Baylor women’s golf is back on the road this week, and the Bears are walking into a loaded test in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate runs Oct. 4-6 at Cherokee Country Club and brings together 15 teams from nine conferences. Baylor and host Tennessee headline a field that includes both Big 12 and SEC programs, setting up another deep weekend for the Bears in the middle of their fall schedule.
Tennessee comes in ranked No. 16, 10 spots ahead of Baylor, and the Vols are not just the home team - they’re also the defending Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate champions and the reigning SEC champions. Campbell University also enters with momentum after winning the Tot Hill Farm Invitational in North Carolina, adding another in-form team to the mix.
Baylor is coming off a ninth-place finish at the Schooner Fall Classic in Norman, Oklahoma, where the Bears closed strong. They posted a 5-under team score in the final round, and Bridget Boczar led the way with a 5-under 65 that tied the program record for the lowest single-round score.
The Bears’ lineup in Knoxville will blend experience and youth. Yurang Li, Sophia Ellestad, Charlotte Brook, Malena Castro and Boczar make up Baylor’s five-player group, while Paloma Ibarra and Sofie Nooij will compete as individuals. That gives Baylor seven players in the field overall.
Ellestad gets another early-season chance to build on her sophomore campaign, while Li, Brook, Castro and Boczar bring plenty of collegiate experience to the tee sheet. Boczar and Castro both finished inside the top 25 at the Schooner, giving Baylor some real momentum heading into its third event of the fall.
The tournament begins at 9:30 a.m. CT on Sunday and runs through Tuesday. Live scoring and results will be available on Scoreboard by Clippd.
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Baylor Heads To Tempe With Familiar Problems Ready To Define This Game
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Baylor also needs clarity around DJ Lagways health and impact, because the offense looks different when he is available and effective. The receiving corps has to do more than flash in spurts, the running game needs better efficiency, and special teams could wind up carrying real weight in a game where third down conversions may decide who gets to control the night. [Read more 🡒]