VanArragon Goes Wire-to-wire to Become Youngest Women's Amateur Champion

• 2019 MGA Women's Amateur Round 3
• 2019 MGA Women's Amateur Round 2
• 2019 MGA Women's Amateur Round 1

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  ST. PAUL, Minn. – Last June Kathryn VanArragon posted a final-round 73 on her home course at Bunker Hills Golf Club to become the youngest high school player to win an individual state championship, three shots clear of the field and still two years away from walking through the doors at Blaine High School.
 
On Thursday VanArragon added another extraordinary feat to her golf resume by earning a five-stroke victory at the 2019 Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Amateur Championship at Town and Country Club to become the youngest player to win the event, turning 14-years-old last month.
 
“It feels amazing. It gives me confidence and I’m just going to take it one tournament at a time from now on and see where it goes,” VanArragon said following her win Thursday. “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 and I could do that with the way I was hitting my irons.
 
“The thought process this morning was to not be concerned with anything but my score. I just wanted to play golf and not worry about too much.”
 
The soon-to-be freshman at Blaine earned a wire-to-wire victory after opening the championship in a share of the lead with North Dakota State University golfer Sierra Bennion before distancing herself from the field by firing a 4-under par 69 during the second round Wednesday, taking a seven-stroke victory to Thursday’s final round.
 
Running into trouble for the first time this week, VanArragon carded four bogeys over a five-hole span late during her outward nine Thursday, watching her lead shrink to one shot over University of Minnesota’s Grace Kellar, who carded three birdies over her previous four holes as the final group made their way to the 10^th tee box.
 
Unaware of how she stood against the field during each of her first two rounds to begin the week, VanArragon couldn’t help but notice the leaderboard during the final round Thursday, with standard bearers following each of the final three groups.
 
“It added a little bit of pressure. It was definitely different knowing exactly where I stood and we caught up with the group in front of us a couple of times and we saw where everybody there stood, too,” she said.
 
“I was getting a little bit nervous and that’s when I really focused on playing one shot at a time and staying in that mindset because I made three bogeys in a row off some bad shots and mistakes and wanted to go into the back nine with a different mindset, start over and go from there.”
 
But as the difficult conditions were made even tougher with strong winds picking up late Thursday, the 14-year-old VanArragon steadied herself during the back nine, despite taking a double-bogey at the par-5 16^th, cruising to a five-shot victory with a final-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 definitely a challenge today, but it was the same for everybody.”
 
VanArragon betters two-time winner Celia Kuenster's mark, who won the 2011 championship by seven shots at Hastings Country Club when she was 15.

Another asset for VanArragon this week was her caddie, older brother Caleb, who also has a strong golf resume, winning both the Minnesota State Junior Boys’ Championship in 2018 and the Minnesota Boys’ Junior PGA Championship the previous season, claiming 14 top-10 finishes at state events dating back to 2015. He’s headed to 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. He knows so much about golf, he’s so experienced and played in so many tournaments,” Kathryn said. “He really helped me this week and I’m really grateful that he was able to caddie.”
 
Since winning the Class AAA individual championship last summer, the younger VanArragon has finished no worse than seventh in five state events. She advanced to the finals of the Drive, Chip and Putt Competition at Augusta National Golf Club in 2016 and again this past April.
 
Posting her best round of the championship Thursday with a round of 2-over 75, 2017 MGA Women’s Amateur champion Kate Smith improved on her fifth-place finish from a year ago, quietly slipping into second place with a steady back nine in blustery conditions.
 
“It was a little frustrating. I was just trying to score better today and have a little more fun,” Smith said after her round Thursday. “I thought the course was playing the toughest today, so I’m not too disappointed with how I scored today. I was trying to get back in a better position than I left myself yesterday.
 
“[VanArragon] played great—she made the course look easy. I’ve got some things to work on, so it’s back to work for me. I feel like I made up some ground today and I’m looking forward to the next event.”
 
Kellar, who pulled within one stroke of the lead with six birdies during her front nine, struggled on the putting surface late Thursday, playing her final nine holes in 6-over, to post a final-round 77 to drop into a tie for third with fellow Gopher Katherine Lillie at 11-over 230, finishing inside the top-5 for the second straight season.
 
“It was an interesting three days with my game,” Kellar said Thursday. “I’d never played the course before and I wasn’t super confident with some shots, but I got a good feel for things and felt pretty good going into the second day. I started rough the second day and got it back and ended 3-under on my last four, so I felt like I had good momentum going into today.
 
“I did think I had a shot coming in today,” Kellar said, entering Thursday’s round seven shots back. “If my putting could get itself together, I could maybe do something. I had six birdies on my front nine and only shot 2-under and then just fell apart on the back. I guess that’s golf, but it’s frustrating. Golf is hard, and not every week is going to be your week.”
 
The 2020 MGA Women’s Amateur Championship will be played at Stillwater Country Club.