Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2016 - 28

MGA NEWS
Drive, Chip and Putt
Regional Qualifying
On Sept. 10, Hazeltine National hosted the 2017
Drive, Chip and Putt regional qualifier. In the shadows
of the imposing 7,600-yard championship
course (and the massive Ryder Cup build-out), a
field of 80 competitors in four age divisions hoped
to be among eight qualifiers to earn a spot in the
finals at Augusta National Golf Club next April.
Jack Johnson, a Chaska native and Hazeltine
caddie, was one of the first to earn a spot in the
boys' 14-15 division. " This is so cool-there's not
a better place to live, " Johnson said. " I get to caddie
for some great members here who are great guys,
and they really help you a lot and tell you things
that will help you not just on the course, but lessons
that will help you for the rest of your life. "
For Isabella McCauley, from Inver Grove
Heights, last year's regional at Hazeltine brought
disappointment as she finished in a tie for first in
the girls' 10-11 division, before losing a tie-breaker.
On Saturday, McCauley rolled in two crucial putts
to earn 60 points and finish on top by four points.
She will travel to Augusta as the winner of the girls'
12-13 division. " I was able to get here and I can put
the past behind me, " she said. " I'm so excited to be
there and it's going to be an awesome trip. "
Emily St. Aubin, of Ashley, N.D., won both the
driving and chipping aspects, and captured the
girls' 14-15 category by 13 points; Mateo Rascon,
of Burlington, Iowa, advanced from the boys' 1011
division. In the girls' 10-11 group, Lyla Louderbaugh
advanced by earning 104 points. Emree
Cameron, of Nevada, Mo., advanced from the girls'
7-9 division, while Udyat Sarangdevot, from Omaha,
Neb., finished on top of the boys' 7-9 group.
After earning his spot in the National Finals by
winning the boys' 12-13 group, Kaeden Nomm
of Minocqua, Wis., waited patiently during the
awards ceremony, posing for pictures before his
older brother, Ansen, said, " Maybe you'll be a [Ryder
Cup] captain's pick after this. "
U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Sectional Qualifying
For the second consecutive year, Frankie Capan and Shuai Ming " Ben "
Wong are headed to the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship-next
year at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in the Village of Pinehurst,
N.C.-after earning an 8-under-par 64 and medalist honors during sectional
qualifying on Sept. 21 at Rush Creek Golf Club.
Starting with a birdie on the second hole, Capan, of North Oaks,
Minn., and Wong, from Spring, Texas, quickly moved into red numbers
before rolling in another birdie
at the par-3 fourth.
Capan and Wong would
surge with a birdie at the sixth,
moving to 3-under,
before
carding back-to-back birdies
to close out the front nine at
5-under.
An eagle at the par-5 10th
Frankie
Capan
Shuai Ming " Ben " Wong
would put the two at 7-under,
adding one final birdie at the 11th before posting seven consecutive pars
to shoot a 64, one shot better than the team of Jon Brown and Jon Olson.
Due to inclement weather, the qualifier resumed at 7:30 a.m. the next
day (Sept. 22) with Brown and Olson claiming the second spot after Olson
made a 12-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole.
Taylor Sundbom and Glenn Walls finished as first alternates, after
Sundbom holed a 10-foot birdie on the second playoff hole. Sammy
Schmitz and Jesse Polk finished as second alternates.
MGA Staff News
The MGA announced Sept. 19 that, effective with the
pending merger of Minnesota's two women's golf associations
(the MWGA and the MWPGA) with the
MGA, Maggie Leland has been promoted to women's
golf director. In this role, Leland will be responsible for
the administration of MGA women's championships,
USGA women's qualifiers, events and special programs. She will liaison
with the newly formed MGA Women's Committee, and will work closely
with other MGA staff and various committees as the merger is executed
in 2017. Leland joined the MGA in 2014 after spending two seasons as
the USGA P.J. Boatwright intern with the South Dakota Golf Association.
Maggie
Leland
+
Rules Quiz
From the question on page 8.
Rules Answer
Yes, you can tee up the ball again. Rule 26 handles the situation of
a ball going into a water hazard and Rule 27 covers the procedure
if the ball is lost or goes out of bounds (provisional ball). In either
case, your tee ball can be re-teed. Good luck on the next shot.
26
MINNESOTAGOLFER Fall 2016
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Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2016

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