Golfer Megan Kalapura takes swing at history

Story and photos by Patrick Prince | Media and Communications Editor

It was summer 2024. That’s when golfer Megan Kalapura had a career-defining revelation: she had to get better.

She was already good, but when she placed near the bottom of the field at the AJGA Jordan Spieth Championship that year, she knew things had to change.

It was a profound turning point for the Holland Hall senior and it “truly sparked my drive.”

Since then, her game has blossomed and she’s one of the best in Oklahoma. 

But, it all started in Farmers Branch, Texas, in 2024 at a tournament where the winner was 7-under and Kalapura was 20-over, placing 26th in the 27-player field.

“It was a tough field, but that was so humbling,” Kalapura said. “I knew I didn’t want to feel like that again. So after the tournament, I was like, ‘Wow, I really need to put a lot of effort into my game.”

It didn’t take long for Kalapura to see improvement in her game. She’s a two-time high school state player of the year with a chance to add another state title in a few weeks at the Class 4A state tournament at Dornick Hills Golf & Country Club in Ardmore.

The Spieth tournament “taught me that being uncomfortable in those situations is OK, because I truly was able to grow so much, even though that tournament didn’t go how I expected. I would never not play it again if I could do it again. I would 100% play it again because it taught me so much about myself, how I handle stressful situations, how it’s OK to be uncomfortable and how it showed me how much I was able to grow. So honestly, even though I finished second-to-last, I’m proud of myself.”

This spring, her focus has been balance. Kalapura, 18, graduates in May, and while she’ll be a college golfer soon, she’s also trying to spend time with friends and have a social life. That can be tricky for elite high school athletes. 

“Senior year you have so many activities and I have missed a ton of things just because of golf, which is fine, that’s a sacrifice you need to make for any sport,” she said. “But, I have been trying to go to more school activities and be more active with my friends and stuff.”

But, there’s still a lot to play for. Fewer than 15 Oklahoma high school girls golfers have won at least three state titles, according to Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association records. 

Kalapura would love to be on that list. The last one to win three was Regent Prep’s Jenni Roller, a friend of Kalapura’s who now plays at TU. 

After finishing runner-up at state in 2023, Kalapura won the 3A title in 2024 at Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City and won the 4A title last year at Shawnee Golf and Country Club.

This week, she placed third and led Holland Hall to second place in the Pinnacle Conference tournament. Junior Emily Little placed sixth to join Kalapura in the top 10. On Monday, Holland Hall travels to Wister for regional play at Wolf Mountain Golf Course and then the state.

“There’s obviously that pressure. I want to do the best I can,” she said. “I really do enjoy competing at a high level. It’s never fun to lose, you know.”

Kalapura is a Tulsa native and Holland Hall student since the second grade. 

Her parents, Betcy and Thomas, came to the United States from Kerala, India, in the mid 1990s and had three kids: Cheryl, Allan and Megan. 

Betcy and Thomas are both doctors.

Cheryl, 10 years older than Megan, is about to start her residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas while Allan, seven years older, is at OU Medical School. Both are Holland Hall graduates. 

It was Allan who had a set of golf clubs that Megan started playing with when she was 7. In addition to golf, she likes to read and play pickleball. 

This fall, Kalapura will continue her golf career at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. 

She wanted to attend college in the Northeast as both her siblings did and she wanted a school with high academic standards. She’s considering the medical profession, but said she wants to keep an open mind in college before deciding on a career. 

This summer, she’ll again compete in junior tournaments before heading off to college. She doesn’t plan to explore playing pro golf. 

For now, she’ll enjoy what’s left of her high school golf career while trying to maximize the relationships she’s developed from it. 

“My golf friendships have been so pivotal in who I am as a person today, and I wouldn’t change that for anything,” she said.