Dennis Grall photo Mark Clements of Ishpeming Wawonowin Golf Club holds the flag on No. 16 as his playing partners putt Thursday at Escanaba Country Club during the opening day of the Upper Peninsula Golf Association men’s tournament. Clements shot 3-under-68 and is tied for first with Jiseung Choi of Houghton Portage Lake.

ESCANABA — Only six players matched or broke par Thursday in the opening round of the 107th Upper Peninsula Golf Association men’s tournament.

Two former champions in the 93-player field are included in that elite group after playing in intermittent light drizzle, wind and sunshine at 106-year-old Escanaba Country Club.

Topping the field at 3-under-par 68 are two-time former champion Mark Clements of Ishpeming Wawonowin and first-time UPGA participant Jiseung Choi of Houghton Portage Lake. Choi is a native of South Korea.

Bryson Mercier, who will be a senior at Powers North Central High School in the fall, is third with 69. He was junior golfer of the year in 2020 on the Wisconsin junior golf circuit.

Clements, who won in 1997 and 2001, was comfortable being an elder in a strong field of youngsters.

“I’m just trying to stay with the young guys,” he said. “I want to stay consistent and stay away from the big numbers.”

He did exactly that Thursday.

“I had a fast start. I had a lucky birdie on (hole) 2. I wanted to get it in the fairway and make some pars,” he said.

He had not played at ECC since 1999 and admitted he did not remember much of the layout.

Choi, who opened with an eagle-3 on the first hole, left Houghton about 6 a.m. Thursday, and he and playing partner Gunner Stein of Houghton — the 2017 UPGA champion — hit the driving range at nearby Sweetgrass Golf Club before going into Escanaba.

Choi played at ECC three years ago for Houghton High School and finished second in the U.P. big school golf finals and was confident for his third visit here.

“I expected to be under par,” he said. “I’m very happy. I remembered most of the layout but the fairways are a lot tighter (now).”

Choi started hitting a golf ball when he lived in Texas at 6 or 7 and began playing U.P. junior golf at age 14 or 15.

“I want to keep growing and don’t want to step back,” he said of his approach over the final three days.

“I didn’t hit too many greens and didn’t drive the ball well,” he said, noting he hit just three fairways. “I scrambled real good today. My short game was very good, and I made several 5-8 foot putts.”

Mercier bogeyed holes 15 and 16, putting his second shot on 16 into a small bush that even the 5-foot-3 standout had trouble finding.

“It was a good experience. I got off to a pretty good start,” said Mercier, who often plays at Sage Run or Wild Pines with Marquette University star Hunter Eichhorn of Carney, who won the 2018 UPGA title.

“You can’t win it or lose it on the first day,” Mercier said of a “stress-free” round. “I played pretty solid, and I stuck to my game plan. I wanted to keep it simple.”

Tied at par 71 were Ben Strong of Ontonagon, two-time former champion Brian Robinette of ECC and former UPGA Senior champion Mark Ray, who rode with Mercier. Ray and Mercier have played several rounds together, which Mercier said was helpful Thursday.

At 1-over-par 72 are former Escanaba High School golfers Johnny Kositzky and Dom Benetti, while 2020 runner-up Scott Prunick of Marquette and 2013 champion Scott Lancour of ECC shot 73.

Stein shot 74 while at 75 were 2019 titlist Bryce Douglas of Gladstone Terrace Bluff, Chad Tirschel of Iron Mountain Pine Grove, Brad Landis of Nahma Golf Club, Matt Wagner of Marinette Little River, Cory Smith of ECC and Blake Gernier.

The field of 93 players included four father-son partners, including Marinette Little River members Evan and Tim Kramer and Jim and Matt Wagner. Jim Wagner won UPGA Senior titles in 2014-16, and Tim Kramer won that event in 2020.

The father-son tandem also included Scott and Bryson Lancour of ECC and Joe and Ben Strong of Ontonagon. Joe’s mother, Flossie Strong, won the 1982 UPLGA title and is a member of the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame. Another son, Tom, has played on the PGA Tour and has been tourney director at PGA events in Milwaukee and Akron, Ohio.

Ben remembers standing between his grandma’s knees at six months and putting in the living room.

Ben Strong is in the Ferris State University PGA management program, has interned at Bandon Dunes and will intern in Houston. His goal is to play on the PGA Tour.

“Playing with him was a good time,” Ben said of partnering with his dad the first two rounds. “It is fun watching him compete again. We helped each other and gave each other tips, but he still wants to beat me, and I want to beat him.”

Son Ben took the honors Thursday with 71, four strokes up on his dad.

Joe Strong said, “It is just enjoyment playing with my son. I tried to stay out of his way, but I think he got nervous. I enjoyed watching him play and watching him grow.”

Also playing together were Scott Lancour of ECC and his 15-year-old son Bryson. Scott won the UPGA title in 2013. Scott shot 73 Thursday while Bryson hit 79.

“I was more worried about what he was doing than what I was doing,” said Scott Lancour. “I’ve been playing good, but I wasn’t hitting the ball very well (today). My driver let me down. It was priceless, you dream of it.”

Scott said he couldn’t resist being a coach Thursday.

“I couldn’t block that out. I was yelling (at him) of course, but if you’re not yelling you’re not coaching. He handled himself well,” he said.

The younger Lancour, who played on the Escanaba High School golf team in spring, admitted he was nervous, “It was nervous playing with guys I didn’t know. If I hit a bad shot, I feel he would yell at me.”

Bryson Lancour said he has beaten his dad over nine holes but never over 18 holes.

“I try to beat him every time we go out,” he said. “(Today) he let me play by myself and play my own game, but it was a lot different not talking to me about what shot to hit.”