By Michael Haag | Sports Editor
No. 9 Baylor women’s golf secured a seventh place finish on Wednesday at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate at Long Cove Club in Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Junior Rosie Belsham continued her strong play with a third place finish individually. Collectively, the team was on the cusp of a much worse finish down the stretch. All four counting scores for the Bears were over par as the team made the turn, sitting at 11-over. But Baylor played the back nine at six-under to jump from 12th place to seventh.
“We showed a lot of guts and a lot of perseverance to finish the way we did,” head coach Jay Goble said. “To say we were flat was an understatement, so to come back on a difficult course like this, and play the best back nine in the field shows how great of a team we are. I believe that this should show us we can hang with any team in the country because these teams are the best teams in the country.”
Louisiana State University captured the team title following its 6-over 858, outlasting the University of South Carolina by four shots. The Gamecocks’ senior Mathilde Claisse won the individual award thanks to a 5-under 208.
Belsham’s day got going with a birdie at No. 1, but she fell victim to a double bogey a few holes later. She sat at 3-over through No. 5, but she worked her way back to even par with a birdie at No. 7. She rose to third place after a birdie at No. 14 and eight pars, glossing off her even-par 71.
Wednesday marked Belsham’s third-straight top-five finish, the longest stretch of her career. She’s also now tied for the sixth most top five finishes in program history. Belsham also moved into the top five in Baylor history with her 15th top-10 finish.
“I’m extremely proud of Rosie,” Goble said. “I think the really special thing about her is she’s having a good time, putting in the work and reaping the rewards. It’s always great to see that from somebody that has the right attitude and does the right things. She’s playing like the great player she is, and I think the sky’s the limit for Rosie.”
Sophomore Sera Hasegawa ended her day tied for 30th after a 2-over 73 on Wednesday. Hasegawa started off 4-over on the heels of her first five holes, but she dominated the course following No. 5. She sank nine-straight pars to surround two birdies at Nos. 15 and 18 to wrap up her trip.
Sophomore BaiMai Seema mirrored saving her best round for last at the annual event, as she shot a 1-over 72 on Wednesday. Seema struggled early, dropping in bogeys on three of her first four holes. She bounced back with her first of three birdies at No. 6. Sitting at 2-over at the turn, Seema fell to 3-over at No. 12 but found two more birdies at Nos. 14 and 17 to stroll into a tie for 45th.
Freshman Silje Ohma wrapped up tied for 53rd place after carding a 5-over 76 in the last round. Ohma fell behind at 4-over in the first four holes, but that was in large part to a triple bogey at the par-4 fourth. She sat at 5-over on the front nine and made five-straight pars on the back nine to keep her moving. Ohma’s first birdie of the day came at No. 15 before a final bogey at No. 16 ended her day tied for 53rd.
Senior Hannah Karg just trailed Ohma, as she was tied for 58th following a 2-over 73, which ended up being her career-best score at Long Cove Club. Karg got through the front nine at 4-over but made a birdie at No. 10 to kick off the back nine. She followed the birdie with two more at Nos. 15 and 18 to increase her score for the third-straight day.
Both Karg and Seema equaled or improved their scores in each of the three rounds.
Collectively, Baylor was one of three teams to play the tougher back nine under par (-6) on Wednesday. It was three shots better on the inward half than any other team.
The Bears get a few weeks to rest before getting back at it for the PING/ASU Invitational at the Papago Golf Club in Phoenix. The event will run from March 24-26.
