University of Georgia Athletics
‘Special’ Bae Is Closing Strong
May 18, 2023 | Women's Golf, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Jenny Bae is having a spring to remember and savor, just don't expect the Georgia women's golfer to spend much time dwelling on her successes right now.
At last week's NCAA Athens Regional at the UGA Golf Course, Bae was dominant in winning medalist honors. Her score of 13-under during the 54-hole tournament was six strokes better than second place. And her 19 birdies were five more than anyone else.
Is she playing the best golf of her life?
"I think so, yes," she said. "I don't want to say that it's my peak because I have so many things to come, but I think that this is a really good wrap for my amateur and college career, and hopefully it will carry on to my professional career."
Before that pro career gets underway, Bae and the Bulldogs, who won the Athens Regional, are at the NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. They will begin their pursuit of a national championship on Friday.
Bae, from Suwanee, Ga., is having one of the best seasons in school history. Her stroke average so far is 70.56, which if she can sustain that at NCAAs would top former Georgia great Jillian Hollis' mark of 71.04. She already has a school-record 23 par-or-better rounds this season, as well as the two best tournament scores — 16-under at the Illini Invitational in October and 13-under at the regional — in program history.
In 32 rounds so far, she's a combined 37-under par. Earlier this week, Bae was named one of the seven on the final watch list for the PING WGCA Player of the Year award.
"She's special," Georgia coach Josh Brewer said after Bae won the Athens Regional. "In our sport, when that happens, when they get comfortable and are playing well, they can put up numbers that are crazy.
"I try to enjoy it as much as coach it."
Brewer said he wants to savor the time he has left watching Bae up close.
"I look forward to watching her play as many rounds as I can because I know it's coming to an end," he said. "I want to embrace each one that I'm able to see."
Earlier in the spring, at the Augusta National Women's Amateur, Brewer was on Bae's bag as she shot 9-under over 54 holes. Bae rallied from six strokes back to tie for the lead with Rose Zhang — the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world — but wound up placing second after losing on the second hole of a playoff.
Bae is ranked No. 3 in the country in the most recent Golfstat rankings. And she played like one of the best collegiate golfers at the Athens Regional. Over the three rounds, Bae was 10-under on the par-4s, 2-over on the par-3s and 5-under on the par-5s.
Coming down the stretch, Bae had the individual title all wrapped up, but the Bulldogs were clinging to a one-stroke lead over South Carolina when she stepped to the 18th tee. Brewer had walked alongside and coached all of the Bulldogs on the course late in the round, and he was there beside Bae as she fired her drive right down the middle.
Her second shot on the par-5 18th came up just short of the green, and then she chipped the ball to about 3 feet from the hole. After seeing South Carolina's Louise Rydqvist miss a must-have birdie putt, Bae had two putts for the team win.
"When I had that 3-footer at the end, I looked at Josh and I was like, I've never felt so jittery in my life standing over a 3-footer," Bae said with a laugh. "I trusted him and he just said to go through your routine and you'll be fine. And sure enough, I made it, and a sense of relief went over me. I was super proud."
She's made Brewer and the Bulldogs super proud throughout her career. And she'll no-doubt continue to do so this week and beyond.
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.
