North Carolina's Lapple Medals, McCauley and VanArragon Earn Spots at U.S. Girls' Junior Amateur

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
 MAPLE PLAIN, Minn. – After competing at the U.S. Women’s Open two weeks ago in San Francisco, Isabella McCauley is headed right back to another USGA championship following a round of 1-under 71 Thursday to earn a spot in the 2021 U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship.
 
North Carolina’s Alexsandra Lapple claimed medalist honors by firing a 3-under 69 Thursday, while McCauley and defending Minnesota Women’s Open champion Kathryn VanArragon grabbed the final two qualifying spots to the national championship set to be played July 12-17 at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md.
 
McCauley carded an opening-round 80 in her first appearance in a major championship earlier this month, but bounced back with a round of 1-under 70 during Friday’s second round, missing the cut by two strokes.
 
“It was a really great learning experience for me,” McCauley said of playing at the storied Olympic Club two weeks ago. “I wish I could take back a couple of holes on the first day, but it was the hardest course I’ve ever played by a million.
 
“There are only positives I take away from it and shooting 70 the second day was a huge confidence booster, knowing I can play at that level.”
 
On Thursday, McCauley carded a pair of birdies during her opening nine, sticking her approach to six inches at the fourth and dropping another birdie chance from 18 feet at the ninth to turn in 2-under. A steady final nine saw just one bogey from McCauley at the 17^th, finishing second with a 71.
 
“I played really well today—I didn’t miss a lot of greens and didn’t miss a lot of fairways,” McCauley said. “My putter kind of struggled, which was frustrating. A lot of two putts, so it was a fun but boring round.”
 
McCauley, who will begin her senior season at Simley High School this fall, qualified for the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship in 2019 [the 2020 championship was canceled], where she advanced to the match play portion of the championship.
 
“Two years ago, I made match play, but this year, obviously, I want to go further," she said. "Hopefully I can get into the top-16—I want to go far in the tournament.
 
VanArragon, fresh off her fourth-place finish at the Class AAA championship at Bunker Hills Golf Club Wednesday, is headed to her first USGA championship with her round of 1-over 73 Thursday.
 
“A little bit of a rough start today," VanArragon admitted Thursday. "You never know at a qualifier what’s going to make it, so tried to play my best and it’s good to keep going even after a rough start.”
 
The soon-to-be junior at Blaine High School, VanArragon started slowly Thursday with back-to-back bogeys at the second and third holes, but would get a stroke back by sinking her birdie chance from four feet at the fourth.
 
Carding back-to-back bogeys again at the sixth and seventh holes, the two-time Minnesota Golf Association Junior Girls’ Player of the Year winner VanArragon found her stride by converting her birdie chance from 15 feet at the par-4 12^th and would wrap up her day by sinking an 8-footer for birdie at the 16^th to post a 1-under 71.
 
“I’ve been working on my timing, which has helped me with my irons and my driver," VanArragon said. "I struggled with my driver quite a bit early in the high school season. On the back nine it all came together in a way that it didn’t on the front.
 
“I’m excited—this is a lot different from some of the other national stuff like the PGA Junior League, which is a team event, or the Drive, Chip and Putt, which is unique in its own way. This should be a lot of fun on the national level and if I can continue to improve and bring everything together, it would be great. I’m really encouraged by this week.”
 
Lapple, a 16-year-old from Pinehurst, N.C., birdied her opening hole Thursday but stumbled with a pair of bogeys at the fifth and six holes to drop to 1-over for the round. She would quickly bounce back by carding five birdies over a six-hole span, including a 35-foot putt for birdie at the ninth and a 50-footer for birdie at the 12^th, to jump to the top of the leaderboard at 4-under.
 
A final bogey at the 14^th put Lapple into the clubhouse at 3-under 69 to earn medalist honors and a spot in her third U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship.
 
 “I was happy with how I hit the ball—I think I hit about 15 greens today,” Lapple said Wednesday. “I started off with a birdie, but kind of let it get away a little bit. I made some putts and got some momentum rolling, and then I started to hit shots better and closer.
 
“I really wanted to come out here and play well. The last two times I’ve tried to qualify for the [U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship], I’ve made it both times. I haven’t been putting well recently, so watching putts go in was great and met my expectations of what I wanted to do.”
 
Camille Kuznik, who wrapped up her senior season at Orono High School with a third-place finish at the Class AAA championship Wednesday, fired a 2-over 74 Thursday to finish as the first alternate, while recently crowned Class AAA individual champion, Reese McCauley, carded a 3-over 75 Thursday to finish as second alternate.