McCauley Gets Past Salonek to Claim MGA Women’s Match Play Title

  WAYZATA, Minn. – With a pair of Class AAA individual titles to her credit, University of Minnesota golfer Reese McCauley captured her third state championship win Thursday, defeating Olivia Salonek, 2 and 1, to claim the 2025 Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Amateur Match Play Championship at Spring Hill Golf Club.

 

A late rally, including an eagle at the par-5 15th, helped McCauley to her first tournament victory since the 2023 season.

 

“I came in trying to get as far as I could because there are so many good players in the field,” McCauley said following her win Thursday. “It means a lot and I’m thankful to get a win.

 

“I really worked through mental barriers. I’ve put the work in and when you have muscle memory, it’s the mental barriers you need to get through after that. That’s what helps when you play tournament golf."

 

Salonek took an early lead Thursday by winning the second before extending her lead to two with a birdie from 15 feet at the sixth.

 

McCauley won her first hole of the day by taking advantage of a Salonek bogey at No. seven, but Salonek countered by rolling in her birdie opportunity from inside of six feet at the ninth to regain the lead, 2-up.

 

Stumbling early during the back nine, McCauley capitalized on mistakes by Salonek at the 10th and 12th holes to pull even before taking her first lead of the final match by winning the 14th.

 

Hitting her second at the par-5 16th to 20 feet, McCauley curled in her eagle putt and closed out the match with a par at the 17th to claim her first MGA Women’s Amateur Match Play title in her first appearance at the championship.

 

“Today was a grind and I started off a little rocky and had a few rough holes,” McCauley said. “I changed my mindset and [my sister and caddie Isabella] helped me on the bag. She helped me stay calm because sometimes I can overthink things.

 

“This week was so fun, and I love this course. I was really trying to swing free and not control it.”

 

McCauley earned the tournament’s top seed by firing a 1-over par during Monday’s qualifying round before defeating Payton Anderson, 5 and 3, to begin match play Tuesday.

 

Facing North Dakota State University’s Cora Larson during the quarterfinal round, McCauley advanced, 4 and 2, before getting past two-time champion Taylor Ledwein, 1-up, during the semifinals Wednesday to reach the championship match.

 

McCauley followed in her older sister, Isabella’s, footsteps by winning her first Class AAA title as a freshman in 2021, adding her second title two seasons later. She will begin her sophomore campaign for the Gophers this fall.

 

Salonek, a junior at Northern Colorado University, turned in a strong performance during the week, was denied her first state tournament win since 2023.

 

“I didn’t play very well most of the day,” Salonek said after the final match Thursday. “A few good shots on the front nine to make some birdies and a few good putts to tie some holes, but on the back nine lost my focus and things fell apart a little bit.

 

“Tournaments like this are such a great motivating factor. Even though I didn’t win, I can go out and practice and know I made it this far. Getting second motivates me even more to work harder and play better.”

 

Posting a 6-over 78 during qualifying Monday, Salonek was seeded sixth to begin the match play portion of the championship.

 

She would eliminate Minnetonka High School’s Ruby Reding, 2 and 1, during the Round of 16 before downing North Dakota State’s Madi Hicks by the same margin during the quarterfinals.

 

A late birdie helped Salonek defeat University of St. Thomas golfer and the championship’s No. 2 seed Kathryn VanArragon to secure her spot in the final match against McCauley.

 

Salonek, a former Roseville High School standout, collected her first win at the 2020 Minnesota Junior PGA Tournament of Champions before winning a pair of Minnesota State Junior Girls’ titles in 2021 and 2023 to become the 21st player in over 80 seasons with multiple wins at the event.