Hicks Opens With a 71 to Grab First-Round Lead MGA Women's Amateur

GLENWOOD, Minn. - Sinking her birdie putt from six feet on the final hole Monday at Minnewaska Golf Club helped North Dakota State University golfer Madi Hicks pace the field with an opening-round 1-under 71 to begin the 2024 Minnesota Golf Association Women's Amateur Championship.

Hicks, winner of the Resorters Tournament last season, will begin Tuesday's second round with a two-stroke advantage over University of St. Thomas golfers Kathryn VanArragon, Amelia Morton and Xavier University's Emma Welch.

“A big part of the round was that I started off really well,” Hicks said following her opening round Monday. “I didn't miss a green on the front and got my confidence up, not having to chip and save par.

“It was nice to have some putts that I could go after and get used to the greens more on the front nine. On the back nine I was a little loose with the irons—got up-and-down a few times to save me.”

After playing her front nine in 1-under, Hicks then took advantage of all three par-5s during her final nine Monday, rolling in her third birdie of the round with a two-putt at the 10th.

Carding a pair of bogeys at the 11th and 13th to drop back to even for the day, Hicks then dropped a 4-footer for birdie at the 14th.

She would again take a step back with bogey at the 15th, but reached the 18th in two, and two-putted from 30 feet for her fifth birdie of the round to shoot 71.

“I missed in the right spots most of the time today, which was a savior,” Hicks said. “Putting is key—these greens are tricky. You're going to have hard putts no matter where you are.”

A slow start for Hicks this season, missing the cut for match play during qualifying at the MGA Women's Match Play Championship at Hastings Golf Club. But the Bison junior says she's encouraged by her progress during some recent downtime.

“My game was a little bit of a struggle at the beginning of the summer, but having over a two-week break since my last tournament—I've been working on some things and I'm pretty confident coming into the week,” Hicks said. “I've been hitting some good shots and seeing good scores."

VanArragon, who claimed her second MGA Women's Amateur last year with a one-stroke victory over Welch at Baker National Golf Course, played her first 11 holes in even par Monday before dropping a 30-footer for birdie at the 12th to move into red figures for the day.

Stumbling down the stretch, VanArragon was unable to get up-and-down to save par after missing each of the final two greens, shooting an opening-round 73 to earn a share of second.

“Today was a little up-and-down, but encouraging because my tee shots were a lot better today than they have been,” the Tommie sophomore said Monday. “I do want to go to the range and work on some things.

“The trickiest part of this course is the greens. They're small, they're quick and grainy. Often times there's a bad miss, so knowing where to put the ball and where to avoid will minimize the mistakes.”

Welch carded three birdies against two bogeys during her outward nine Monday before back-to-back bogeys at the 11th and 12th put her at 1-over for the round.

A senior for the Musketeers, Welch countered by converting her birdie chance at the par-3 13th to draw even for the day. But a bogey at the 15th would put the former Lakeville North High School standout at 1-over for the round and into a share of second.

Morton, who ran away from the field with an eight-stroke victory at the Minnesota State Junior Girls' Championship at Victory Links Golf Course last month, turned in one of the more consistent opening rounds Monday, carding a pair of birdies and one bogey during her opening nine.

Tallying seven consecutive pars to begin her inward nine, Morton stumbled late with back-to-back bogeys at the 17th and 18th to card an opening-round 73.

Incoming Bison freshman and Oxbow, N.D., native Avery Bartels will begin Tuesday's second in lone possession of fifth place following her round of 3-over 75 to begin the championship.

The second round of the 2024 MGA Women's Amateur Championship is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday at Minnewaska Golf Club.