Alex Heard Notches First Top-10 Finish for Baylor at Bentwater Intercollegiate
MONTGOMERY, Texas - Alex Heard is starting to look right at home in Baylor green and gold. The junior transfer from UConn, and the reigning Big East individual champion, delivered his first top-10 finish as a Bear this week at the Bentwater Intercollegiate. Heard closed with an even-par 72 on Tuesday to finish tied for ninth at 1-over 214 - a strong showing in a field of 81 that included players from programs like TCU and Rice.
Heard’s final round was a microcosm of his tournament: steady, composed, and quietly effective. He opened and closed with birdies, balancing out three bogeys along the way.
Statistically, he was one of the most consistent players on the course, tying for third in par-3 scoring (3.00) and finishing sixth in total pars with 35. That kind of steadiness is exactly what you want from a player adjusting to a new program - and it’s a sign that Heard’s ceiling is still ahead of him.
“Alex was consistent from start to finish,” said interim head coach Ryan Murphy. “It’s always good to finish in the top 10, and he’s capable of winning. I think his time is coming.”
As a team, Baylor put together its best round of the tournament on Tuesday to climb two more spots on the leaderboard, ultimately tying for fifth in the 14-team field at 21-over 873. VCU and host Sam Houston shared the tournament title at 5-over 857.
Still, Murphy wasn’t sugarcoating the overall performance.
“Our team performance was not what we had in mind,” he said. “The game humbled us this week. It’s back to the drawing board as we prepare for the next event.”
One of the bright spots came from another transfer, Evan Vo. The Auburn product was back in the team lineup for the first time since the fall opener and made the most of it. Vo carded a 2-under 69 in the final round - highlighted by an eagle on the par-4 14th - to finish tied for 22nd at 5-over 218.
“Happy with a couple solid rounds from Evan after not being in our lineup for some time,” Murphy said. “He fought all the way through, which helped our team significantly.”
Sophomore Vincent Stjernfeldt also contributed, shooting 1-over 72 on Tuesday to tie for 27th at 6-over 219. Junior Davis Ovard and senior Jonas Appel each posted 3-over 74s in the final round, finishing in a tie for 42nd.
Among the individual entries, freshman Tyler Sanford made his collegiate debut and showed flashes of serious potential. Despite a quadruple-bogey on the par-4 6th hole Tuesday, Sanford managed to shoot 5-over and tie for 27th - matching Stjernfeldt’s total. His second-round 70 on Monday, which dipped into red numbers, was a promising sign for the young Bear.
“That was a solid college start for Tyler,” Murphy said. “To get a round in the red and put himself in position to finish strong - good things are coming for him.”
Fellow individuals Sam Dossey and Patrick Babb also closed on a high note, each shooting 2-over 73 in their final rounds - their best scores of the tournament.
Next up for Baylor is a trip south of the border for the Cabo Collegiate, set for March 1-3 at the Twin Dolphin Club in Los Cabos, Mexico. After a week that offered both lessons and glimpses of potential, the Bears will be looking to tighten things up and bring a more complete team effort to the next stage of the spring season.