By Dylan Fink | Sports Writer
It’s golf season in Waco.
Baylor men’s golf is set to kick off its season Sept. 8 at the Folds of Honor Collegiate Invitational, marking a fresh start for the Bears. Led by senior Jonas Appel, a bright spot amid a disappointing 2024-25 season, the team has fresh aspirations of success.
“He has a lot of experience, and to start at the very base of who he is, he’s a really good guy,” head coach Mike McGraw said. “He’s definitely playing his best golf right now.”
Appel, the team leader in stroke average with 73.25, par-4 scoring average with 4.17, total pars with 323 and in par-or-better percentage of 78.8%.
The team is also looking to get a lift from the addition of redshirt senior Evan Vo. Vo, an Auburn transfer, comes to Baylor from one of the most competitive men’s golf programs in the country. Vo averaged 73.00 strokes per game last year.
“He has a lot of experience and is a very calm guy,” McGraw said of Vo. “He’s a Texas kid; I recruited him out of high school. He brings a lot of experience and a lot of calmness and maturity to our team.”
Baylor’s golfers spent the short summer offseason playing in individual amateur tournaments, where they do not officially represent Baylor.
“To be a competitive college golfer, you have to play a collection of amateur events over the summer,” McGraw said. “Our guys spend their summer playing in some form of that schedule.”
As the coach of individual performers who spend much of their time outside of school competing in amateur tournaments, McGraw finds himself coming up with unique ways to build team chemistry heading into the new season.
“It’s a small unit, so they’re around each other all the time, we’re all together pretty much all the time,” said McGraw. “We try to get them to buy in as much as they can about ‘Sic ‘em Bears.’”
Heading into a new season, McGraw said the team’s ceiling is virtually unknown.
“As far as our ceiling, I have no idea,” McGraw said. “I’m a little more concerned with the floor.”
McGraw said the team is well aware of the disappointment of last season, when the Bears finished tied for 14th in the Big 12, and hopes to avoid a similar outcome this season.
“We’re coming in fast and furious,” McGraw said. “All the things that we do on the base level, if we are doing our job with those things, staying healthy and fresh, working hard on short game, tournament prep. … It’s all about the things that they can have some control over.”
The Folds of Honor Collegiate Invitational kicks off earlier than past seasons. The event, which includes three service academies and two HBCUs in the 15-team field, gives Baylor a unique opportunity to be part of a tournament with off-the-course significance.
“Our players, a lot is given to them, and [this tournament does] do a really good job reminding them what it’s all for,” said McGraw. “As hard as we try to work and grind and be the best we can be, this tournament will give us a good perspective to understand that there are things bigger than golf. We still want to compete but also, hopefully, get a good dose of perspective along with things.”
The season-opening tournament will run Sept. 8-11 in Grand Haven, Mich.
