Test
May 1, 2024
By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
EDINA, Minn. – It may not have been the ferocious pace that produced nine birdies like his previous round, but a bogey-free 67 Tuesday at Edina Country Club elevated Frankie Capan to a four-stroke advantage heading into Wednesday’s final round of the 117th Minnesota Golf Association Amateur Championship.
“They were completely different rounds. Yesterday I felt like I could fire at pins and make a lot of birdies,” Capan said Tuesday. “Today I felt as though I was playing more conservative. I made five birdies out there, so it was solid, but it felt like it was difficult to get things going. I found myself banking on the par-5’s to get birdies.
“I hit all 18 greens, so my ball-striking was definitely there. My proximity to the hole might not have been as great, but when you hit every green, you’re usually going to put a solid round together as long as you can get a couple to fall.”
Frustrated with missed opportunities that nullified three early birdies during the first round Monday, Capan once again was unable to capitalize on multiple birdie looks Tuesday and the chance to pull away from the field, making a pair of three-putts in each of his first two rounds.
“Fortunately, I was able to get an 8-footer on 18 to get to 5-under, which will feel good going to bed tonight.”
“If I put another round like I did today—we’ll see what the guys do tomorrow, but I learned a little bit from last week that you need to keep making birdies or someone has a chance to one-up you. I feel like I’ve been playing this course pretty well, giving myself some opportunities.”
Coming up short at last week's Minnesota State Open, Capan fell to the University of Minnesota's Angus Flanagan, who broke a course record by shooting a final-round 64 to win by two shots.
Capan rolled in one birdie during his opening nine Tuesday, two-putting after driving the third green. He would par the eighth and ninth holes despite three-putts on both greens before getting up-and-down for birdie from a greenside bunker at the 10th to get to 8-under.
Converting six birdies on the eight par-5’s this week, Capan moved to 10-under with back-to-back birdies at the 12th and 13th holes before hitting his approach from 140 yards on the final hole to six feet, sinking one final birdie to sit alone atop of the leaderboard at 11-under 133.
On the heels of Capan when the final round begins Wednesday are former Winona State University golfer Michael Schmitz, Capan’s soon-to-be teammate at Florida Gulf Coast University and 2018 MGA Amateur champion Van Holmgren and Valparaiso University’s Caleb VanArragon.
VanArragon caught fire by making five birdies during his front nine Monday before cooling off down the stretch to shoot 5-under 67, but he would start strong again on Tuesday by carding two birdies over his first six. Turning in 6-under for the championship, VanArragon mustered two more birdies against one bogey to post a second-round 70 to reach 7-under 137.
“My game hasn’t been great lately—I’ve been having some trouble with my swing. After the first round I was really pleased with the way I was hitting it, but I wasn’t sure if I could keep up my ball-striking into today. Expectations were pretty low and I feel like I got a couple of really good breaks yesterday that helped my round along.
“I was really happy with the way I played today—my scrambling in particular was really good. I did a good job of keeping myself out of difficult spots. There’s a very clear place where you can’t miss the ball and a clear place where you can. Today I missed where up-and-downs were easier. My putter wasn’t as hot as yesterday, but the greens are running so well that once you find your line, making putts is pretty easy.”
Teeing off on the 10th, Schmitz played his front nine in 1-over Tuesday and was looking to make a run late by carding four birdies over his first six holes on his back nine before a devastating double-bogey at the par-3 seventh dropped him to 7-under for the tournament and into a three-way tie, four shots back.
“With the weather coming in I’m very happy. It was kind of a grind and an up-and-down day,” Schmitz said. “I got off to a slow start—with three of the first five holes being par-5’s, I’d like to be a couple under but I ended up playing them at 1-over, which was tough. I made a 15-footer on 15 for birdie, which felt good to see a putt go in and get back to even par.
“My putting has been really solid—I’ve been making the putts I’m supposed to make. I just need to play my own game and go out there and get it.”
Bouncing back from an opening-round 71, Holmgren carded four birdies in a seven-hole span midway through his second round Tuesday and would eagle his final hole to tie the tournament-low, a 6-under 66 to jump up the leaderboard and into contention at 7-under. He’s looking for his second win in three seasons, cruising to a four-stroke victory in 2018 at Hazeltine National Golf Club.
Rolling in five birdies midway through his second round Tuesday, Carson Herron catapulted up the leaderboard and even briefly took the lead with his birdie at the par-5 13th hole to move to 8-under. But a wayward tee shot at the 18th led to a double-bogey and the soon-to-be senior at Minnetonka High School will begin Wednesday’s final round tied for fifth with Trey Fessler, Lucas Johnson and Derek Hitchner at 6-under 138.
Tee times for the final round of the 117th MGA Amateur Championship are scheduled to begin at 7:40 a.m. Wednesday at Edina Country Club.
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