Skaar's Putter Powers Her to First-Round Lead at MGA Women's Amateur

• 2022 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Round 3
• 2022 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Round 2
• 2022 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Round 1

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  ROCHESTER, Minn. – A birdie to start her round and another to finish helped North Dakota State University golfer Leah Skaar to a round of 1-under 70 Wednesday at Rochester Golf and Country Club to take an early two-stroke lead at the 2022 Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Amateur Championship.

Aided by her putter during Wednesday’s opening round, Skaar moved a step closer to her second win of the season after claiming the Red River Amateur Championship at Moorhead Country Club in June.

“I made a lot of putts—I’m not sure how many feet, but it was the most I’ve made in a really long time,” said Skaar, who will take a two-stroke lead over former champions Taylor Ledwein and Kathryn VanArragon to the second round. “I was able to read these greens pretty well today.

“My driver was great and I scrambled when I needed to.”

Skaar rolled in a 4-footer on the opening hole to quickly move into red figures for her round and added a second birdie to her scorecard at the third, converting her birdie chance from inside of six feet. A bogey at the ninth would put Skaar back to 1-under, but the Bison junior settled in by playing her next seven holes in even par.

She would drop to even for the tournament with a bogey at the 17th, but finished strong by dropping one final birdie opportunity from 20 feet at the 18th to take the early lead with a 1-under 70.

“I had a good start to the summer with the [MGA Women’s Amateur Match Play] and then the win at the Red River Amateur,” said Skaar, who fell to Ledwein during the championship match at Burl Oaks Golf Club in June. “I felt good about my game coming into the week and I’ve been working on what I needed to. My stroke is feeling really good right now.”

Ledwein tallied a bogey on her final hole Wednesday to finish in a tie for second with VanArragon at 1-over 72. She looks for her second win of the season, as well as her second win at the event this week, claiming the 2018 championship at White Bear Yacht Club.

“I drove the ball well and really only had one that wasn’t in play today,” the former Bradley University golfer said after her round Wednesday. “My putter on the back nine was good—I missed one on 18, but otherwise it was solid on the back.

“It was hit and miss today—had some really good approach shots and had some bad ones."

Ledwein sank a long birdie chance on the opening hole, but would stumble by making four bogeys over her next six holes to fall to 3-over.

Bailed out by her iron play midway through her opening round, Ledwein battled back with a string of three birdies over a five-hole span to draw even for the day. Unable to get up-and-down from a greenside bunker at the last put the 2020 MGA Women’s Player of the Year into a share of second at 1-over.

“It was a good first day. You just want to put up a solid round to get started,” she said.

VanArragon became the youngest player to win the MGA Women’s Amateur Championship when she claimed the 2019 championship at Town and Country Club at 14-years-old.

The two-time MGA Junior Girls’ Player of the Year played her first 16 holes in even par Wednesday, tallying two birdies against two bogeys before a bogey at the 17th put her at 1-over for the championship.

VanArragon left her birdie putt from eight feet short of the cup on the final hole, rolling in a short par put to join Ledwein in a tie for second with her round of 72.

“I thought everything was good except for my putting today—I let a couple of opportunities slide away and I was struggling with speed,” VanArragon said Wednesday.

The University of St. Thomas commit cruised to the Class AAA individual title on her home course at Bunker Hills Golf Club in June and followed it with a strong showing at the American Junior Golf Association Future Legends Championship two weeks ago.

VanArragon carded back-to-back rounds of 69 to finish tied for second at the event, held at The Legend at Merrill Hills in Waukesha, Wis.

“I had an off week after the AJGA event, so I was able to work on ball-striking and more consistency. It was a nice break to be able to get some of those things together,” she said. “I’m encouraged by today’s round. I didn’t really have any expectations because I haven’t competed that much recently.”

University of Iowa golfer Jordan Amelon battled back from two early bogeys during her opening round Wednesday, playing her final 16 holes in even par to card a 2-over 73. She will begin Thursday’s second round in fourth place, two shots back.

The second round of the 2022 MGA Women’s Amateur Championship is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at Rochester Golf and Country Club.