VanArragon Goes Wire-to-Wire at Minnesota State Junior Boys'

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  WINONA, Minn. – Entering Tuesday’s final round with a share of the lead, Caleb VanArragon played his first nine holes at even par and would card a pair of birdies on his back nine to earn a two-stroke victory at the 92^nd Minnesota State Junior Boys’ Championship at The Bridges.
 
VanArragon posted a 3-under par 68 to begin the championship Monday and fired a final round 69 Tuesday as the only player to card back-to-back rounds below par, finishing two shots clear of Jacob Pedersen at 5-under par 137 to give VanArragon his second junior championship.
 
“Overall I thought that I played really solid golf the past couple days. I didn’t have anything really spectacular, but I was able to keep the ball in play off the tee and avoid missing on the wrong side of most pins,” VanArragon said following his win Tuesday.
 
“This win is huge for me, because I proved to myself that I can win when I have the lead going into the final round.”
 
Beginning his round Tuesday with consecutive pars, VanArragon stuck his approach inside of four feet at the fourth and converted birdie to move to 4-under for the championship. Knocking his third shot from the bunker to three feet at the fifth led to a second birdie, but VanArragon stumbled at the sixth and seventh by taking bogey.
 
Getting back on track by rolling in an 8-footer at the 10^th, VanArragon moved back to 4-under for the tournament and walked to the 18^th tee with a one-shot advantage.
 
Leaving himself with a downhill slider from 20 feet, VanArragon’s putt hit the back of the hole and dropped for birdie to give him his first victory since winning the 2017 Minnesota Boys’ Junior PGA Championship at Chaska Town Course.
 
“The Bridges is a really tight course that really beat me up last year because I didn’t realize that, except for a couple of holes, I can’t hit driver,” VanArragon said. “I used my driver three times, and yesterday I used it twice. My short game and putting were solid as well, but ultimately it was consistency off the tee that got it done.”
 
Carding the low round of the tournament Tuesday, Pedersen’s lone mistake of the final round came at the par-4 eighth where he would card his fifth bogey of the championship. He opened by birdying three of his first five holes and added two more birdies late to record a final-round 67.
 
Will Frazier and Nate Stevens finished in a tie for third place at 1-under par 141.
 
 
 
92^ND MINNESOTA STATE JUNIOR BOYS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
THE BRIDGES
WINONA, MINN.
6,395 YARDS, PAR 72
 
 
FINAL RESULTS
1. Caleb VanArragon, Bunker Hills GC, 68-69—137
2. Jacob Pedersen, Windsong Farm, 72-67—139
T3. Will Frazier, Brackett’s Crossing CC, 70-71—141
T3. Nate Stevens, Northfield GC, 71-70—141
5. Lincoln Johnson, Chaska Town Course, 71-72—143
T6. Nick Lamotte, Legends Club, 72-72—144
T6. Tristan Nelko, Windsong Farm, 68-76—144
8. David Morton, Hazeltine Nat’l GC, 74-71—145
T9. Matt Armstrong, Deer Run GC, 68-78—146
T9. Brady Arnett, White Bear Yacht Club, 70-76—146
T9. Muzzy Donohue, Mendakota Country Club, 75-71—146