Kansas State University Athletics
Focused, Hard Work Paying Off for Vargas
Apr 28, 2023 | Women's Golf, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
The story starts inside the Kansas State women's golf locker room at Colbert Hills Golf Course on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon in Manhattan. K-State senior Haley Vargas waited, waited, and waited some more. Then her name popped up on the TV screen. And she screamed. And her teammates clapped. And her phone blew up with text messages.
Vargas was going to the show. She earned an individual bid into the 2023 NCAA San Antonio Regional, as announced by the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Selection Committee during College Central on GOLF Channel.
Qualifying for the postseason had been Vargas' goal since she committed to K-State in 2019. She dreamt of one day competing for a national title. And now? A national title is legitimately not out of the question. It's an amazing opportunity. And she is ready.
"Didn't sleep the greatest Tuesday night," Vargas says. "I was a little restless. Now I'm super excited."
Vargas was selected as the third-ranked individual to compete at TPC San Antonio on May 8-10. She knew she had a chance. K-State head coach Kristi Knight texted her on Monday. She told Vargas that she believed she would make the cut. Vargas, who keeps statistics on every hole she ever plays, didn't want to do any research on the matter. She went outside and practiced. All that she knew was that she had a chance. She was so close to her goal, to her dream. And how cool is that?
"This year I made weaknesses my strengths," she says. "Am I hitting it inside the baselines? Am I getting it up and down? Do I need to be more aggressive off the tees? Where do I need to place my ball to get the best outcome? I really analyzed my game and stuck to what I knew worked.
"My tee balls were perfectly fine last year but it's become more of a strength for me this year. I'm able to bomb it and be aggressive and put myself into a better position to make more birdies and pars to keep myself out of trouble. That's really key. Just being able to convert when I need to convert and shoot lower scores."
She posted a pair of top-20 finishes this year, including a career-best tie for third place at the Dale McNamara Invitational in October. She led K-State in rounds even or under par (nine) and percentage of rounds counted toward the team score (96.63%). She enjoyed six of the best 13 rounds among K-State women's golfers this year. That includes a 68 at The Bruzzy and a 69 at the Dale McNamara Invitational. Vargas also holds six of the top 12 54-hold scores on the team this year. Her best score was a 3-under par 213 at the MountainView Collegiate.
"I played really well this season," Vargas says. "Glad it worked out."
She was named 2016 Lone Star Varsity Athlete of the Year in Girls Golf. She qualified for the 2017 USGA Junior Girls Championship. She won the American Junior Golf Association qualifier in 2017 at Buffalo Dunes in Garden City, Kansas. She won the 2018 James A Ragan Memorial event on the Texas Golf Association Legends Junior Tour.
"I've always felt at peace when I'm on the course," she says. "I couldn't be more thankful."
Vargas had "a lot" of scholarship offers. She took an unofficial visit and then an official visit to K-State. It just felt right. She liked the academics, she loved Colbert Hills, and she quickly decided, "This place is special."
And now? She has a couple weeks to prepare for one of the biggest opportunities of her life. Soon after the completion of the NCAA Regional on May 8-10, she'll return to Manhattan in time to turn the tassel when she graduates with a degree in psychology on May 13. Then, regardless of the outcome in San Antonio, it's back to the grind on the course.
She has more work to do.
"For me, playing really well in this postseason tournament is really big," she says. "Then obviously, we go into summer and I'm going to play in some really good events and sharpen up my game. Then I'll be coming back for my fifth year. After that, I'll get ready for pro golf."
But it all goes back to Wednesday morning, hours before her postseason selection. She received a text from her father.
"Hey, we're so proud of you," he wrote. "You've done so well this season. Whatever the outcome, you've put in a lot of good work."
She's put in some of the best work in women's golf this year. It's paid off handsomely.
And now it's time to chase a dream.
The story starts inside the Kansas State women's golf locker room at Colbert Hills Golf Course on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon in Manhattan. K-State senior Haley Vargas waited, waited, and waited some more. Then her name popped up on the TV screen. And she screamed. And her teammates clapped. And her phone blew up with text messages.
Vargas was going to the show. She earned an individual bid into the 2023 NCAA San Antonio Regional, as announced by the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Selection Committee during College Central on GOLF Channel.
Qualifying for the postseason had been Vargas' goal since she committed to K-State in 2019. She dreamt of one day competing for a national title. And now? A national title is legitimately not out of the question. It's an amazing opportunity. And she is ready.
"Didn't sleep the greatest Tuesday night," Vargas says. "I was a little restless. Now I'm super excited."
Vargas was selected as the third-ranked individual to compete at TPC San Antonio on May 8-10. She knew she had a chance. K-State head coach Kristi Knight texted her on Monday. She told Vargas that she believed she would make the cut. Vargas, who keeps statistics on every hole she ever plays, didn't want to do any research on the matter. She went outside and practiced. All that she knew was that she had a chance. She was so close to her goal, to her dream. And how cool is that?
Of course, there's a reason Vargas was ranked so high as an individual. Her 73.30 stroke average this season ranks second in school history while her 75.72 career average ranks sixth.Next stop: San Antonio ⛳️#KStateWGOLF pic.twitter.com/uPitDzDpbl
— K-State Women's Golf (@KStateWGolf) April 26, 2023
"This year I made weaknesses my strengths," she says. "Am I hitting it inside the baselines? Am I getting it up and down? Do I need to be more aggressive off the tees? Where do I need to place my ball to get the best outcome? I really analyzed my game and stuck to what I knew worked.
"My tee balls were perfectly fine last year but it's become more of a strength for me this year. I'm able to bomb it and be aggressive and put myself into a better position to make more birdies and pars to keep myself out of trouble. That's really key. Just being able to convert when I need to convert and shoot lower scores."
She posted a pair of top-20 finishes this year, including a career-best tie for third place at the Dale McNamara Invitational in October. She led K-State in rounds even or under par (nine) and percentage of rounds counted toward the team score (96.63%). She enjoyed six of the best 13 rounds among K-State women's golfers this year. That includes a 68 at The Bruzzy and a 69 at the Dale McNamara Invitational. Vargas also holds six of the top 12 54-hold scores on the team this year. Her best score was a 3-under par 213 at the MountainView Collegiate.
"I played really well this season," Vargas says. "Glad it worked out."
It's been a long time coming for Vargas, a native of Lubbock, Texas, who is thrilled to start the postseason in her home state. Back home, she posted every recruiting letter on her bedroom wall. They're letters that she began receiving from colleges in middle school. It was an exciting time in her life. She gave up basketball, volleyball and soccer to focus on golf. She knew she could have an opportunity for success with a club in her hand.Going dancing 💃🏻 #KStateWGOLF x @haleyvargas14 pic.twitter.com/bzThk1lkrQ
— K-State Women's Golf (@KStateWGolf) April 26, 2023
She was named 2016 Lone Star Varsity Athlete of the Year in Girls Golf. She qualified for the 2017 USGA Junior Girls Championship. She won the American Junior Golf Association qualifier in 2017 at Buffalo Dunes in Garden City, Kansas. She won the 2018 James A Ragan Memorial event on the Texas Golf Association Legends Junior Tour.
"I've always felt at peace when I'm on the course," she says. "I couldn't be more thankful."
Vargas had "a lot" of scholarship offers. She took an unofficial visit and then an official visit to K-State. It just felt right. She liked the academics, she loved Colbert Hills, and she quickly decided, "This place is special."
And now? She has a couple weeks to prepare for one of the biggest opportunities of her life. Soon after the completion of the NCAA Regional on May 8-10, she'll return to Manhattan in time to turn the tassel when she graduates with a degree in psychology on May 13. Then, regardless of the outcome in San Antonio, it's back to the grind on the course.
She has more work to do.
"For me, playing really well in this postseason tournament is really big," she says. "Then obviously, we go into summer and I'm going to play in some really good events and sharpen up my game. Then I'll be coming back for my fifth year. After that, I'll get ready for pro golf."
But it all goes back to Wednesday morning, hours before her postseason selection. She received a text from her father.
"Hey, we're so proud of you," he wrote. "You've done so well this season. Whatever the outcome, you've put in a lot of good work."
She's put in some of the best work in women's golf this year. It's paid off handsomely.
And now it's time to chase a dream.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
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