Pronounced: NEE-lo MEH-kee PET-ah-yah
Career Stats from 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):
» 2nd Team All-CUSA
» CUSA Commissioner’s Academic Medal
» CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll
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):
» 1st Team All-CUSA
» CUSA Freshman of the Year
» CUSA Commissioner’s Academic Medal
» CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll
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.
