SE: K-State Alum Carly Ragains Honored to be Junior Solheim Cup Assistant Captain, Thankful for Career in Golf
Jul 03, 2019 | Women's Golf, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
For as long as Carly Ragains can remember, golf has always been a major part of her life. In the last few years, it's just been in a different way.
Ragains, who started playing at 5 years old and earned a scholarship to golf at K-State (2011-15), has worked full time for the American Junior Golf Association in Atlanta, Georgia, since 2016.
Her job, as tournament director, has led her all across the United States. In September, it will take her the birthplace of golf, Scotland, where she will be an assistant captain for the 2019 PING Junior Solheim Cup United States team.
"I truly was just so honored and really, really excited for the opportunity," Ragains said of being named assistant captain, announced in February. "It's just been sinking in since then. I don't think it will really set in until I'm on the plane to Scotland."
Taking place every two years, the PING Junior Solheim Cup features the 12 best female junior golfers (ages 12-18) from the United States against their counterparts from Europe. It rotates between the U.S. and European host sites coinciding with the Solheim Cup — the Ryder Cup of women's professional golf.
"It is really, really exciting, and a really good opportunity," Ragains said, as the 10th edition of the PING Junior Solheim Cup will be hosted at Gleneagles, Scotland, on September 10-11. "It's a true honor."
It was also a true surprise, much like how she got involved with the AJGA initially.
That story starts in the fall of 2014, the beginning of her final season at K-State. A friend told Ragains about an internship opportunity with the AJGA and that they both should apply. Ragains, a marketing major with no idea of what was next for her, mulled it over.
She wondered if she should try to play professionally somewhere. Or, if this might be an opportunity to stay in golf in a different capacity. She gave her friend a "sure," and applied. This led to an intern recruiting weekend in Atlanta, where she left without much confidence it would lead to much. There were more than 100 other people there.
"A couple of days later, I got a call saying that I was offered the internship, and so I took it," Ragains said. "As soon as I was done playing golf in May, I packed up my stuff and left for the whole summer."
Ragains spent the next 12 weeks on the road, bouncing all over the Southeast region to help out at different AJGA events. This turned into another internship offer, which she accepted but never got to fulfill.
That's because in October of 2015, during her last semester at K-State, she volunteered for the PING Invitational in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where her current boss also happened to be at. He saw her, pulled her aside and gauged her interest in joining the AJGA full time. Once more, Ragains did not put a ton of stock into this.
"He called me like a week and a half later and said he had a spot: 'Do you want to do it?'" Ragains said, who accepted the position and moved to Atlanta as soon as she graduated.
Since then, Ragains has worked her way up. Now the most senior woman in her department, she's organized and helped direct AJGA tournaments in more places than she can remember.
"I've checked off a lot of states since I've been at this job," she laughed.
In her time at the AJGA, Ragains said she's run into several college coaches she played against. Occasionally, she will see former K-State assistant Stewart Burke or current K-State head coach Kristi Knight recruiting. In 2017, when K-State's women played in a tournament in Georgia, Ragains took time to go watch her former team.
"I loved K-State," she reflected. "I wouldn't change my college experience for anything."
As for what Ragains still uses from K-State in her day-to-day life, she said there is the obvious golf knowledge that the coaches poured into her. Working with a team and developing stronger communication skills are two others.
One other experience she's thankful for occurred after her playing career was finished at K-State, however.
In her final semester, after the AJGA summer internship, she started picking Knight's brain on what it takes to run a tournament. Fortunately for Ragains, K-State was set to host a tournament that fall. So, Knight let her former player shadow her and assist the behind-the-scenes side of it.
"From that planning side of it, what she all went through, that taught me a lot about that side of it, which I took into my job," Ragains said. "That was cool, and really nice of her to do."
While Ragains said she only plays golf a handful of times a year — a "sad" truth, she added — her career has kept in her the game she's loved since she barely old enough to hold a club.
"Golf is something I've always been passionate about. It's something that has been part of my life since I was very young. I enjoy being around the game," she said. "Just the fact that I get to be around it every day, go to tournaments and see these juniors fulfill their dreams of playing college golf and, ultimately, professional golf, I think that's a very rewarding thing for me to do."
For as long as Carly Ragains can remember, golf has always been a major part of her life. In the last few years, it's just been in a different way.
Ragains, who started playing at 5 years old and earned a scholarship to golf at K-State (2011-15), has worked full time for the American Junior Golf Association in Atlanta, Georgia, since 2016.
Her job, as tournament director, has led her all across the United States. In September, it will take her the birthplace of golf, Scotland, where she will be an assistant captain for the 2019 PING Junior Solheim Cup United States team.
"I truly was just so honored and really, really excited for the opportunity," Ragains said of being named assistant captain, announced in February. "It's just been sinking in since then. I don't think it will really set in until I'm on the plane to Scotland."
Taking place every two years, the PING Junior Solheim Cup features the 12 best female junior golfers (ages 12-18) from the United States against their counterparts from Europe. It rotates between the U.S. and European host sites coinciding with the Solheim Cup — the Ryder Cup of women's professional golf.
"It is really, really exciting, and a really good opportunity," Ragains said, as the 10th edition of the PING Junior Solheim Cup will be hosted at Gleneagles, Scotland, on September 10-11. "It's a true honor."
It was also a true surprise, much like how she got involved with the AJGA initially.
That story starts in the fall of 2014, the beginning of her final season at K-State. A friend told Ragains about an internship opportunity with the AJGA and that they both should apply. Ragains, a marketing major with no idea of what was next for her, mulled it over.
She wondered if she should try to play professionally somewhere. Or, if this might be an opportunity to stay in golf in a different capacity. She gave her friend a "sure," and applied. This led to an intern recruiting weekend in Atlanta, where she left without much confidence it would lead to much. There were more than 100 other people there.
"A couple of days later, I got a call saying that I was offered the internship, and so I took it," Ragains said. "As soon as I was done playing golf in May, I packed up my stuff and left for the whole summer."
Ragains spent the next 12 weeks on the road, bouncing all over the Southeast region to help out at different AJGA events. This turned into another internship offer, which she accepted but never got to fulfill.
That's because in October of 2015, during her last semester at K-State, she volunteered for the PING Invitational in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where her current boss also happened to be at. He saw her, pulled her aside and gauged her interest in joining the AJGA full time. Once more, Ragains did not put a ton of stock into this.
"He called me like a week and a half later and said he had a spot: 'Do you want to do it?'" Ragains said, who accepted the position and moved to Atlanta as soon as she graduated.
Since then, Ragains has worked her way up. Now the most senior woman in her department, she's organized and helped direct AJGA tournaments in more places than she can remember.
"I've checked off a lot of states since I've been at this job," she laughed.
In her time at the AJGA, Ragains said she's run into several college coaches she played against. Occasionally, she will see former K-State assistant Stewart Burke or current K-State head coach Kristi Knight recruiting. In 2017, when K-State's women played in a tournament in Georgia, Ragains took time to go watch her former team.
"I loved K-State," she reflected. "I wouldn't change my college experience for anything."
As for what Ragains still uses from K-State in her day-to-day life, she said there is the obvious golf knowledge that the coaches poured into her. Working with a team and developing stronger communication skills are two others.
One other experience she's thankful for occurred after her playing career was finished at K-State, however.
In her final semester, after the AJGA summer internship, she started picking Knight's brain on what it takes to run a tournament. Fortunately for Ragains, K-State was set to host a tournament that fall. So, Knight let her former player shadow her and assist the behind-the-scenes side of it.
"From that planning side of it, what she all went through, that taught me a lot about that side of it, which I took into my job," Ragains said. "That was cool, and really nice of her to do."
While Ragains said she only plays golf a handful of times a year — a "sad" truth, she added — her career has kept in her the game she's loved since she barely old enough to hold a club.
"Golf is something I've always been passionate about. It's something that has been part of my life since I was very young. I enjoy being around the game," she said. "Just the fact that I get to be around it every day, go to tournaments and see these juniors fulfill their dreams of playing college golf and, ultimately, professional golf, I think that's a very rewarding thing for me to do."
K-State Women's Golf | Carla Bernat ANWA Recognition
Tuesday, November 11
K-State Women's Golf | Behind The Scenes Photoshoot
Tuesday, November 11
K-State Men's Golf | Wildcat Invitational
Tuesday, November 11
K-State WGOLF | Carla Bernat Augusta National Women's Amateur Recognition
Saturday, November 01
