By Bennett Parker | Sports Writer
Baylor men’s golf is in search of a new era under new head coach Jean-Paul Hebert. While the return to Big 12 dominance might be in the near future, important steps can be made in the 2026-27 campaign.
The Bears opened their season at the Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate in Chandler, Arizona, finishing in a three-way tie for seventh in the 13-team slate. Baylor shot 10-under, 10-under and 12-under-par over the course of the weekend, landing them at 32-under-par, tying with UTEP and James Madison for seventh.
“This tournament was a birdie fest, or a horse race, as we would call it,” Hebert said. “We needed a little bit more horsepower … Our players showed a lot of fight and played solid as a group. I’m proud of them. This was a good start. This game is all about learning and growing, and that’s what we will do this season.”
Hebert is stepping in after the retirement of 21-year Division I coach Mike McGraw.
“I know Jean-Paul is going to do a great job with this program,” McGraw said. “I sort of helped with the foundation, if you will, but he’s going to take it to new heights.”
Part of the foundation is fifth-year Jonas Appel, who remains as a force for Baylor after leading the team in scoring average last season. Appel shot 11-under-par, tying for 11th place at the tournament, notching his 14th top-25 finish of his career.
Senior Alex Heard followed at 6-under, helped by an eagle on the 17th hole of the final day. Senior Davis Ovard started strong, posting a pair of 5-under-par 69s, but could not get under par on the final day, landing him at 5-under for the weekend. He tied with freshman Chase Yenser, who made an impressive debut, shooting under par in all three rounds.
Individual sophomore Patrick Babb logged a 2-under-par 70 in round two but struggled to put it together in the final round, leaving him 3-over par.
The Bears held their own in a competitive field that hosted teams from three of the Power 4 conferences. The tournament is the beginning of a long season for Baylor. There are kinks to work out, and the squad looks to build on their solid start.
The Bears have another out-of-state tournament next week as they will fly off to compete in the Fighting Illini Invitational at Olympia Fields Country Club in Chicago, Sept. 19-20.
