Taylor Munson made her first trip to state as a sophomore last year and has qualified again after a sixth-place finish at sections
A 4 wood off the tee?
Not exactly what Taylor Munson had in mind entering her junior season of golf when she started her pursuit of a second consecutive trip to state.
“This whole year, my driver was not good,” said Munson, who will compete on June 9-10 at the 2026 Minnesota State Golf Meet at Pebble Creek in Becker. “I couldn’t hit 20 feet off the box. The ball wouldn’t go in the air.”
Hold on. We’re talking about a state qualifier last year, and all of a sudden she couldn’t drive?
For whatever reason, Munson fought the driver demons in early spring, and it got so bad that she found herself reaching for her trusty 4 wood on the tee box.
“I got it figured out toward the end of the season, and I improved my scores a little bit, but it’s been a rocky year,” Munson said.
That rocky year, however, is ending better than it began, as Munson carded a 50-48-51-45 in the Section 3A Golf Meet last week, good for sixth place.
Munson’s trip to state next week will punctuate what has, indeed, been an otherwise down year for Munson, a year that rarely saw her live up to her own expectations.
And it started with her struggles with her driver.
Her scores have mostly been higher this spring compared to 2025, and she said the thought of not making it back to state did cross her mind. However, the fact that she has speaks to her mental toughness, a grit that all high school golfers need to overcome difficulties in a sport that it is said is 90% mental.
“It’s been rough. This year, I barely made all-conference, I barely made the cut for state,” Munson said. “I made it, but I wanted to do more.”
That meant Munson would have to do more work than usual.
She hit the course regularly during stretches where there was no scheduled practices. Instead of dwelling on her driving issues, she worked at fixing them.
“Usually, I came out with my dad, he helped me on the driving range a lot,” she said. “He helped me a lot with my driver. We went out on weekends; he knew, I knew, my driver needed fixing.” Munson was just good enough at last week’s section meet to advance. She finished in 58th place at state a year ago and is hoping to improve on that this year.
“I just made the cut (for state),” she said. “Going into the second day, I was tied for the cut for state. It was nervewracking. The girl I was tied with was in my group, and I knew I had to beat her out.”
Munson found herself down a stroke after the first hole of Day 2 after starting with a bogey, but was able to make up ground and finished her first round on the second day with a 45 — five strokes ahead of the girl she was going toeto-toe with.
“I kept an eye on her for sure,” Munson said. “Mentally, I knew that my goal was bogey golf; it was hard because it was so hot, everyone was doing worse. There was a point where I was really down on myself, and I hadn’t played 18 holes much this year.”
Munson found herself in both physical and mental battles — physically, trying to keep her score down, mentally, the head game she was in against her opponent, and the heat.
And that’s where her coaches stepped up — not just her father, coach Michael Munson, but her brother, Alex, too — someone who has been through the section grind multiple times.
“I do listen to Alex more,” she said. “Me and my dad and brother had that conversation; that’s why I think my dad works with other golfers more. We get along, but me and Alex have a really close relationship.”
That’s not to say Taylor isn’t close with her father. She very much is, but her bond with Alex is different.
“We have golfed together competition-wise, kind of competing with each other — maybe that’s why I listen to him more?” she said. “I think he knows what it feels like, because he has been in my position. He knows the pressure, he knows the course very well. He’s usually by me all the time, and that honestly has really helped me.”
Taylor said Alex knows when to back off, like when she was struggling at the second meet. Being closer to Taylor in age gives him an insight to how she’s feeling that an adult might not have.
“I appreciate them both,” Taylor said. “Alex helps other golfers, too, but he mostly stays with me. It’s been really nice having him with me.”
