Clutch Putts Lift Hicks to Minnesota State Junior Girls' Title

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  ST. MICHAEL, Minn. – Recent Chanhassen High School graduate Madi Hicks gave credit to her driver this week at Fox Hollow Golf Club, but it was her putter that she leaned on down the stretch Tuesday.

Hicks delicately navigated her birdie putt from above the hole at the par-4 17th, leaving a tap-in for par before rolling in a 4-footer to save par on the final hole, carding a final-round 73 to claim the 2022 Minnesota State Junior Girls’ Championship.

“This win means a lot to do it my senior year, knowing it’s the last year I can play in the tournament,” said Hicks, who edged 18-hole leader Emma Davies and Ava Hanneman by one stroke Tuesday. “To be able to stick with it, believe in myself and end on a good note is awesome.

“My driver was on this week. It was a little iffy today, but it was still clutch for me. It’s nice to be able to attack pins when I’m hitting my driver well.”

Beginning her day one shot off the lead, Hicks took advantage of back-to-back par-5’s early in the round Tuesday, carding two birdies to quickly earn a share of the lead.

“My goal coming in was to be 2-under through five because four and five were reachable par-5’s. I knew if I could do that that I would be sitting pretty well,” Hicks said. “A good start definitely helped out for the rest of the day.”

Her good start allowed her to remain in contention despite carding back-to-back bogeys at the sixth and seventh holes, turning in even par for the round.

Just short of the 11th green in two, Hicks chipped to six feet and rolled in her third birdie of the round to 1-over for the tournament.

A wayward tee shot at the 15th would lead to Hicks’ only big score of the championship, a double-bogey, to trim her lead to one over Hanneman.

“Half of that shot was the fact that it was a bad shot and the other half was a little nerves,” said Hicks. “I tried to play the wind and hit a little cut, but it drew and I got a bad lie.”

Hicks’ second at the par-4 17th landed 25 feet above the hole and she would roll within three feet to save her par.

At the last, Hick’s approach landed well short of the final green before chipping to four feet, needing par to preserve the victory.

“The first time I looked at it, it looked straight. I couldn’t tell which way it broke right at the beginning,” Hicks said of her final putt. “It left edge and it went right in the middle. Those are my favorite kind of putts as a lefty, so I was lucky to have that on the final hole—it was definitely nerve-wracking.”

Hicks, a Minnesota Youth on Course member, won her first state championship victory in 2018 at the Twin Cities Junior Championship at Victory Links Golf Course. That same year, Hicks earned medalist honors at the MGA Junior Team Championship, while leading her squad to the team title at Fox Hollow.

She successfully defended her title at the Twin Cities Junior Championship in 2019 before winning the Minnesota Junior PGA Players’ Tour Tournament of Champions at St. Cloud Country Club.

Hicks was part of the winning MGA Junior Team Championship in 2019 before her most recent win at last season’s Minnesota Junior PGA ‘Sota Series Match Play Championship, defeating Sammy Youngquist, 6 and 5, at Cragun’s Dutch Legacy.

Committed to play golf at North Dakota State University this fall, Hicks enjoyed a strong senior season at Chanhassen High School as she was named as a finalist for the Ms. Minnesota Golf award. Hicks posted a final-round 70 to finish tied for fourth at the Class AAA championship at Bunker Hills in June.

Sinking a 4-footer for birdie at the 18th Tuesday helped Davies earn a share of second place at 4-over 148, carding a 75 on the final day.

“I was hoping to make a few pars early to gain some confidence,” said Davies, who finished her opening nine at 4-over 40 Tuesday. “I tried to come back on the back nine, but just didn’t have enough.

“I finally made a few putts—I missed a few three-foot par putts on the front nine. The three birdies really helped. I’m happy with how I was able to stay calm and play my own game this week.”

Beginning her final round two shots back, Hanneman erased the deficit with an early eagle at the par-5 fourth to earn a share of the lead at 1-over. She would play the final five holes of her front nine in 2-over.

Bogeys at the 11th and 14th holes dropped Hanneman to 5-over for the championship, but she would climb into a share of second thanks to her birdie at the par-3 15th hole, posting a final-round 73.

Lily Vincelli, who won the MGA Mixed Amateur Team Championship at Northfield Golf Club last month, posted a final-round 74 to finish fourth at 5-over 149.

Paige Johnson, from The Links at Northfork, followed her opening-round 77 with an 11-over 83 to earn a wire-to-wire victory in the First Flight, five shots clear of Selena Qiao.