Caleb VanArragon's Incredible Rise to Making it on the Pro Golf Tour

02/24/25 • 66 min

For Caleb VanArragon ’23, ’24 M.S., the statistical way of thinking has always resonated in the most logical sense. “I love the way it can be used to solve all sorts of real-world problems,” he explains. It’s a personal truth that stuck with him throughout his Valparaiso University experience. As an undergraduate student, he combined his interests with a double-major in biology and statistics, then narrowed down his professional interests in pursuit of a master of science in analytics and modeling.
“Valpo has an amazing statistics program. I would absolutely recommend that students study math and statistics here,” Caleb shares. “The professors are amazing; I’ve learned so much from them, and I’ve learned a lot of skills that I’ve been able to apply to all sorts of things outside just my classes.”
Statistics has even played a role in Caleb’s position on the Valpo men’s golf team. “Every season, our coach has us record all of our data from our tournaments. I’ve been able to use that data and some of the skills that I’ve learned here from the statistics department to improve my golf game,” Caleb says. “Last year, I looked at my correlations and I figured out that the number of fairways I hit per round did not influence my score at all. Everything you do – every shot that you hit – can be turned into statistics, and you can use it to figure out which shots are important and how you’re playing in every aspect of your game.” Just looking at the statistics helped Caleb figure out what he needed to practice and what he didn’t – a testament that statistics is a tool that can be applied to anything and everything.
Since graduation, Caleb has experienced astounding succeess with his professional golf career. VanArragon, a two-time NCAA Regional Qualifier and two-time Academic All-American while at Valpo, turned in a 66 (-4) in the fourth and final round on Sunday, finishing the final stage of Q-School with a 72-hole score of 282 (+2), tied for 36th in an extremely competitive field. He turned in a round-by-round line of 77-70-69-66, improving his score with each passing round.
VanArragon's performance in qualifying school earned him a minimum of eight starts on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025.
He is currently working on his game in Lakewood Ranch, FL and preparing to compete on the tour.
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Learn more about Caleb, check these out...
https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour/player/65443/caleb-vanarragon
https://valpoathletics.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/caleb-vanarragon/6777
https://www.instagram.com/calebvanarragon/
https://x.com/cvanarragolf?lang=en
https://rypgolf.com/

Previous Episode

Learn About the Storied Life of a Teaching Golf Pro and Author - Nicole Weller

Nicole Weller is a proud member of the PGA of America, the LPGA, Proponent Group and the North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce. She currently instructs members, their guests and local Wilmington area golfers at Compass Pointe Golf Club near Wilmington, NC while traveling back to the Pinehurst area to instruct with the Pine Needles Golfari Schools. She has served on the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf of Savannah Board, two terms on the PGA National Youth Player Development Committee, LPGA Education and Hall of Fame Committees, the PGA Special Awards Committee, LPGA and PGA Mentorship Programs and is a co-author of the LPGA Girls Golf Playbook. Nicole was voted an LPGA Top 50 Teacher again in 2023 and listed #3 on the Golf Digest Best in State Teacher for North Carolina.
Nicole enjoys quiet downtime at home, traveling & exploring, baking, home improvement projects, bringing golf to children at the local children's hospital in Savannah and Wilmington and family time with her husband and cat near Wilmington, NC. Her background includes a European upbringing, with both parents having immigrated to the U.S. from Germany and Switzerland and a brother who now resides overseas. She has been hang gliding, skydiving and has attained a black belt in the Isshinryu martial arts form (weapons, forms, sparring).
Nicole published her children's golf book, Stick to Sports: Let's Play Golf, in 2011 and flashcard memory game, Match Play Golf, in 2014. The book is perfect for youngsters ages 4-8+ complete with point and sticker rewards and a suggested itinerary for adult mentors to follow.
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPyBceGnuqNhPy8miOrqPYA
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Next Episode

Met Rudy Duran, Tiger Woods' First Golf Instructor

There’s absolutely no way he could have known but Rudy Duran held the future of an entire sport in his hands throughout the early eighties.
Now based at Chalk Mountain Golf Course in Atascadero – roughly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco – Duran was working at Heartwell Golf Course in Long Beach in 1980 when the door to his pro shop opened and in walked Tida Woods with her four-year-old son Tiger.
Eighteen months earlier, little Tiger had earned national exposure with an appearance on The Mike Douglas Show. He had wowed fellow guests Bob Hope and Jimmy Stewart with his seemingly supernatural talent for golf. Are you kidding me? He’s only two? Etcetera.
Soon after, Tida and her husband Earl decided they wanted their little boy to start taking lessons. Earl had shown Tiger the basics using a makeshift net he’d set up in their garage. However, Tiger needed better guidance, professional guidance.
The couple settled on Duran after learning of the hugely successful junior golf program he was running out of Heartwell. He had more than 100 kids signed up, each of whom enjoyed free, unlimited access to the par-3 course.
It may or may not have helped that, like Earl, he also had a military background. It was during his time in the Air Force, in fact, that Duran learned to play golf.
Even so, at four-years-old and barely able to see over the counter, Tiger was a lot younger and smaller than most of the kids he taught. Eight, nine, ten? Sure. But four was almost unheard of.
Still, Duran’s interest was piqued. What the hell? he figured. Let’s see what the kid’s made of.
What happened next changed the game forever.
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For stunning properties in Sarasota and nearby areas, visit https://www.suncoastdreams.com .....or call (941) 220-4000.
Learn more about Rudy, check these out...
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/contributor/rudy-duran/
https://x.com/nrg4golf
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rudy-Duran/author/B001KHIFNQ?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
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