2024 MGA Women’s Amateur Championship Fact Sheet

The MGA Women's Amateur Championship
Minnewaska Golf Club
Glenwood, Minn.
July 22-24, 2024

GENERAL INFO/FORMAT - The 2024 MGA Women's Amateur Championship will be held at Minnewaska Golf Club, Monday through Wednesday, July 22-24. Seventy-seven competitors will play 54-holes of stroke play for the Patty Berg Memorial Trophy. A tie for the Championship will be broken by a sudden-death playoff.

U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP - The winner of the MGA Women's Amateur Championship receives an exemption into the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, August 5-11, at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

LIVE SCORING ON THE WEB - Live Scoring will be available on the MGA web site www.mngolf.org.

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MINNEWASKA GOLF CLUB OFFICIALS - Justin Buysse, Club President; Brady Scott, Golf Course Superintendent; and Casey Vangsness, General Manager/Head Golf Professional.

MINNEWASKA GOLF CLUB - Incorporated in 1923 by two local golfers and the proprietor of the Sunset Beach Hotel, the Glenwood Golf Club hired a Mr. Clark of Minneapolis, most likely the same William D. Clark whose prolific worked earned an induction into the Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame. Clark's 9-hole design opened for play that same year. Several years later, and after a name change to Minnewaska, the golf club hired Tom Vardon expressly to lengthen the 9-hole layout to 3,200 yards and play to a par of 36.

Nearly 60 years later, Minnewaska members including Dr. Bob Harris, father to Minnesota Golf Hall of Famers John Harris and Nancy (Harris) Blanchard, asked former PGA Tour professional Joel Goldstrand to expand the course to the 18-hole, par 72, 6,480 yard-layout competitors will experience this year.

LAST YEAR'S CHAMPIONSHIP - Kathryn VanArragon posted a three-round total of 1-under 218 to win the MGA Women's Amateur Championship by one-stroke at Baker National Golf Course.

Carding four birdies during her final nine holes lifted VanArragon to a final-round 72 to edge Xavier University golfer Emma Welch for her second win at the event in five seasons.

Entering the round tied for the lead with Welch, VanArragon struggled with her putter during her opening nine, carding a trio of three-putt bogeys over her first seven holes.

Turning in 3-over for the round, VanArragon converted her second birdie of the round at the par-5 10th to build momentum and move within two shots of the lead.

Getting a boost from her putter late in the championship, VanArragon curled in a 12-footer for birdie at the 13th to move into a three-way tie for the lead at 1-over for the tournament.

She took the outright lead for good by sinking her birdie chance from four feet at the 14th.

Unfazed after Welch dropped her birdie chance from 25 feet to get back to even par for the round, VanArragon rolled in her final birdie of the day, a 20-footer to maintain a one-stroke advantage.

VanArragon found a fairway bunker at the last, leaving her second just short of the green before chipping to four feet and rolling in her par putt to card a final-round 72.

Welch proved to be the most consistent player in the field during the week, carding three consecutive rounds of even par 73.

She carded 12 consecutive pars to begin her final round before making her only bogey of the final round at the par-5 13th to join a four-way tie for the lead at 1-over par.

A lengthy birdie putt at the 17th helped Welch get back to even par for the championship, where she would collect her 15th top-10 finish over the past seven seasons.

First-round leader Isabelle Lynch carded a final-round 73 to earn a third-place finish at 221, while two-time champion Oliva Herrick finished tied for fourth with North Dakota State University golfer Madi Hicks at 3-over 222.

THE FIELD - The 2023 MGA Women's Amateur Match Play and 2024 Mixed Amateur Team champ, Hannah Boraas (Alexandria GC); the 2023 MGA Women's Four-Ball champ, Emma Davies (Olympic Hills GC); the 2023 MGA Women's Four-Ball champ, Katie Foley (Madden's on Gull Lake); the six-time MGA Women's Player of the Year, three-time Women's Amateur Match Play (2010, 2016-2017), three-time MGA Women's Mid-Amateur (2014-2015, 2018), and two-time Minnesota Women's State Amateur champ (2009-2010), Olivia Herrick (Dellwood CC); the 2022 Minnesota State Junior Girls' and MPGA Junior Public Links champ, Madi Hicks (Chaska TC); the two-time Minnesota State Junior Girls' (2018-2019), three-time MPGA Junior Public Links (2019-2021), 2021 Ms. Minnesota Golf, and 2022 MGA Women's Four-Ball champ, Camille Kuznik (Pioneer Creek GC); the 2024 Class A Girls' State High School champ, Lindsey Lund (YOC MN); the 2024 Minnesota State Junior Girls' champ, Amelia Morton (YOC MN); the 2023 Class A Girls' State High School champ, Raquelle Nelson (YOC MN); the 2023 Class AA Girls' State High School champ, Grace Petzold (Wayzata CC); the 2024 MPGA Junior Public Links champ, Alyssa Raghuveer (The Club at Golden Valley); the 2024 MGA Women's Amateur Match Play champ, Nicole Reineke (Chaska TC); the 2020 Minnesota High School Senior Showcase winner, Jaycee Rhodes (Highland National GC); the 2021 and 2023 Minnesota State Junior Girls' champ, Olivia Salonek (Keller GC); the 2018 and 2022 Class AAA Girls State High School, 2019 and 2023 MGA Women's Amateur champ, four-time MGA Junior Girls' Player of the Year (2019-2020 and 2022-23), 2023 MGA Women's Player of the Year, and 2023 Ms. Minnesota Golf, Kathryn VanArragon (Bunker Hills GC); the 2021 Minnesota High School Senior Showcase winner, Kyra Venne (Highland National GC); the 2022 MGA Mixed Amateur Team champ, Lily Vincelli (Brackett's Crossing CC); and the 2021 MGA Mixed Amateur Team champ, Emma Welch (Brackett's Crossing CC).

There are 20 players in the field with a “plus” USGA Handicap Index (that is, having an index that is better than scratch), with Emma Welch, Brackett's Crossing CC, atop the list at +4.3.

The youngest player in this year's field is Annika DeBoer, Youth on Course MN, at 15 years, 3 months and 5 days.

COURSE SET UP - 6,212 yds, Par 36-36 - 72