Isabella McCauley Goes Bogey-Free to Earn Second Straight Minnesota Women's State Open Title

  HOPKINS, Minn. – Holding a one-stroke lead entering the final round of the 26th Minnesota Women’s State Open Tuesday at Oak Ridge Country Club, University of Minnesota golfer Isabella McCauley turned in a flawless, bogey-free round of 4-under 67 to successfully defend her title by defeating younger sister and Gopher teammate Reese McCauley by five strokes.

Playing her first competitive round since the NCAA Division I national championship in May, Isabella McCauley collected the eighth amateur victory of her career, and becomes the tournament’s first back-to-back champion since Betsy Kelly won consecutive events in 2021 at Minnesota Valley Country Club and 2022 at Rush Creek Golf Club.

“It was really fun to get back inside the ropes, and I felt really confident in my short game this week,” Isabella McCauley said Tuesday. “You’re practicing a lot all summer and to be able to put it to the test when you’re in stressful situations in tournament golf is a different beast. Know some things I need to work on, but very positive and grateful for the tournament this week.

“Confidence builder heading into the fall. You don’t always see results immediately when you’re constantly practicing, but it’s really nice to put a good tournament together and hopefully keep it rolling into the fall season.”

Carding an opening-round 71 Monday to sit one shot clear of younger sister Reese McCauley, the elder McCauley maintained her lead momentarily to begin the final round Tuesday but watched her younger sister birdie three straight to move in front at 3-under.

“If I’m playing well and I lose, I’m totally okay with that,” Isabella McCauley said Tuesday. “[Reese] started out so hot, it was fun to watch. I was hoping both of us would play well.”

Isabella McCauley recaptured the lead with a short birdie at the sixth and would turn in 3-under for the championship before her third birdie of the round at the par-5 14th put her up by four strokes.

Closing out the championship with an exclamation point on the final hole, Isabella McCauley stuck her approach within inches of the cup for one final tap-in birdie to play bogey-free golf during the final round for her second straight victory at the event.

“The course was playing tough, especially when the wind picked up. I knew a couple under would have a good shot today,” she said. “I was focused on my game and didn’t look at the leaderboard throughout the round. I knew turning at 2-under was a good start, but I was hoping to get a couple more on the back.”

Isabella McCauley’s first state victory came in 2018 at the Minnesota Junior PGA Tournament of Champions. The following season she won both the Class AAA individual title as well as the Minnesota Girls’ Junior PGA Championship.

She won her second straight Minnesota Girls’ Junior PGA Championship in 2020, while adding a Minnesota State Junior Girls’ title to her growing golf resume.

Carding a 9-under 207 at Minneapolis Golf Club in 2021, the elder McCauley became the first female to win the Minnesota Golf Champions since the event’s inception in 1975.

Reese McCauley, who’s most recent state victory came at last season’s MGA Women’s Amateur Match Play Championship at Spring Hill Golf Club, was hampered by a string of bogeys mid-round before a pair of birdies over her final nine holes helped her into a second-place finish for a second consecutive season.

“I’m very encouraged to have a good couple of rounds under my belt,” Reese McCauley said Tuesday. “I feel like I’ve been working a lot on my swing this summer, so to see it pay off a little bit was nice. So fun to play with my sister and [Salonek].

“Ball-striking was the main thing I’ve been trying to work on, but I felt like putting was solid all week and my distance control, too, and being more confident in that.”

Birdying the first three holes of the final round Tuesday, Reese McCauley grabbed the outright lead at 3-under for the championship but struggled with her irons mid-round leading to four consecutive bogeys to fall to 1-over for the tournament.

She’d get back on track with a birdie at the ninth but was unable to catch up with her older sister and Gopher teammate, carding one more birdie over her final nine holes to finish alone in second place at even par 142.

University of Louisville sophomore Emree Cameron carded a final-round 70 Tuesday to finish in third place at 1-over 143, while Isabelle Lynch earned low-professional honors after her round of 70 Tuesday put her in fourth place at 144.