University of Georgia Athletics
Bailey Tardy Wins Tour's “Rising Star” Award
November 05, 2020 | Women's Golf
Former Bulldog looking to ascend to LPGA
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ATHENS, Ga. — Bailey Tardy, a two-time All-American and the 2016 SEC Freshman of the Year while at Georgia, has been named the 2020 Symetra Rising Star for 2020. The honor is awarded to the Symetra Tour player who has shown the most progress from one season to the next in hopes of ascending to the LPGA Tour.
"I worked really hard in the offseason to get my game where it is this season," Tardy said. "The first tournament in Winter Haven, I didn't play well and it felt like somewhat of a setback because I knew I had been practicing so hard. To not see results immediately in competition was kind of a letdown but then I knew what I had to work on."
Tardy finished at No. 88 in the 2019 Volvik Race for the Card with $13,714 season earnings. This year, she has already collected $40,128 across nine starts and entered this week's final event of the season, the Symetra Tour Championship, at No. 4 in the Volvik Race for the Card. Tardy is ranked among the tour's statistical leaders in virtually every category, including No. 1 in total top-10 finishes, No. 1 in eagles, No. 2 in total rounds under par, No. 4 in birdies, No. 4 in average driving distance, No. 6 in scoring average, No. 18 in putts per greens in regulation and No. 19 in greens in regulation.
"We're extremely proud of Bailey's success, both at Georgia and what she's accomplished professionally," head coach Josh Brewer said. "She came to UGA with a goal and dream of competing at the next level, and she's on her way to great things. There's a lot of pride within Georgia Golf over the success our men's program has had on the PGA Tour. We hope that Bailey, her former teammate Jillian Hollis and many more players from our women's program will some day replicate that success."
Since the Florida's Natural Charity Classic in March, Tardy has not missed a cut and claimed four top-10 finishes along the way. That includes a career-best result of runner-up in the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship at Battle Creek Country Club thanks to rounds of 72-67-66.
"I worked a lot on my mental game too; between my confidence and how I view my game and swing, I struggled a lot on that last year," Tardy said. "I made a swing coach change to Scott Hamilton, but a combination of that and having my mom on the bag has helped. She knows nothing about golf, but we just have fun out there. We have a good time, she keeps me loose out there. It is nice to have a familiar face during high-pressure situations."
As part of the Symetra Rising Star award, the player receives $1,500 and an additional $1,000 is donated to charity. Tardy selected the Susan G. Komen Foundation and American Brain Tumor Association as her charities of choice, splitting the donation between the two organizations, to show support for her aunt who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and a close family member fighting brain cancer.
ATHENS, Ga. — Bailey Tardy, a two-time All-American and the 2016 SEC Freshman of the Year while at Georgia, has been named the 2020 Symetra Rising Star for 2020. The honor is awarded to the Symetra Tour player who has shown the most progress from one season to the next in hopes of ascending to the LPGA Tour.
"I worked really hard in the offseason to get my game where it is this season," Tardy said. "The first tournament in Winter Haven, I didn't play well and it felt like somewhat of a setback because I knew I had been practicing so hard. To not see results immediately in competition was kind of a letdown but then I knew what I had to work on."
Tardy finished at No. 88 in the 2019 Volvik Race for the Card with $13,714 season earnings. This year, she has already collected $40,128 across nine starts and entered this week's final event of the season, the Symetra Tour Championship, at No. 4 in the Volvik Race for the Card. Tardy is ranked among the tour's statistical leaders in virtually every category, including No. 1 in total top-10 finishes, No. 1 in eagles, No. 2 in total rounds under par, No. 4 in birdies, No. 4 in average driving distance, No. 6 in scoring average, No. 18 in putts per greens in regulation and No. 19 in greens in regulation.
"We're extremely proud of Bailey's success, both at Georgia and what she's accomplished professionally," head coach Josh Brewer said. "She came to UGA with a goal and dream of competing at the next level, and she's on her way to great things. There's a lot of pride within Georgia Golf over the success our men's program has had on the PGA Tour. We hope that Bailey, her former teammate Jillian Hollis and many more players from our women's program will some day replicate that success."
Since the Florida's Natural Charity Classic in March, Tardy has not missed a cut and claimed four top-10 finishes along the way. That includes a career-best result of runner-up in the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship at Battle Creek Country Club thanks to rounds of 72-67-66.
"I worked a lot on my mental game too; between my confidence and how I view my game and swing, I struggled a lot on that last year," Tardy said. "I made a swing coach change to Scott Hamilton, but a combination of that and having my mom on the bag has helped. She knows nothing about golf, but we just have fun out there. We have a good time, she keeps me loose out there. It is nice to have a familiar face during high-pressure situations."
As part of the Symetra Rising Star award, the player receives $1,500 and an additional $1,000 is donated to charity. Tardy selected the Susan G. Komen Foundation and American Brain Tumor Association as her charities of choice, splitting the donation between the two organizations, to show support for her aunt who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and a close family member fighting brain cancer.
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