The first round of the Twin Bridges Championship saw a mix of low scores and high scores after both waves rolled through Pinehaven Country Club. The course demanded the best out of the field in round one and rewarded them when they were playing their best. Eagles and birdies were readily available when the proper shots were hit, but stray off line a few yards and Pinehaven was able to show its teeth, even to the leaders.
Jenny Bae picked up right where she left off on Monday. After securing her first Epson Tour win at the Hartford HealthCare Women's Championship, Bae finds herself in the lead heading into round two at the Twin Bridges Championship. The newest Epson Tour champion started off slow, with two bogeys in her first three holes, but once she found her rhythm, Bae was firing at pins. She would birdie eight of the next 15 holes and turn in a 6-under 65 to grab a one-shot lead after 18 holes of play.
“I am feeling great, and I feel like my game is where it is supposed to be,” said Bae. “I just came off a win a few days ago and I feel like it is great momentum heading into this week. I just need to stay in the present and try my best every hole.”
The turnaround from last week has been quick. Bae still really has not had the time to let her first professional victory sink in, but she is using it to her advantage.
“I haven’t really even had a chance to soak it in,” said Bae. “Even though it is a different golf course I still have the same vibe from last week.”
With a victory at the Twin Bridges Championship, Bae would be the first back-to-back winner on the Epson Tour in 2023. The University of Georgia alum is only making her third start of the season, but another victory would put her right into the mix in the top 10 for the Race for the Card. Confidence is at an all-time high for Bae, and her momentum does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
“My confidence is up there,” said Bae. “I never say that normally because I don’t want to get my hopes up after the first round, but I think this is one of those unique moments where I can say freely that my confidence high and it will be high again tomorrow.”
When the day first started, it looked like it was going to all about Kaleigh Telfer. The South African lit up her first nine holes of the day and made the turn with a bogey-free 29 (-6) which included a hole-out eagle. Telfer cooled down when she got to her back nine, starting with a bogey on No. 10. That would be the only blemish on her card for the day as she finished her round with eight straight pars to post a 5-under 66 and sit one shot back of the lead.
“I just got off to a really fast start,” said Telfer. “I was hitting the ball really well, chipped in for birdie on the first hole, then made a good par on the second hole. After that, I was just hitting the ball close. Then I holed out on No. 6 from 70 yards so yeah. Just a fast start and then managed to hang in there.”
Laetitia Beck joins Telfer in a tie for second after matching her score with a 66 round later in the morning wave. Beck had a calmer front nine than Telfer, carding a 34 (-1), but she found her stride on the back. Beck made three straight birdies on her back nine to jumpstart her round, with a birdie on No. 17 getting her to 5-under on the day. The 31-year-old has been playing consistent golf as of late, making the cut in her last seven events with five top-20 finishes in that stretch.
“This course is always a little challenging for all of us,” said Beck. “It is a little narrower and longer than other courses, especially with the rain. I was just able to keep the ball in play and really only missed a few fairways towards the end of my round. I just hit fairways and greens, then had a stretch of birdies in there when I hit the ball close. Overall, six birdies and one bogey, felt simple today.”
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