Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 30

BACK
MGA AM RECAP
2019 MGA WOMEN' S AMA TEUR
Kathryn VanArragon Rises to the Occasion at MGA
Women's Amateur Championship.
* BY NICK HUNTER *
* PHOTOS BY MARK BRETTINGEN *
KATHRYN
VANARRAGON
2019 MGA WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPION
O
n July 25, 14-year-old Kathryn VanArragon
added another extraordinary feat to
her impressive golf resume with a fi vestroke
victory at the 2019 MGA Women's Amateur
Championship. The accomplishment made her the
youngest player to win the event at St. Paul's Town
& Country Club-the oldest golf club in Minnesota.
" It feels amazing, " VanArragon said following her
win. " It gives me confi dence, and I'm just going to
take it one tournament at a time from now on and
see where it goes. This week, I was really able to lean
on my irons. Ball-striking was consistent, and that
was really what I needed-especially after the three
bogeys today on seven, eight and nine. I just needed
to know that I could hit greens and make pars. "
The freshman at Blaine High School earned a
wire-to-wire victory, with 21-year-old Sierra Bennion
elevating the competition. Bennion, a North
Dakota State University golfer, opened the championship
sharing the lead with VanArragon before
VanArragon separated from the fi eld fi ring a 4-under
par 69 during Wednesday's second round.
VanArragon stumbled during her outward nine
Thursday, carding four bogeys over a fi ve-hole span
while her lead shrunk to one over Olympic Hills'
Grace Kellar, who collected three birdies before the
fi nal group made their way to the 10th hole tee.
Though she was unaware of the leaderboard during
her fi rst two rounds, VanArragon couldn't help
but notice it during the fi nal round, with standard
bearers following each of the fi nal three groups.
" It added a little bit of pressure, " she said. " I was
getting a little bit nervous [knowing the score], and
that's when I really focused on playing one shot at
a time and staying in that
mindset. "
Diffi cult conditions were
made even tougher when
strong winds picked up late
Thursday,
but
VanArragon
steadied herself during the back
nine. Though she took a double-bogey
at the par-5 16th hole, she cruised
to a fi ve-shot victory with a fi nal-round
79.
" There were a couple of longer holes
that played with the wind that really helped,
and there were a couple into the wind-and
you just try to make par, " VanArragon said.
" The wind was defi nitely a challenge, but it
was the same for everybody. "
VanArragon broke two-time winner Celia
Kuenster's age record, who was 15 years
old when she won the 2011 championship by
seven shots at Hastings Country Club.
VanArragon had another asset during the
tournament-her older brother and caddie, Caleb,
who is a former Minnesota State Junior Boys'
champion (2018). He has amassed 14 top-10 fi nishes
at state events dating back to 2015, and is attending
Valparaiso University this fall to begin his
freshman season as a member of the golf team.
" My brother really calmed me down between the
nines, and I just tried to start over today, " Kathryn
said. " He knows so much about golf. He's so experienced
and played in so many tournaments. He really
helped me this week, and I'm really grateful that he
was able to caddie. "
>> FIELD FACTS Field: 82 | A v g Score: 83. 7 9 | R ound 1: 84 .85 | R ound 2: 82.05 | R ound 3: 84 . 4 3 |
30
MINNESOTAGOLFER Fall 2019
mngolf.org
http://www.mngolf.org

Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019

Contents
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - Cover1
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - Cover2
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - Contents
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 2
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 3
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 4
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 5
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 6
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 7
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 8
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 9
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 10
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 11
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 12
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 13
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 14
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 15
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 16
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 17
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 18
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 19
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 20
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 21
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 22
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 23
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 24
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 25
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 26
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 27
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 28
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 29
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 30
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 31
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 32
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 33
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 34
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 35
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 36
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 37
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 38
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 39
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - 40
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - Cover3
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2019 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/digitalextra2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/travel2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/travel2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2009
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2009
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2009
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com