Northern Michigan University senior golfer Russel Sprecher watches his shot during a Wildcats’ meet in the 2023-24 season. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — Following on the success of a pair of his teammates, Northern Michigan University men’s golfer Russel Sprecher has also qualified for his state’s upcoming amateur championship.

In the second half of June, 2023-24 sophomore Brady Badker qualified for the Wisconsin Amateur Championship, while freshman Arthur Ylitalo made it to the Minnesota Golf Association Amateur Championship.

Sprecher, who was listed as a senior on the NMU golf roster for the 2023-24 season, will get to play in the Golf Association of Michigan Amateur Championship in early August.

He shot an even-par round of 72 to tie for second place at a qualifying tournament held Friday at Michaywe Pines in downstate Gaylord.

Interestingly, Sprecher’s hometown listed on the NMU roster is Capser, Wyoming, and his hometown on the qualifying event standings page is also listed as Casper, but likely because of his ties to NMU, he is eligible to play in Michigan’s amateur event.

He advances to play in the GAM Championship to be held Aug. 5-6 at Barton Hills Country Club in Ann Arbor.

The top eight golfers in Gaylord plus two alternates advanced to the state tourney, and it took a score of 3-over 75 to make it in both eighth place and the two alternate spots.

Winning the event was John Carras of Naples, Florida, who shot a 2-under 70. Tying Sprecher with 72 was Jeffrey Sager of Alma in the field of 47 golfers at Gaylord.

Sprecher, who shot a 1-under 35 on the front nine and 1-over 37 on the back, made four birdies and four bogeys to go with 10 pars, with three of his birdies on par-5 holes.

He was 2-under after six holes, birdieing the 540-yard, par-5 second and 336-yard, par-4 sixth, but giving back those strokes with bogeys on the 402-yard, par-4 eighth and 388-yard, par-4 10th.

He had an eventful final five holes, parring only one of them. He birdied the 557-yard, par-5 14th; bogeyed the 190-yard, par-3 16th; birdied the 534-yard, par-5 17th; and bogeyed the 350-yard, par-4 18th.

Most notably, he was one of only three golfers to birdie No. 6. He was also one of just eight golfers to birdie No. 2, one of eight to birdie No. 14 and one of seven to birdie No. 17.

Ylitalo, who qualified for the Minnesota tourney on June 17, plays in his state’s amateur championship in Bloomington from Monday through Wednesday, while Badker, actually a Menominee resident, qualified for the Wisconsin event on June 29 and plays in his state amateur event in Waukesha from Monday through next Thursday.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is [email protected].