Late Birdies Lift McCauley to Second Straight Minnesota Girls' Jr. PGA Championship

July 7, 2020 | 5 min.

 
By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  MAPLE GROVE, Minn. – Playing junior golf for the better part of seven years together, not only have Isabella McCauley and Kathryn VanArragon become close friends, but the two have grown into arguably two of the state’s best golfers.
 
McCauley, a soon-to-be junior at Simley High School, and VanArragon, a sophomore at Blaine High School this fall, each have at least three state wins to their credit, and both have also found their way into the record books along the way.
 
Entering Tuesday’s final round of the 45th Minnesota Girls’ Junior PGA Championship at Rush Creek Golf Club one shot back of VanArragon, Isabella McCauley used a flurry of birdies late to capture her second straight junior PGA championship, and second tournament victory in seven days.
 
“I came into today wanting to shoot really low. The first nine was very relaxed and very steady. I made some really good pars and good putts, which really gave me some momentum heading to the back,” said Isabella McCauley following her win Tuesday. “For whatever reason, when I know what I have to be at, I can do it. I knew I was one down to Kathryn and knew I was going to have to birdie. I wasn’t expecting her to bogey anything.”
 
“I practiced a lot before this one, the same as [last week], and know that I have the ability to win. In golf anything can happen and I just try to put down a good score every day and take it shot by shot.”
 
Taking advantage of a pair of early miscues by VanArragon, Isabella McCauley quickly overtook the lead by rolling in a short birdie putt on the opening hole and would turn in 1-under, two shots ahead of VanArragon.
 
From a bad lie in the 11th fairway, Isabella McCauley sent her approach over the green and was unable to save par from eight feet, shrinking her lead to one. Going long again at the 13th, Isabella McCauley relinquished the lead momentarily when VanArragon rolled in a short birdie to go up by one.
 
But Isabella McCauley would come surging back with three consecutive birdies beginning at the 14th to recapture the lead for good, carding a final-round 69 Tuesday to claim a two-stroke victory at 4-under 140.
 
“[VanArragon] is an amazing player and she’s been playing really well the last couple weeks. I knew going into it that I was going to have to play really well to beat her. I was excited to play with her, but at the same time, I was really focused and trying to go at pins and make as many birdies as I could,” Isabella McCauley said. “She had a ton of birdie chances on the back, hitting almost every green. Putts just didn’t drop for her.”
 
Despite the cancellation of the spring high school golf season, Isabella McCauley came out firing in her first event of 2020 last week by shooting a 1-under 141 to claim the Minnesota Junior Girls’ State Championship at Bent Creek Golf Club by five strokes over younger sister Reese, for her fourth state win.
 
Isabella McCauley collected her first amateur win in 2018 Minnesota Junior PGA Tournament of Champions before breaking a Class AAA individual record by shooting 9-under 135 at Bunker Hills last June.
 
After winning the Minnesota Girls’ Junior PGA Championship a week later at The Jewel, Isabella McCauley played her last tournament round of 2019 at the Minnesota Golf Champions, which was also the last time she faced VanArragon in head-to-head competition. She made the cut and finished tied for ninth at 221, while VanArragon finished 19th at 229.
 
A pair of early bogeys to begin her round Tuesday, matched with a handful of missed birdie chances late proved to be too much for the defending Minnesota Golf Association Junior Girls’ Player of the Year VanArragon, who finished second or better for the third time in the past three weeks.
 
“One of the really good things about my round yesterday was my irons and getting some good birdie chances,” VanArragon said. “Coming out today and struggling with my irons was difficult because I was doing a lot more scrambling than yesterday, and it's not something I’ve done a lot of this season.
 
“The [tap-in birdie] on eight really turned things around. It was a tough start and I had some close putts the last five or so holes. Otherwise I was pretty solid and I was happy I could turn it around after the rough start.
 
“I really like playing with [Isabella]; we’re obviously friends and have been playing together since we were really young. She’s a very good player and a very consistent player. Her putts under pressure were so good. I really wasn’t trying play any one person, but to put down the best score that I could personally.
 
VanArragon, the youngest to win the Class AAA individual title in 2018 during her seventh-grade season and the MGA Women’s Amateur Championship in 2019, shortly after her 14th birthday, fell in the finals of the Women’s Amateur Match Play Championship in mid-June. She bounced back by running away with the Twin Cities Junior Championship June 25.
 
Last week VanArragon finished 11th at the AJGA Circle K Junior Championship at Otter Creek Golf Course in Columbus, Ind., shooting 5-over 221.
 
Describing her play in recent weeks, VanArragon said it’s been very encouraging. “Even as far back as [women’s match play], keeping that momentum going. I get a little bit of a break now, so I can really practice on some things I need to work on to get stronger for the next tournament.
 
Carding a 1-under 71 Tuesday, Reese McCauley finished in third place at 1-over 145, five shots off the lead, while Courtney Wedin’s round of 2-under 70 put her in fourth place at 147.
 
 
 
THE 45TH MINNESOTA GIRLS’ JUNIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
RUSH CREEK GOLF CLUB
MAPLE GROVE, MINN.
5,709 YARDS, PAR 72
 
 
TUESDAY’S FINAL RESULTS
1. Isabella McCauley, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., 71-69—140
2. Kathryn VanArragon, Blaine, Minn., 70-72—142
3. Reese McCauley, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., 74-71—145
4. Courtney Wedin, Chanhassen, Minn., 77-70—147
5. Olivia Salonek, Roseville, Minn., 74-74—148
6. Madi Hicks, Chanhassen, Minn., 75-74—149
7. McKenna Mallow, Detroit Lakes, Minn., 78-75—153
8. Lauryn Finley, Apple Valley, Minn., 74-80—154
9. Aayushi Sarkar, Woodbury, Minn., 73-82—155
10. Catherine Monty, Stillwater, Minn., 82-75—157
 
 
For complete tournament results go to: https://mnpgajr.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/mnpgajr20/event/mnpgajr201/contest/9/leaderboard.htm
 
 

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