Story Links
For one weekend, it was just like old times again.
Caleb VanArragon and Anthony Delisanti. Anthony Delisanti and Caleb VanArragon. Two names that were synonymous with one another throughout their three shared seasons as members of the Valparaiso University men’s golf program and will forever be connected in Valpo lore.
The dynamic duo of Beacon golf shared the course once again at the NV5 Invitational, held at The Glen Club in Glenview, Ill. from July 24-27. VanArragon’s professional golf career is well underway as part of the Korn Ferry Tour, while Delisanti entered the field as an amateur. VanArragon played his fifth and final season at Valpo in Spring 2024, while Delisanti wrapped up his time with the Brown & Gold this past spring.
“I wouldn’t be on the Korn Ferry Tour if it wasn’t for him,” VanArragon said. “He’s very meticulous and has been since his freshman year. He thinks through everything really well. He’s an incredibly hard worker and is diligent with his process. It was great to be surrounded by that for another week, to talk through the course with him and hear how he’s thinking through the week. He’s one of my best friends and anytime I can hang out with him for a week, it’s awesome.”
Although both players have walked across the graduation stage and exhausted their collegiate eligibility, much about this past weekend’s tournament made them feel as if they were back at Valpo. Thanks in part to the tournament’s close proximity to Northwest Indiana, familiar faces roamed the course in support of them, including head coach Dave Gring, some of their former teammates and former Director of Athletics Mark LaBarbera. The former college roommates even rekindled that aspect of their bond during the event as Delisanti and VanArragon shared an Airbnb.
“We did a lot of practicing together leading up to the event,” Delisanti said. “It was fun going through the golf course together. We played nine holes together on Tuesday, game planning for the golf course like we did in college. I hadn’t played with him since the U.S. Open Qualifier in Ontario early last summer, so this was a good time.”
There was yet another aspect of the NV5 Invitational that made it feel like a Valpo tournament of old – low scores for VanArragon and Delisanti. VanArragon finished tied for seventh in a highly competitive field with a 72-hole score of 263 (-21, 63-66-64-70). He finished the tournament by eagling the 18th hole in Round 4.
“The first 17 and a half holes of that round were pretty frustrating,” VanArragon said. “I feel like I’d been playing pretty well but I couldn’t get any putts to fall. I think I had eight putts burn the edge, missing by a couple inches or so. I was hitting a lot of good approach shots, but none of them were coming up really close. I was trying to land that last shot five yards short of the hole, and it took a pretty big hop and fell in. That was huge in terms of results, moving me up from a big tie for 14th into a two-way tie for seventh. I don’t think I’ve made a shot like that before, and it was the perfect time for it.”
Delisanti was the lone amateur to make the cut and finished at t-30 with a 72-hole score of 267 (-17, 67-67-67-66).
“I was very excited to have an opportunity on a level like this,” Delisanti said. “I knew I was playing in early April, so right after the conference championship, Yianni (Kostouros, a fellow Valpo men’s golf alum) and I drove on a Monday afternoon and played it before finals week and regionals. I went up and checked it out and got the lay of the land. It was a very good golf course to play your first professional event at, and I felt really comfortable on the course. I was super happy with how I was able to control myself out there and take care of business.”
Both players have moved onto their next events, with VanArragon teeing off the first round of the Korn Ferry’s Utah Championship, while Delisanti played in the Western Amateur in Glencoe, Ill. earlier this week. VanArragon is ranked 62nd in points on the Korn Ferry Tour and the top 75 keep their full card for next year. If he could somehow win two tournaments, he would earn a PGA Tour card.
“NV5 was easily the coolest week out of the year for me and probably the coolest tournament I’ve ever played in,” VanArragon said. “I don’t think I had that many people come out to watch me play in a golf tournament before. To play pretty well the way I did, I couldn’t be more grateful for the experience.”
