Not often does a newly-turned professional come out and win two of their first three events on the big stage. But that’s exactly what Jenny Bae did.
The University of Georgia alumna played the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) in April, ultimately losing to LPGA Tour winner Rose Zhang in a playoff, graduated from college and then played her first Epson Tour event at the end of May. She shot 9-over during the first two rounds of the Inova Mission Inn Resort and Club Championship, ultimately missing the cut.
But that was just the start of Bae’s journey on the “Road to the LPGA.” A little over a month later, in just her second start on the Epson Tour, the Georgia native hoisted her first trophy at the Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship. Victorious again the next week at the Twin Bridges Championship, Bae became the first player in 2023 to win back-to-back events. But despite the two victories and two additional top-10 finishes on her 2023 resume, the Epson Tour rookie finished 13th in the Race for the Card, missing out on LPGA Tour membership by $5,868.
“I would say the change (from amateur to professional golf) was definitely a lot. I was really nervous and tense the first two tournaments that I played for Epson Tour, but the first two wins definitely helped me and continued that momentum going through the rest of the season,” said Bae. “Unfortunately, I missed (the top 10) by a few. But I think that I had a good year, and I had a really good experience. That helps me carry on for the new 2024 season. Last week I got top four, and I think it'll be a great season. I have a lot of confidence going into this tournament as well.”
After her fourth-place finish at the season-opening Florida’s Natural Charity Classic, Bae is feeling good about 2024, and with 15 cards now on the line this year instead of 10, the 22-year-old is hopeful to have LPGA Tour status in 2025.
But unlike many of her counterparts, Bae has the knowledge and support of LPGA Hall of Famer Juli Inkster to help her in her pursuit of that status. Named the 2023 Inkster Award presented by Workday recipient, which goes to the highest-ranked women’s Division I collegiate golfer who is in her last year of eligibility, Bae has developed a special relationship with Inkster. She has that in common with 2023 Epson Tour Rookie of the Year, Natasha Andrea Oon, who won the award in 2022. Bae recently experienced one of the perks of winning this award, joining Inkster on a two-day mentorship retreat in Northern California.
“Having Juli Inkster as a mentor by myself, to have her guide me through my career, it's great. I'm able to get a little more comfortable with her and ask a lot more questions than I did last year,” said Bae. “The retreat that I went on a month ago really helped. She kind of guided me into what her career looked like in her prime. And she said to stay focused. You're doing good. And hopefully, I'll be able to go on the LPGA Tour soon.”
Along with Inkster, Bae has plenty of players to look up to on the LPGA Tour, and many of those athletes’ examples are making her dreams look realistic. Most recently, Bae’s fellow Georgia Bulldog Bailey Tardy took home her first LPGA Tour trophy at the Blue Bay LPGA in the People’s Republic of China. Despite not overlapping during their time at the University of Georgia, Tardy’s win gives Bae a lot of confidence as she prepares to grind over the 2024 season and get a coveted LPGA Tour card.
“I know I graduated last year, but just seeing another Bulldog out there, being able to be successful in the LPGA tour kind of gives me more confidence,” Bae said about Tardy’s recent victory. “It just made me believe in myself more, knowing that if an alumni, a player that was there a few years back, is able to get there, then so am I.”
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