VanArragon and Welch Defeat Hicks and Larson with a Birdie on Final Hole of MGA Women's Amateur Four-Ball

  BECKER, Minn. – Burying a birdie putt from 18 feet on the 36th hole Tuesday at Pebble Creek Golf Club helped University of St. Thomas golfer Kathryn VanArragon and partner Emma Welch edge North Dakota State University teammates Madi Hicks and Cora Larson at the 2025 Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship.

VanArragon and Welch followed an opening-round 68 with a 5-under 67 during the final round, helped by four birdies over the final five holes, to earn a one-stroke victory.

“Being that the next tournament is the [MGA Women’s Amateur], a tournament that is really special, to the both of us, coming off my first win in a while is some good momentum,” said VanArragon, a two-time MGA Women’s Amateur winner.

“I’ve played against Kathryn since we were 10-years-old, so I knew it was going to be a lot of fun,” Welch said. “Being able to be her partner, help her out and not get frustrated when she makes a birdie, and actually be happy when she makes a birdie—that’s the best feeling.”

VanArragon and Welch struggled during their back nine after carding five birdies on the front side during the opening round Monday.

“Obviously our score on the [back nine] was better than yesterday, but I think it actually helped that we started on that side today,” Welch said Tuesday. “I don’t play that side as well, so I think starting on 10 worked to our advantage.”

Teeing off on the 10th tee for the final round Tuesday, the two were able to capitalize on a pair of birdie putts, but gave back a pair of shots with bogeys at the 14th and 18th to fall two back of the lead.

Keeping pace with a birdie by Hicks and Larson at the 10th, VanArragon and Welch fell three shots back before Hicks and Larson found trouble off the tee at the fourth, leading to a double-bogey and shrinking their lead to one.

Welch dropped her birdie chance from 12 feet at the par-5 fifth before VanArragon reciprocated with a birdie from eight feet at the sixth to give the two their first lead of the final round.

Following a Hicks birdie at the seventh, VanArragon faced a birdie opportunity from inside of 20 feet and tucked her putt inside the right edge to lift her and Welch to a final-round 67 to claim a one-stroke victory.

“It was a little bit of a different angle,” VanArragon said of a similar final putt to Hicks’ on the 18th green. “The bigger advantage was having [Welch] read it.”

“I knew we going to make birdies going into our back nine today, and I was confident going in,” Welch said. “A big momentum shift was the double-bogey and then we knew were still in it. We could make some birdies and it’s anyone’s game.”

In her first appearance at the event this week, VanArragon’s win Tuesday is the first since her memorable 2023 season, during which she won the Ms. Minnesota Golf award to cap off her senior season at Blaine High School, the MGA Mixed Team Amateur Championship, the Minnesota Girls’ Junior PGA Championship and the MGA Women’s Amateur.

As a result of her efforts, VanArragon was also named 2023 MGA Women’s Player of the Year and MGA Junior Girls’ Player of the Year—only the second player to accomplish the feat since Sarah Burnham in 2012.

“I was encouraged by my ball-striking,” VanArragon. “For a while, I’ve struggled with the consistency of my driver, and I think it was better this week.”

Welch collects the fifth state victory of her career, and second in as many seasons, winning the MGA Women’s Amateur a season ago at Minnewaska Golf Club.

“I think I hit my irons well this week, which is not normally my strength,” Welch said Tuesday. “Especially yesterday on the front nine, I was about 4-under, and it was my ball-striking that got me there.”

During her only previous appearance at the championship, Welch finished runner-up with older sister, Megan, in 2019 at Elk River Golf Club.

The younger Welch now joins her older sister on the trophy as Megan Welch partnered with Taylor Ledwein to win three MGA Women’s Amateur Four-Ball titles (2018, 2020, 2021).

Hicks, who was denied her second win in as many weeks after claiming the MGA Mixed Amateur Team Championship with brother, Ben, at Hastings Golf Club, and Larson extended their lead to three at one point during the final round Tuesday before a costly double-bogey at the par-3 fourth.

Sinking back-to-back 15-footers for birdie at the seventh and eighth holes, Hicks and Larson managed a share of the lead with one hole to play before Hicks’ birdie chance from just inside of VanArragon’s refused to drop.

“It’s hard to be mad at [VanArragon] for making that putt on the last hole,” Hicks said Tuesday. “We had one hiccup hole, otherwise we played great. We were really close and there’s still momentum going into our next tournament.”

“Overall, we had a lot of fun. This was our first time playing in this event together, so we had no expectations coming in and I think we did pretty well,” Larson said. “Excited that this isn’t the end just yet, because I think we have three tournaments left this summer.”

Posting back-to-back rounds of 2-under 70, Minnesota State University-Mankato teammates Victoria Woytassek and Samantha Youngquist finished five shots back in third place at 4-under 144, while St. Catherine University teammates Caylin Cantwell and Grace Petzold placed fourth at even par 144.