Sanford Shines in Collegiate Debut as Baylor Climbs Leaderboard at Bentwater Intercollegiate
MONTGOMERY, Texas - Back on familiar turf and wasting no time making his presence known, Baylor freshman Tyler Sanford delivered a standout performance Monday at the Bentwater Intercollegiate. Playing in his hometown and making his collegiate debut, Sanford carded the Bears’ only under-par round of the day, vaulting himself into the top 10 on the individual leaderboard after 36 holes at Bentwater Country Club.
Sanford, competing as one of three Baylor players entered as individuals, made an early statement with one of just 15 eagles recorded in the opening round. He followed that up in the afternoon with a composed 1-under 70, bringing him to 1-over 143 for the tournament - good enough to tie for eighth alongside junior teammate Alex Heard.
For Baylor as a team, the day was a tale of two rounds. After a rocky start with a 14-over 298 in the morning session, the Bears bounced back strong in the second round, shaving nine strokes off their score with a 5-over 289. That surge lifted them five spots up the leaderboard into a tie for seventh at 19-over 587 in the 14-team field.
Sam Houston, the tournament host, leads the pack at 4-over 572 after two rounds, with VCU (+9, 577), Ohio (+10, 578), and Central Arkansas (579) all within striking distance.
Heard, who matched Sanford’s 143 total, followed up an even-par 71 with a 1-over 72 in the afternoon. His second round was highlighted by a bogey-free back nine, a sign of steady nerves and clean ball-striking.
He trails the individual leader, Nathaniel Gray Lamont, by six strokes. Lamont sits atop the board at 5-under 137 after two rounds of consistent play.
Elsewhere for Baylor, sophomore Vincent Stjernfeldt posted a 5-over 147, placing him in a tie for 28th. Auburn transfer Evan Vo and senior Jonas Appel also contributed in the afternoon, carding rounds of 71 and 72, respectively - critical scores that helped fuel the Bears’ second-round rally.
Sanford, who’s no stranger to big moments after finishing tied for third at last year’s Class 5A state tournament and capturing the 2024 Southern Junior Amateur title, is proving early that his game translates well to the college level. He’s currently tied with Rice’s Raines Watson as the top-performing individual not attached to a team in the tournament.
Baylor will look to carry that second-round momentum into Tuesday’s final 18 holes. They’ll be paired with Incarnate Word and Tarleton State for an 8 a.m. shotgun start as the 54-hole event wraps up.
Live scoring is available for fans following along with the action at the Bentwater Intercollegiate.