Hanneman Caps Off Spectacular Week by Punching a Ticket to U.S. Girls’ Junior

STILLWATER, Minn. – There are good weeks and there are great weeks—and then there are weeks like the one Orono senior Ava Hanneman just experienced.

 

On Sunday, Hanneman was tabbed as the state’s best senior golfer by winning the Ms. Minnesota Golf award during a ceremony at Windsong Farm.

 

On Wednesday, she overcame a one-stroke deficit and closed out her high school career with individual medalist honors at the Class AAA championship at Bunker Hills Golf Club.

 

Bouncing back from a pair of late bogeys Thursday at Oak Glen Golf Club, Hanneman posted a round of even par 72 to earn a spot in the field at the 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior in July.

 

“It’s been a lot fun and an emotional roller coaster,” Hanneman said Thursday. “I don’t think anything has sunk in and I haven’t had any time to process because it’s been go, go, go. I’m grateful to have played the way I’ve been playing.

 

“This has been a dream and all I could’ve asked for. To finally have it come true is amazing.”

 

Hoping to qualify for her first USGA championship this week, Hanneman said she’s had this day circled on her calendar for a while.

 

“This was one of my goals and I checked another one off—but this is the big one,” she said. “I checked off Ms. Minnesota Golf and last night I checked off the state championship, so I can’t wait—I’m over-the-moon excited.”

 

Hanneman began her round Thursday with a birdie at the second, but stumbled with back-to-back bogeys at the fourth and fifth.

 

She drew even with a birdie at the seventh before moving into red figures with a tap-in birdie at the ninth.

 

Relying on her irons all round, Hanneman’s approach at the par-4 10th stopped six feet from the cup, where she’d convert her third birdie of the round to move to 2-under for the day.

 

After back-to-back bogeys at the 14th and 15th, Hanneman carded consecutive pars over her final three holes to secure the lone qualifying spot with an even par 72.

 

“Today I was trying to be patient because this golf course is tricky at times off the tee and I was doing my best to stay positive,” said Hanneman. “I actually didn’t hit that many fairways today, but my irons were dialed and that put me in position to make some birdie putts.

 

“The biggest holes for me today were nine and 10. Momentum was shifting and that put me in a good spot going into the back nine as the wind was changing and the course was getting more difficult.”  

 

Currently No. 929 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, Hanneman has played multiple events on the national stage, qualifying for the Girls’ Junior PGA Championship last season at Hot Springs Country Club in Arkansas. Hanneman said she’s eager to return to the national spotlight.

 

“I look forward to a really good golf course and a ton of good competition,” the Furman University commit said. “That’ll show me where I stand with some of the top players in the world and I’m excited to test that out and see where I fall.

 

“This kind of event will set me up better for college golf with the strong field, longer distances and a tougher course, so this should set me up well.”

 

A Furman University commit, Hanneman was ranked as the state’s top high school golfer for the entirety of her senior season.

 

She claimed medalist honors by five strokes at the Metro West Conference Championship before earning a five-stroke victory at the Section 2AAA Championship last month.

 

Hanneman entered Wednesday’s final round of the Class AAA championship one shot off the lead before posting a 2-under 70 to earn a four-stroke victory.

 

“I was pretty nervous and putting some pressure on myself [at the Class AAA tournament], but I think I overcame that and settled in,” she said. “I made a few putts along the way and just had tunnel vision to get through the pressure.

 

“I think experience from previous tournaments and similar situations have shaped how I’ve handled pressure this week—knowing how to breathe, stay calm and play one shot at a time.”

 

Hanneman finished the season with a scoring average of 70.3 over 11 rounds, nearly two and a half strokes better than her closest competitor.

 

In eight 18-hole events during her senior season, Hanneman won seven and finished once as runner-up.

 

Hanneman will now travel to Johns Creek, Ga., July 14-19 at storied Atlanta Athletic Club as a member of the 156-player field for the chance to hoist the Glenna Collett Vare Trophy.

 

The winner of the national championship will also earn exemptions into the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open, the 2025 and 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur, as well as the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

 

Atlanta Athletic Club will become the first site to have hosted a U.S. Girls' Junior, U.S. Junior Amateur, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Women's Amateur, U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open.

 

Most recently, the club hosted the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Mila Sloan posted a 1-over 73 Thursday to finish as first alternate, while Carmen Jirele emerged from a three-way playoff to claim the second alternate spot.