Gophers’ Curran wins the MGA Women’s Amateur Match Play Championship

18 holes wasn’t enough to crown a champion in the Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Match Play Championship on Friday at The Wilds Golf Club in Prior Lake. Grace Curran took the title on the first hole of a playoff after she sank a 5-foot birdie putt.

This event lived up to the billing, featuring the 2019 MGA Women’s Amateur Golf Champion, Kathryn Van Arragon of Blaine, against Minnesota Gophers sophomore Curran.

***To see extended highlights and interviews from Grace Curran and Joel Comstock CLICK PLAY ABOVE***

Van Arragon will be a sophomore at Blaine High School in September. She took the lead in the match after back-to-back birdies on holes 10 and 11.

"She was amazing today. She pushed me to the limit. Kathryn is a fantastic golfer. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play against her and come out on top," Curran told KSTP.

"This match was all that I thought it would be and more," said Joel Comstock, MGA Regional Affairs Director. "Both Grace (Curran) and Kathryn (Van Arragon) went head-to-head and played some fantastic golf. We’re so happy to have an event like this play out the way it did. Both golfers are very talented and will achieve great things in the future."

Curran tied the match on 17 when she sank a 15-foot birdie putt. Both golfers bogeyed 18 to send the match to extra holes. They tee’d off on the first hole to start the playoff and Curran eventually shaped an approach shot from 80-yards out that she stuck five-feet from the hole. From there, Curran made the best of her opportunity and sank the putt to seal the victory.

"This was an amazing win for me. This match had everything, I feel very blessed to come away with the title," said Curran.