Georgia senior Jenny Bae named recipient of 2023 Inkster Award, earns LPGA exemption

Georgia senior Jenny Bae has been named the recipient of the 2023 Inkster Award presented by Workday.

The Inkster Award recognizes the highest ranked women’s Division I  collegiate golfer in her final year of eligibility for the 2022-23 college golf season.

Bae, a fifth-year senior, finished the season as the fifth-ranked women’s college golfer in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings and fourth in the Golfstat rankings.

As a result of winning the 2023 Inkster Award, Bae will receive an exemption into the 2023 Portland Classic on the LPGA, taking place Aug. 31-Sept. 3 at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland, Oregon.

Additionally, Bae will automatically advance to the second stage of LPGA Q-School from Oct. 16-20 at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida.

Bae will also join Juli Inkster, who the award is named after, for a two-day mentorship retreat in Northern California. Workday will provide $50,000 to the Juli Inkster Foundation to help support Bae’s transition to her professional golf career. The $50,000 will support Bae’s mentorship retreat with Inkster and assist with Bae’s travel expenses.

Inkster, a World Golf Hall-of-Fame member and LPGA legend, was a three-time All-American at San Jose State. She elected not to turn professional until finishing her four-year commitment to her school, winning 17 individual titles during her college career.

“Juli Inkster is an inspiration and such a role model on and off the course, her Hall-of-Fame career speaks for itself,” Bae said in a release. “To receive this award from Juli and to have her as my mentor is an honor beyond words.”

Inkster added: “Jenny had a remarkable career at Georgia, persevered through the challenges of the global pandemic to earn her college degree and excelled on the golf course with an amazing senior season,” said Inkster. “That says a lot about not only her performance on the course but also about her goals and passions away from it and putting education as a priority. I look forward to mentoring Jenny as she navigates the next stage in her professional and personal journeys.”

Bae finished 14th last week at the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. She had a record-setting 2022-23 season, finishing in the top five an astounding eight times, including victories at the Illini Invitational and the Athens Regional, where she scored the two lowest scores in Georgia history. She compiled a 70.75 season stroke average, the lowest single-season stroke average in Georgia history. She also finished runner-up at the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, falling to Rose Zhang on the second playoff hole.

Last weekend, Bae made her professional debut on the Epson Tour, competing in the Nova Mission Inn Resort and Club Championship in Howey-In-The-Hills, Florida.