birdies, three of which coming on the front nine for the lowest front nine score of 35.
• Finishing with a 40/37 split was Conner Willard (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing). He birdied the par-four first and the par-four eighth before finishing his round with eight more pars.
• Matt Unger (New Richmond, Wis./New Richmond) shot a 43 on the front nine before shaving five strokes on the back, finishing with an 81.
• An 89 was on the scorecard for Ian Bundy (Austin, Minn./Austin) this afternoon.
• Leading off the individual entries for UWS was T.J. Sitek (Superior, Wis./Superior), as his day saw him score eight-over 80. He fired nine pars while shooting one-under on the par-five 14th.
• August Lang (Somerset, Wis./Somerset) shot an eight-over 80 Thursday, which featured a birdie on the par-four ninth.
• Right behind Lang in the individual standings came Trevor Durfee (Superior, Wis./Superior), who carded back-to-back birdies on the third and fourth holes.
• Firing a 39 on the front nine and a 42 on the back nine was Seth Pettingill (Superior, Wis./Superior), as his nine-over 81 saw him shoot one-under at the par-four 15th.
• Carson Armstrong (Wautoma, Wis./Wautoma) finished in a logjam of 23rd place, shooting an 83 while carding a three on the 15th hole.
• Brayden Tyman (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet) birdied on the par-five second, as his round saw him shoot an identical 42/42 split.
• Another Yellowjacket who featured back-to-back birdies was Caden Knutson (Hopkins, Minn./Hopkins). He shot one under on the 15th and 16th holes before parring the final two holes, shaving three strokes on his front nine score.
• Ian Bundy (Austin, Minn./Austin) and Matt Nault (Superior, Wis./Superior) rounded out the Yellowjacket individuals, shooting 89 and 101, respectively.

 
The Yellowjackets will now shift their focus to the Frank Wrigglesworth Invite, hosted by UW-Eau Claire. Tee times commence Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the Eau Claire Golf and Country Club.