By Carson Vercoe | Sports Writer
Baylor women’s golf left the scorching hot temperatures of Waco and headed to Charleston, South Carolina, to compete in the Cougar Classic, where fifth-year Bridget Boczar led the charge for the Bears on Monday.
Boczar put up 12 birdies in her first two rounds and finished the day at seven under par, sitting in first place and helping the Bears climb to second place.
Baylor looked to keep that momentum rolling into Tuesday to take down first-place No. 1 Florida but fell short, shooting four over as a team.
By the end of the tournament, the Bears took home third place at five under, behind Florida and No. 21 Tennessee.
Boczar’s first two rounds showed promise of what’s to come for the Baylor this season, but she was unable to keep it rolling into her third round, shooting a two-over-par 74. That dropped her from first place back to tied for second place at the end of the tournament. Boczar was the only Bear inside the top 10.
Junior Malena Castro and sophomore Paloma Ibarra Ambia shot their tournament best on Tuesday, both shooting a two-under-par 70, helping Baylor claim third place. Castro finished tied for 15th, up 12 places from Monday, while Ibarra Ambia finished tied for 27th, up 15 places.
The Bears finished tied for first as a team with 50 birdies in the two days, as well as placing 11th in bogeys with 50.
The third-place finish marked the Bears’ third straight year with a top-five finish to start the season and the second straight season starting with a top-3 finish.
The Bears will look to keep up the strong finishes as they head to Norman, Oklahoma, for the Schooner Fall Classic. The first round begins on September 19th.
