University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Jenny Bae
May 07, 2021 | Women's Golf, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
If you've never had a hole-in-ole (raises hand), prepare to get a little jealous. Georgia women's golfer Jenny Bae, who started playing when she was just 3 years old, has had six. Yes, six aces, the first coming when she was just 9.
Bae, a junior from Cumming, Ga., was named second-team All-SEC by the conference's coaches, along with teammate Caterina Don. Bae leads the team in stroke average (73.00) this season, has had a counting score in every round the Bulldogs have played, and has shot a team-best 11 par-or-better rounds.
Before Bae and the No. 18-ranked Bulldogs compete in the NCAA Columbus Regional starting Monday, she found a quiet spot at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Thursday for a Quick Chat. She talked about her first hole-in-one, her favorite club, Augusta National, and much more.
Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: How old were you when you first got started in golf, and what got you into the game?
Bae: I started golf when I was 3 years old, and my parents started playing golf before I did so they pulled me into it.
Frierson: When did you realize that not only did you like it but that you had a lot of potential? Was there a moment that stands out?
Bae: I started taking formal lessons from one of my first coaches around the age of 5. He saw my swing and he told my parents, "Hey, I can tell that this girl has a future in golf. You should try teaching her some more and maybe play some tournaments." After that, things just kind of went on.
Frierson: Have you ever had a hole-in-one?
Bae: Yes [laughs]. My first one, I think I was 9 years old. I went out to practice, just a daily practice session with my dad, and obviously, I was playing from the most forward tees. I remember I grabbed a 3-wood and he was just like, "Hit it at the hole."
I hit it and it was really solid. It was going towards the hole but I didn't really get to see the ball roll in, but my dad did and he was just screaming.
Frierson: Did you sprint down to the green?
Bae: Yeah, I definitely didn't ride in the cart, I ran, I took off from the tee box straight to the hole. It was amazing.
Frierson: How many have you had since?
Bae: I think so far I've had six.
Frierson: Good gosh. I was expecting maybe two or three, but six?
Bae: Yeah [laughs].
Frierson: What is your favorite club in the bag? Do you have one that you like hitting the most or have more faith in than the rest?
Bae: My No. 1 is the driver. I have started slowly progressing my driver yardages and the more I bomb it and the more that I can see that I'm hitting it longer than other players, I just kind of have the sense of pride and confidence in it when I grab it in an actual tournament, knowing that this ball's going to go straight and it's going to go far.
Frierson: Is there one course you've played that you wish you could play every day?
Bae: One of them, and I think this is for all golfers, is Augusta National. I had a chance freshman year to go play with my team, and I'm at a loss for words. I wish I could play that every day.
Frierson: What did you take away from that experience that was maybe different from what you expected based on seeing it on TV?
Bae: When I see it on TV, obviously I think, wow, that's a hard course, even the professionals are struggling on some of the holes. That bridge (over Rae's Creek) on one of the par 3s is just really remarkable. When I actually got to go and play it and walk it, I kind of felt like a completely new person. I took away a lot of things from that; I knew what I needed to improve on and what my strengths are.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Bae: I would probably say any dish that has to do with rice I would definitely love, especially fried rice.
Frierson: How are you in the kitchen?
Bae: I normally cook my own food when I go back home from college, and sometimes I even cook for the rest of the family if I have the time.
Frierson: What do you do to get away from golf and away from school?
Bae: I try to go hiking with either some friends or by myself. Or sometimes I like to just chill at home and just spend some time with my family.
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Bae: [Laughs] I don't really know. All of my team members have such unique personalities and points of view. Sometimes one of my teammates is really funny and then another one is really funny, too. It's really fun traveling with the team. No matter who goes, it's always fun.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
If you've never had a hole-in-ole (raises hand), prepare to get a little jealous. Georgia women's golfer Jenny Bae, who started playing when she was just 3 years old, has had six. Yes, six aces, the first coming when she was just 9.
Bae, a junior from Cumming, Ga., was named second-team All-SEC by the conference's coaches, along with teammate Caterina Don. Bae leads the team in stroke average (73.00) this season, has had a counting score in every round the Bulldogs have played, and has shot a team-best 11 par-or-better rounds.
Before Bae and the No. 18-ranked Bulldogs compete in the NCAA Columbus Regional starting Monday, she found a quiet spot at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Thursday for a Quick Chat. She talked about her first hole-in-one, her favorite club, Augusta National, and much more.
Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: How old were you when you first got started in golf, and what got you into the game?
Bae: I started golf when I was 3 years old, and my parents started playing golf before I did so they pulled me into it.
Frierson: When did you realize that not only did you like it but that you had a lot of potential? Was there a moment that stands out?
Bae: I started taking formal lessons from one of my first coaches around the age of 5. He saw my swing and he told my parents, "Hey, I can tell that this girl has a future in golf. You should try teaching her some more and maybe play some tournaments." After that, things just kind of went on.
Frierson: Have you ever had a hole-in-one?
Bae: Yes [laughs]. My first one, I think I was 9 years old. I went out to practice, just a daily practice session with my dad, and obviously, I was playing from the most forward tees. I remember I grabbed a 3-wood and he was just like, "Hit it at the hole."
I hit it and it was really solid. It was going towards the hole but I didn't really get to see the ball roll in, but my dad did and he was just screaming.
Frierson: Did you sprint down to the green?
Bae: Yeah, I definitely didn't ride in the cart, I ran, I took off from the tee box straight to the hole. It was amazing.
Frierson: How many have you had since?
Bae: I think so far I've had six.
Frierson: Good gosh. I was expecting maybe two or three, but six?
Bae: Yeah [laughs].
Frierson: What is your favorite club in the bag? Do you have one that you like hitting the most or have more faith in than the rest?
Bae: My No. 1 is the driver. I have started slowly progressing my driver yardages and the more I bomb it and the more that I can see that I'm hitting it longer than other players, I just kind of have the sense of pride and confidence in it when I grab it in an actual tournament, knowing that this ball's going to go straight and it's going to go far.
Frierson: Is there one course you've played that you wish you could play every day?
Bae: One of them, and I think this is for all golfers, is Augusta National. I had a chance freshman year to go play with my team, and I'm at a loss for words. I wish I could play that every day.
Frierson: What did you take away from that experience that was maybe different from what you expected based on seeing it on TV?
Bae: When I see it on TV, obviously I think, wow, that's a hard course, even the professionals are struggling on some of the holes. That bridge (over Rae's Creek) on one of the par 3s is just really remarkable. When I actually got to go and play it and walk it, I kind of felt like a completely new person. I took away a lot of things from that; I knew what I needed to improve on and what my strengths are.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Bae: I would probably say any dish that has to do with rice I would definitely love, especially fried rice.
Frierson: How are you in the kitchen?
Bae: I normally cook my own food when I go back home from college, and sometimes I even cook for the rest of the family if I have the time.
Frierson: What do you do to get away from golf and away from school?
Bae: I try to go hiking with either some friends or by myself. Or sometimes I like to just chill at home and just spend some time with my family.
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Bae: [Laughs] I don't really know. All of my team members have such unique personalities and points of view. Sometimes one of my teammates is really funny and then another one is really funny, too. It's really fun traveling with the team. No matter who goes, it's always fun.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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