Razorback MGolf Adds Two

May 22, 2025

Niilo Maki-Petaja Career Stats Camden Smith Career Stats

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas head coach Brad McMakin announced the addition of transfers Niilo Mäki-Petäjä and Camden Smith. The two will be juniors on the 2025-26 Razorback men’s golf team.

Maki-Petaja (pronounced NEE-lo MEH-kee PET-ah-yah) played two seasons at Louisiana Tech, was a two-time All-CUSA selection, earned 2024 CUSA Freshman of the Year, was selected as an individual for the 2024 and 2025 NCAA Regionals, led the Bulldogs in scoring average both seasons and owns a career scoring average of 71.92.

Smith played two seasons at Georgia, has a 71.70 career scoring average, was named to the 2024 SEC All-Freshman team and tied for seventh at the 2024 SEC Championship.

Full Bios Below:

Niilo Mäki-Petäjä
6-1, Jr.
Helsinki, Finland / Makelanrinteen Urheilulukio / Louisiana Tech

CAREER HONORS & AWARDS

Second Team All-Conference USA (2025)
CUSA Freshman of the Year (2024)
First Team All-Conference USA (2024)
CUSA All-Freshman Team (2024)
Louisiana Freshman of the Year (2024)
First Team All-Louisiana (2024)
NCAA Regional Individual Berth (2024, 2025)
CUSA Commissioner’s Academic Medalist (2024, 2025)
CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2024, 2025)

2024-25 (So. at La Tech):
Named second team All-CUSA … Earned CUSA Commissioner’s Academic Medalist and CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll recognition … Participated in all 13 events, finishing as the top Bulldog in 12 of them, his score counted in 35 of the 36 team rounds played … For the second year in a row, earned an berth to the NCAA Regionals as an individual … Recorded a team-best 71.62 stroke average over 39 rounds, third best in program history … Registered eight top-20 finishes, four of which were in the top 10 … Totaled 23 rounds at or under par to set a single-season program record … Amassed 125 birdies and eight eagles, both team highs … Tied the 54-hole program record by shooting 14 under (69-66-67=202) at the GMAC Invitational … Finished runner-up at the event and his 66 (-6) was a season-low round … Also had three consecutive rounds par or better at the Trinity Forest Invitational, tying for eighth after shooting nine under (67-68-72=207) .. Tied for eighth at the Maridoe Intercollegiate, shooting three over (73-69-77=219) … Made first career hole in one in round two … Tied for sixth at the CUSA Championship (4/21-23), shooting three under (68-73-72=213) … Tied for 43rd as an individual at the NCAA Tallahassee Regional (5/12-14), shooting six over (72-74-76=222)

2023-24 (Fr. at La Tech):
Named first team All-CUSA and CUSA Freshman of the Year … Voted to the CUSA All-Freshman Team …Earned CUSA Commissioner’s Academic Medalist and CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll recognition … Participated in a team-high 12 events in first season as a Bulldog and earned an NCAA Regional berth as an individual … Registered a team-best 72.25 stroke average over 36 rounds, fourth best in program history … Recorded six top-20 finishes, four of which were in the top five … Totaled 20 rounds at par or better, the third most in program history at the time … Amassed 114 birdies, four eagles, and one albatross, all team highs … Was the top Bulldog finisher in eight events and his scored counted in 31 of the team’s 33 rounds … Set the program record for lowest round by a freshman with a 64 (-8) in the first round of the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate … Also, the 64 tied for the third lowest round in school history and lowest since 2014 … Had three straight rounds at or under par at Sea Best Invitational (1/29-30), tying for fourth after shooting 209 (-1) … Shot 72-68-70=210 (-6) to tie for fourth at Louisiana Classics (3/11-12) … Registered first collegiate win at the Aggie Invitational, shooting 70-74-73=217 (+1) … Made 35-foot putt on final hole to claim individual title, the first Bulldog to do so since 2012 … Finished third at the CUSA Championship, shooting 69-72-71=212 (-4) … Picked up a point for the Bulldogs in the semifinal match play against UTEP (4/25), winning 5&4 … Tied for 27th as an individual at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional (5/13-15), shooting 71-73-76=220 (+4).

PRIOR TO LA TECH:
Member of Finland’s Boys U18 national team … Became the youngest winner of a Finnish pro-am event since 2017 after winning Finnish Amateur PGA Golf Tournament … Put together a scoring average of 72.6 with 41 percent of competitive rounds played under par … Won European Team Championships in Division II in 2021 … Won Junior Team National Championship by 14 strokes

PERSONAL: Full name is Niilo Matti Mäki-Petäjä … Son of Jaakko and Hanna Mäki-Petäjä … One sibling, Hertta … Born Aug. 9, 2003 in Helsinki, Finland.

Camden Smith
5-9, Jr.
Shelbyville, Ky. / Ponte Vedra (Fla.) HS / Georgia

2024-25 (So. at Georgia):
Played in seven events including two as an individual … Posted a 71.71 scoring average with two top 20 finishes … His score counted in 13 of the 15 rounds he was in the team lineup … Fired a career-best 66 twice including once in round one of the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic and once in the final round of the Linger Longer … Played as an individual at the Linger Longer Invitational and tied for ninth by shooting a 4-under 212 (75-71-66) … Tied for 14th at the Ben Hogan Collegiate with a 2-over 212 (70-68-74).

2023-24 (Fr. at Georgia):
Selected for the SEC All-Freshman Team … Named SEC Freshman of the Week (3/20) for his sixth-place finish at the Linger Longer Invitational (69-69-71=209 / -7) … Had a 71.68 scoring average with a pair of top 10 finishes … Tied for seventh at the 2024 SEC Championship as he posted a 4-under 206 (65-71-70) … Was the leader after round one with his 65 … Competed in his first collegiate tournament at the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic, carding a four-under 208 to finish tied for 44th … Played as an individual at the Puerto Rico Classic and posted a 7-under 209 (71-68-70) … Recipient of the C. Read Morton Men’s Golf Scholarship.

High School/Junior Golf:
Second-Team All-American while playing at Pone Vedra High School … Rated 20th nationally by the American Junior Golf Association … Recorded 27 top-20 finishes in AJGA, Florida Junior Tour, and various invitationals since 2019 … Claimed the 2021 AJGA Circle K Junior Championship and the 2021 FJT at the Florida Club … Won two editions of the 2020 Eagle Creek Open … His 2022 schedule was highlighted by a second-place showing in the Western Junior Championship, where he tied the course record with a final-round 66 and fell in a playoff … Also had a fourth-place efforts in the Kentucky Junior PGA Championship and the Osprey Point Open in 2022.

Personal: Born on April 30, 2004 … Son of Brent and Katie Smith … Brother to Ethan and Gracie … Majoring in sports management.

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