UGA's Jenny Bae shares epic round at Augusta National Women's Amateur with Bulldogs coach
Jenny Bae finished the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur with an historically-great round.
Yes, she did come up short in the end, but it took the top player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings to knock her out in a playoff Saturday.
The fifth-year Georgia senior came in at six shots back and carded a 70 at Augusta National Golf Club to force the playoff. She finished 54 holes tied with ANWA champion Rose Zhang for the second-best 54-hole score in the tournament’s short history (9-under-par).
"It was really smooth,” Bae said. “I honestly didn't feel like I really hit a bump. I would say that I was a little bit tense, a little bit nervous the first few holes, but I think that's where my caddie played a big role in trying to keep me patient and keep it rolling.”
Both players parred No. 18 to start the sudden-death format, but then moved on to No. 10 where things got interesting. Once again, both split the fairway on their tee shots, but an errant second shot sent Bae’s ball into the pine straw to the left of the green while Zhang hit the green in regulation. Bae’s third shot went over the green into the opposite bunker, effectively sealing the deal. Zhang two-putted for the win.
“I had kind of like a stance where the ball was on top, and I had the right number and then the right distance,” Bae said. “I felt confident. But I think I just tugged it a little bit, and it went past the green into the bushes in the back. I mean, I tried, but Rose, she had a fantastic day. Hat's off to her.”
Players had the option to use an Augusta National caddie for Saturday’s final round, but Bae opted for keeping Georgia coach Josh Brewer on her bag (he was also on her bag for the first two rounds at Champions Retreat). While some may question that decision, Bae never wavered.
“I never planned, not once in my head thought I was going to change,” she said. “Josh is a fantastic caddie and even better coach. I trust him with all my life. Just having him on my bag, I never felt so comfortable. I think that's a key thing when playing such a big tournament.”
From missing the cut in 2022 to nearly winning it all this time around, Bae said there was a distinguishable difference in the two experiences. She was able to set aside the nerves a bit more this year and put more focus on the courses from a technical perspective.
“I would say last year I was a little inexperienced, especially both my caddie and I. We were just going for all the pins. It didn't really matter. We'll deal with the consequences later, but we've got to hit it first,” she said. “I think this year we focused a little bit more on targets and just a little bit of green reading and speed. I think that just played a major role in how I played.”
As for what’s next, Bae said this week’s performance can only help her as she advances towards a professional career.
“It will definitely give me a lot of confidence, especially I just shot 9-under in one of the most stressful and pressuring environments,” she said. “I can just take so much from this. Once I start my Epson TOUR career, I'll be a lot more confident heading in.”
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: UGA women's golfer Jenny Bae finishes runner-up at 2023 ANWA
