Epson Tour rookie Bae leads Twin Bridges Classic

GUILDERLAND — After a long and successful collegiate career, Epson Tour rookie Jenny Bae is starting to discover the professional game is not that much different, at least for her.

The 21-year-old three-time All-American at the University of Georgia, who won her first Epson Tour tournament earlier this week in a rain-delayed finish of the Hartford Healthcare Women’s Championship in Hartford, Connecticut, opened the Twin Bridges Classic with a sizzling 6-under-par 65 Friday at Pinehaven Country Club.

Bae was this year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur runner-up and earned the prestigious Julie Inkster Senior Award given to the top-ranked female golfer who completed her fourth year of eligibility.  The two-time collegiate champion won the Illini Invitational and the Athens Regional this season. She’s also won the Georgia Women’s Amateur and Georgia Women’s Open.

Bae is making a rapid transition to the pro game, winning in just her second professional event after missing the cut at the Inova Mission Inn Resort Club Championship back in May.

Friday, she birdied three of her first four holes, and then added two more birdies on the front and three on the back for a total of eight birdies to offset a pair of bogeys.

Because she won the Hartford event on Monday and had to quickly travel to Pinehaven CC for practice rounds, Bae had no time to celebrate her first pro victory.

“No time to celebrate, but Mom and I had a nice dinner. We’ll probably celebrate on the trip back home,” she said.

“For sure, that win helped with the momentum carrying over, but this is only the first round. I’m not going to get my hopes up. I will try to stay in the present on every hole.”

Bae was asked about her early success in the pro game.

“The transition has been quick, but that’s the point of me going to college for 4 1/2 years. It trained me mentally for this. The transition was easier than I thought it would be,” she said.

Bae noted that Pinehaven CC’s layout rewards straight shots and penalizes off-line ones.

“I think the narrowness of this course makes me more focused,” she said. “Every time I get on the green and score a birdie, it helps me.”

Bae said her goal on the Epson Tour was to earn enough points on the Race for the Card money list to perhaps finish in the top 35, which would allow her to skip a qualifying round for the LPGA Tour. The Julie Inkster Senior Award already allowed her to move directly to the second round of LPGA qualifying. But now she’s changed her goals and believes she has a chance to earn her own way into the LPGA.

“Now, it’s changed a little. I may be a little selfish, but I’d like to get into the top 10 so I can get my LPGA card,” she said.

Veteran Laetitia Beck, from Caesarea, Israel, is one of two players a stroke behind Bae after shooting a 66.

Beck rolled in a pair of birdies on the front, but she collected three birdies in a row and four overall on the back nine.

The 31-year-old Beck has earned $28,175 this season but hasn’t been in the top 10 for any event so far. For her career, she’s earned $148,238 with 12 top-10 finishes. The four-time All-ACC selection at Duke and former first-team All-American was the first golfer from Israel to qualify for the LPGA Tour, where she played for more than four seasons. One of her career highlights was competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“I just kept the ball in play today,” Beck said. “My only bogey was when I didn’t hit my tee shot in play. I hit a few shots close enough for birdie. My season is starting to get better. Today I didn’t feel too comfortable with my game. Even with this score, I still was a little disappointed, but this season has been a little better for me. I’m more consistent and a little more stress-free.”

Beck would love to return to the LPGA Tour, but she doesn’t want to put any additional pressure on herself.

“Obviously, my goal when I lost my card was to gain it back, and I was frustrated by not playing well. Now, I just try my best. If I have my game, I can make it back on the LPGA Tour, but I’m not stressed. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll do something else. I’ve got other things in mind — in the golf industry. I don’t want to stay here [the Epson Tour] forever.”

Like most of the other leaders, Beck said the key was to keep the ball in play on tree-lined fairways.

“You have to keep it in play. I’m in Florida, and I’m not used to this many trees,” she said.”I went back to using my 3-wood off the tee. It’s more in my comfort zone. It meant having longer irons into the green. It all depends on how I feel. If I’m feeling like I can hit my driver, I will, but today I hit my 3-wood.”

Camden Morrison of Millis, Massachusetts, played one of her best rounds of her season with a 67. She registered six birdies, including three in a row on the back nine.

“I hate to say this, but when you stop trying [too hard] and just try to find the short grass, things were working. You’ve got to trust your gut and hit the shots you are comfortable with,” she said. “I tried things the other way, and I haven’t found a lot of success, so I’m approaching it from a different mindset. I figure no matter what happens, life doesn’t change. I’ve got an incredible family and some incredible friends, so I’ve got to treat this like any other day.”

The 27-year-old graduate from Franklin Pierce University said she’s played Pinehaven CC numerous times in college.

Cassie Porter of Peregian Springs, Australia, also shot a 67, including six birdies. Porter has earned $18,694 and has finished in the top 10 twice this season.

Twenty-nine players broke par in a field of 144.

The three-day tournament continues Saturday and Sunday. Total purse is $200,000, with the winner earning $30,000.

LEADERS

(Par 71)

Jenny Bae 65, Kaleigh Telfer 66, Laetitia Beck 66, Camden Morrison 67, Cassie Porter 67, Yiyi Liu 68, Amelia Williamson 68, Roberta Liti 68, Sophie Guo 68, Brooke Matthews 69, Ssu-Chia Cheng 69, Hira Naveed 69, Amelia Garvey 69,  Pauline Del Rosario 69, Natasha Andrea Oon 69, Min A Moon 69, Robyn Choi 69, Gabriela Ruffels 69,  Kendra Dalton 69, Amanda Kim 70, Maria Parra 70, Yoonmin Han 70, Alice Duan 70, Anita Uwadia 70, Savannah Vilbaubi 70, Beatrice Wallin 70, Carley Cox 70, Therese Warner 70. Selena Costabile 70.

Reach Bob Weiner at [email protected].

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