Tag: Jenny Bae

What’s it like getting mentored by an LPGA Hall of Famer? Jenny Bae found out on a recent trip

Juli Inkster recalls being an impatient player when she turned pro and joined the LPGA in 1983.

Juli Inkster recalls being an impatient player when she turned pro and joined the LPGA in 1983, the first step of what would become an LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame career. And while Inkster won an LPGA event in 1983 and two majors in 1984, including the Nabisco Dinah Shore in Rancho Mirage, California, she wants others to heed her advice about taking their time.

“It’s all about a process. It’s not ‘I need to win now,’” said Inkster, the part-time La Quinta resident and winner of 31 LPGA titles. “I hate to say it, but I was super impatient myself. You’ve got to just kind of let it happen. Let it come to you.”

That’s just part of the advice Inkster was dispensing this month as a mentor for budding women’s golf star Jenny Bae, the 2023 winner of the Inkster Award. As part of that award, given to the highest-ranking Division I collegiate golfer in her final year of eligibility, Bae earned a mentoring retreat with Inkster at Tradition Golf Club in La Quinta.

“She’s talked to me a lot ever since I got off the flight,” said Bae, a former top player at the University of Georgia who set numerous school records as well as going to a playoff at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur before falling to Rose Zhang. “I’ve been just starting to warm up with all my questions for her.”

Bae is the fourth winner of the Inkster Award sponsored by Workday, something that Inkster, a four-year player at San Jose State and a three-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, hopes is different from other postseason golf awards. Inkster wanted to honor golfers who stay in school rather than leave after a year or two for the professional life.

“As an amateur, you could go to the LPGA qualifying school and if you make it, you can get your card and you can leave (school), so you can start on the LPGA in January,” Inkster said. “But as a college coach or a college player, you are taking your best player off the team and you might have a chance to win a national championship. And now that’s gone.’

“So my thing was to reward a person who stays all four years in college, or five as it is now. Workday was great, because they are our South Bay company, which is where I’m at,” Inkster added.

Juli Inkster during the second round at the 2019 Senior LPGA Championship. Photo: Rick Sharp

The other key was Inkster didn’t want to just hand over a trophy to the winner. She wanted to have an impact as a mentor, something she did for dozens of players in her more active days on the LPGA.

“I wanted something that I could put my hands on and kind of make a difference,” Inkster said. “College golf, everything is done for you. What to eat, all your travel, what tournaments you play in. All of a sudden on the LPGA, it is just really different. So I wanted to give them one, the opportunity to come out and play a couple of days and talk about what they are going through. I also want them to know that they can call me any time and ask questions.”

The money helps, too

The award also comes with $50,000, something that Bae has already appreciated as she starts her pro career. In just 10 starts on the Epson Tour last year, Bae won two tournaments, and the $50,000 was important to her start.

“I can’t lie, it was one of the small issues that I have is financial. How we are going to move, where we are going to stay and all,” Bae said. “It really helped a lot. It allowed me not to have to worry about the financial piece and just also gave me that space to grow up and compete and do what I love.”

At Tradition, Bae not only had a chance to talk with Inkster, but played a round with Inkster as well as major championship winners Ingee Chun and Danielle Kang. But Bae also took the chance to ask Inkster about professional life seriously.

“I’ve actually put a lot of thought in this. She told me scheduling and being able to prepare for everything first, before I even had a chance to ask her. So that was actually great,” Bae said. “This morning I asked her about mental golf. There are a lot of distractions out there but also a lot of people who are able to help me. And maybe I just haven’t had the chance to meet them. So I asked her a few things about that.”

For Inkster, the ability to talk to young players lets her fall back on the experiences she’s had over 40 years as a pro.

“I’ve gone through it all. I’ve been on top, been on the bottom, raised kids,” Inkster said. “Golf is super hard. You can have a lot of success in college and all of a sudden you come out on the LPGA and it is really hard. And they don’t really have anyone to talk to. I’m kind of that.”

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After first going silent on Juli Inkster, Jenny Bae now leans on star as she prepares for LPGA debut

For all her accomplishments, Bae’s phone etiquette went out the window when Hall of Famer Inkster was on the line.

It’s not like the ring of her phone came as a total surprise; Jenny Bae was tipped off in advance. Her coach at the University of Georgia mentioned to the senior star that a call from seven-time major champion Juli Inkster could be coming and she should be prepared.

Bae had a record-setting 2022-23 season, finishing in the top five on eight different occasions, and Bulldogs coach Josh Brewer hinted that something special could be in the works.

“He said make sure you keep the phone on, and you’re wide awake. You’re going to get one of the biggest important phone calls of your entire life tomorrow morning at 9,” Bae recalled. “I was like, oh, okay. So I was freaking out the entire night. Woke up super early. Just couldn’t sleep. I got the phone call and she says, ‘Hi, I’m Juli Inkster,’ and she announced the award and I think I was quiet for about 30 seconds or so.”

Bae had been selected as the 2023 recipient of the Inkster Award presented by Workday, an honor that recognizes the highest-ranked women’s Division I collegiate golfer in her final year of eligibility for the 2022-23 college golf season. A fifth-year senior, she finished the season as the fifth-ranked women’s college golfer in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings and fourth in the Golfstat rankings.

But for all her accomplishments, Bae’s phone etiquette went out the window when Hall of Famer Inkster was on the other end of the line. On Wednesday, in advance of the LPGA’s Portland Classic, the award’s namesake wondered if she’d even properly connected with the rising star.

“I was like, are you there?” Inkster said.

“I was so in shock,” Bae added. “I was like, is this really Juli Inkster on the phone with me right now telling me I just got the biggest award of the year? I was super excited, super pumped. After our phone call, I called my coach, my parents, guess what just happened and who just called me. That day, I can say, is one of my best mornings I’ve ever had in my life.”

The honor was well-deserved for Bae, who captured titles at the Illini Invitational and the Athens Regional, where she posted the two lowest scores in Georgia history. She compiled a 70.75 season stroke average, the lowest single-season stroke average in Georgia history. She also finished runner-up at the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, falling to Rose Zhang on the second playoff hole.

As a result of winning the award, she received an exemption for this week’s event, which takes place at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland, and Bae will automatically advance to the second stage of LPGA Q-School from Oct. 16-20 at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida.

And while this week’s LPGA debut will certainly test her nerves, Bae has plenty of experience to draw on. On top of her stellar collegiate career, she’s added a pair of wins on the Epson Tour this summer.

Juli Inkster walks on the 17th green during the second round of the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open at Sebonack Golf Club on June 28, 2013 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Inkster, who has 31 LPGA titles and a pair of U.S. Opens under her belt, said she thinks the Georgia product is well-equipped to play with the world’s best this week. When asked if she offered Bae much advice, Inkster insisted she simply told the 22-year-old to savor the experience.

“She’s done a great job all right,” Inkster said. “I think she knows what she’s doing. I think Georgia really prepared her for the next stage. But also right now it’s maybe a little overwhelming, but it’ll settle in. The main thing is right now I’m sure she’s trying to soak in everything, play in everything, practice, but my philosophy is you really need that time to get away from the game and have other outside activities that keep your mind fresh.

“So my thing is, yeah, when you’re out there, you play, you play, you play, but then you’re home you need time to rest, you need downtime. Then you get back to working. It’s not about the quantity it’s more about the quality. That’s kind of what I try to stress to these players just starting out.”

As for her first taste of the LPGA, Bae knows that Portland will offer a special test where many of the game’s greats have previously thrived.

A total of 10 past champions of the event are LPGA Hall of Famers, including Inkster. The others are Judy Rankin, Donna Caponi, Amy Alcott, Nancy Lopez, Betsy King, Patty Sheehan, Dottie Pepper, Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa.

But she insists she’ll keep Inkster’s advice top of mind.

“I think as expectations go, I’m just going to go out there and try my best on every hole and shot that I have. Just being able to have the opportunity to participate in this tournament is a huge accomplishment for me,” Bae said.

“I think I’m just going to go out there and try to enjoy myself as much as I can.”

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Georgia senior Jenny Bae named recipient of 2023 Inkster Award, earns LPGA exemption

Bae will receive an exemption into the LPGA’s 2023 Portland Classic.

Georgia senior Jenny Bae has been named the recipient of the 2023 Inkster Award presented by Workday.

The Inkster Award recognizes the highest ranked women’s Division I  collegiate golfer in her final year of eligibility for the 2022-23 college golf season.

Bae, a fifth-year senior, finished the season as the fifth-ranked women’s college golfer in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings and fourth in the Golfstat rankings.

As a result of winning the 2023 Inkster Award, Bae will receive an exemption into the 2023 Portland Classic on the LPGA, taking place Aug. 31-Sept. 3 at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland, Oregon.

Additionally, Bae will automatically advance to the second stage of LPGA Q-School from Oct. 16-20 at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida.

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Bae will also join Juli Inkster, who the award is named after, for a two-day mentorship retreat in Northern California. Workday will provide $50,000 to the Juli Inkster Foundation to help support Bae’s transition to her professional golf career. The $50,000 will support Bae’s mentorship retreat with Inkster and assist with Bae’s travel expenses.

Inkster, a World Golf Hall-of-Fame member and LPGA legend, was a three-time All-American at San Jose State. She elected not to turn professional until finishing her four-year commitment to her school, winning 17 individual titles during her college career.

“Juli Inkster is an inspiration and such a role model on and off the course, her Hall-of-Fame career speaks for itself,” Bae said in a release. “To receive this award from Juli and to have her as my mentor is an honor beyond words.”

Inkster added: “Jenny had a remarkable career at Georgia, persevered through the challenges of the global pandemic to earn her college degree and excelled on the golf course with an amazing senior season,” said Inkster. “That says a lot about not only her performance on the course but also about her goals and passions away from it and putting education as a priority. I look forward to mentoring Jenny as she navigates the next stage in her professional and personal journeys.”

Bae finished 14th last week at the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. She had a record-setting 2022-23 season, finishing in the top five an astounding eight times, including victories at the Illini Invitational and the Athens Regional, where she scored the two lowest scores in Georgia history. She compiled a 70.75 season stroke average, the lowest single-season stroke average in Georgia history. She also finished runner-up at the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, falling to Rose Zhang on the second playoff hole.

Last weekend, Bae made her professional debut on the Epson Tour, competing in the Nova Mission Inn Resort and Club Championship in Howey-In-The-Hills, Florida.

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The favorite, three who could challenge and dark horses for the 2023 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship

Starting Friday, the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships gets underway from Grayhawk Golf Club.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Starting Friday, the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship gets underway from Grayhawk Golf Club.

Thirty teams and six individuals will battle it out, beginning with four rounds of stroke play, starting Friday and concluding Monday when an individual champion will be crowned. Then the top eight teams will advance to match play, which begins Tuesday, and the finals will be Wednesday, when the team champion will be crowned.

Ahead of the first round of competition, Golfweek takes a look at some of the players to watch, including the favorite, those who could challenge for the individual crown and some dark horses who could make a run.

Golfweek/Sagarin rankings: Women’s team | Women’s individual

ANNIKA Award: Final watch list for 2022-23 women’s college golf season

Check out who’s in the running for player of the year in women’s college golf.

The postseason is underway in women’s golf, and after last week’s NCAA Regionals, the NCAA Div. I Women’s Golf Championship field is set for May 19-24 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

With the championship field set, the race for the ANNIKA Award is starting to heat up. A handful of players have made their case throughout the season as front-runners for the ANNIKA Award, which honors the player of the year in women’s college golf, as selected by college golfers, coaches and members of the college golf media.

If you fit one of the listed criteria above, here’s a link to cast your vote: http://haskinsfoundation.org/2023-annika-voting-ballot

The players are listed alphabetically. Players on the ANNIKA Award Watch List were selected by a panel of Golfweek and Golf Channel writers.

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Women’s team | Women’s individual

Rose Zhang completes amateur grand slam with playoff win at 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur

Zhang has won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, two USGA championships and the individual NCAA title.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rose Zhang has completed the amateur grand slam.

The world’s No. 1 amateur didn’t have her best stuff on Saturday at Augusta National Golf Club but somehow found a way to hold on for the win at the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur despite a serious challenge from Jenny Bae.

Zhang entered the final round with a commanding five-shot lead but struggled early and often during the final round. Stanford’s star sophomore made double bogey on the first hole and sprayed her way around the course before signing for a 4-over 76.

“Being able to play competitively at Augusta National is certainly different from any other venue that I’ve played in. It’s funny because the last four times that I played here, I remember my scores being nowhere near under par,” said Zhang, one of three ANWA four-timers and the only one to make the cut in all four starts. “I really, really do love this golf course. Sometimes it’s just interesting that I never really get my A game when I’m out here. When I was out at (Champions Retreat) it felt so easy to me. Everything just came to me. I was making putts. I was hitting greens. But when you’re out here, one mistake, like I said before, is magnified.”

Those internal struggles opened the door for Bae, who was six shots behind Zhang at the start of the day. The Georgia fifth year was feeling the love from the patrons, and after a three-hour weather delay came out swinging. She made birdies on Nos. 9, 13 and 17 and avoided a bogey down the stretch to force a playoff with Zhang at 9 under.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt happier on a golf course that much in my life,” Bae said of her clutch birdie on the 17th. “I saw it and I marked it and I hit it. I mean, I’ve never heard such big like yelling on a golf course. It just felt amazing.”

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On the first playoff hole, both players found the fairway off the 18th tee, but Bae had the distinct advantage on the green after Zhang’s approach shot caught a slope and failed to reach the back pin. Bae’s birdie came up short and Zhang was able to lag putt her first and save par to extend the playoff to its second hole, No. 10.

Both players once again found the fairway off the tee, but this time it was Zhang with the advantage on the green after Bae blew her approach way to the left underneath a tree in the pine straw. It took two shots for Bae to find the green, and when it was Zhang’s turn to play, she hit the pin with her putt and tapped in for par and the win.

“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,” said Bae of her approach. “I mean, I tried, but Rose, she had a fantastic day. Hat’s off to her.”

Zhang previously won the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur, 2021 U.S. Girls’ Junior and 2022 NCAA individual national championship, and her win down Magnolia Lane will cement her legacy as one of, if not the, best amateur golfers of all time.

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ANNIKA Award: First spring watch list for 2022-23 women’s college golf Player of the Year

Check out who’s in the running for women’s college golfer of the year.

With every passing week, the women’s college golf season creeps closer to the NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The ANNIKA Award announced Thursday its first spring watch list, featuring 15 of the best women’s college golfers this season. Rose Zhang, who captured the award as a freshman last season, is again having a stellar sophomore campaign, but there are plenty of others who are trying to claim the crown.

The ANNIKA Award honors the player of the year in college women’s golf, as selected by college golfers, coaches and members of the college golf media. The players are listed alphabetically. Players on the ANNIKA Award Watch List were selected by a panel of Golfweek and Golf Channel reporters.

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Women’s team | Women’s individual

ANNIKA Award: Final fall watch list for 2022-23 women’s college golf season

Check out who’s in the running for women’s college golfer of the year.

As the fall season winds to a close, it’s time to recognize players who set themselves apart as frontrunners in women’s college golf over the past two and a half months.

Rose Zhang, who won the award as a freshman at Stanford last season, is off to an excellent start this year, but plenty of others are making their case early, like Andrea Lignell at Ole Miss, among many others.

The ANNIKA Award honors the player of the year in college women’s golf, as selected by college golfers, coaches and members of the college golf media. The players are listed alphabetically. Players on the ANNIKA Award Watch List were selected by a panel of Golfweek and Golf Channel reporters.

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Women’s team | Women’s individual