By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
Needing to finish 11th place or better to become eligible for the postseason, Baylor women’s golf squeezed by, placing 11th in the Big 12 Championship. They shot 49-over 901 after the final round on Thursday at Houston Oaks Country Club in Hockley, Texas.
With help from Cincinnati’s 27-over 311 on Thursday — which moved the Bearcats down four spots — Baylor moved into sole possession 11tth place, the final spot to be postseason eligible.
“We did not come here to finish 11th; at the same time, we had a job to do, and we got that job done,” head coach Jay Goble said. “It was close on the second nine, but we ground our way around and found a way to get it done and get into the NCAA postseason.”
Baylor came into the tournament 12th in the Big 12 and remained in the same spot after shooting 31-over 599 through the first two rounds.
The Bears shot 18-over 302 on the final day, led by senior BaiMai Seema’s 3-over 74 to finish 31st. Seema started the day off slow with bogeys on three of the first six holes. A string of seven pars and her second birdie on No. 9 got her back on track. She finished the final round with bogeys on Nos. 15 and 17, and her second birdie on No. 16 of the tournament.
Sophomore Ashleen Kaur and senior Sera Hasegawa followed Seema with both shooting 5-over 76 and finishing tied at 40th. Kaur started the final round with three birdies through the first four holes but cooled off with six bogeys the rest of the way. Hasegawa posted four birdies and bogeys through the first 10 holes with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 4 and 5. Bogeys on Nos. 13 and 15, along with double bogeys on Nos. 15 and 18 held her back in the second half of the round.
Junior Silje Ohma shot par on each hole on the front nine, but a double bogey on No. 11 and three bogeys led to her final score of 5-over 76 and finishing 45th.
Freshman Malena Castro had a tough first nine with six bogeys, shooting 5-over 40. She recorded two more bogeys on Nos. 14 and 15 to end the day 7-over 78.
In the final nine holes of the tournament, Baylor remained on the bubble. They shot a team 2-over on the last four holes—two above 12th-place Texas Tech.
“We used the entire team we brought here, and everyone contributed at some point,” Goble said. “Now, we can truly wipe the slate clean and get a fresh start to try and make it back to La Costa and accomplish everything we set out to do this season.”
The Bears now wait to see where they go in the postseason with the NCAA Women’s Golf Selection Show, beginning at 12 p.m. Wednesday on the Golf Channel.
