On long summer days, Pinehurst Resort has a Never Neverland quality. For the past five years, it has been Addie Baggarly’s summer escape. This time her week started barefoot with a bucket hat on her head and only a 50-degree wedge to get her around the Cradle, Pinehurst’s new par-3 course.
Baggarly, who just wrapped up her fourth season on the University of Florida roster, partnered with good friend and fellow Tennessee native Siarra Stout in a barefoot, one-club par-3 contest to start North & South Women’s Am week. Both players used their gap wedge – even to putt – around the Cradle and went 5 under.
“We ended up going out and winning in playoff,” Baggarly said. “It was a blast, it was so much fun to start the week. We finished in the dark and people’s flashlights were on at the Cradle.
“It was definitely – probably going to be the most memorable part of this week.”
Tennessee girls @siarra_stout and @addiebaggs won the one-club, barefoot scramble at The Cradle at @pinehurstresort ahead of this week’s North & South Amateur! pic.twitter.com/T5IHtCxfeT
— Tennessee Golf Association (@TNgolf) July 12, 2021
Baggarly has been playing this event for the past five years and reached the final 16 in 2019. She dispatched Minnesota player Grace Curran on Thursday in the opening round of match play and meets Duke junior Gina Kim in the next round. Baggarly called that an unlucky draw so early in the week. She and Kim have played together on a Palmer Cup team, and spent a week together at Olympic Club in San Francisco last month after both qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open.
Kim was part of a playoff for the final spot on the North & South bracket on Tuesday evening, and Baggarly offered her encouragement.
“I kind of drove by and gave her a little wave and she said seeing you in the cart made my day,” she said.
Scoring: North & South Women’s Amateur
Baggarly’s week at the Women’s Open drove home a realization she’d first had earlier this spring at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She’d been waffling over whether she wanted to turn professional and try to make a living out of golf.
“My feelings there just solidified the fact that I don’t think pro life is really cut out for me,” she said. “I like to enjoy the sport for how it’s meant to be played for fun.”
Emilia Migliaccio, runner-up at the ANWA and a former top 3 amateur in the world, recently embarked on a golf journalism career as an intern at Golf Channel and was a key voice in taking that non-traditional route. Baggarly also consulted fellow Tennessean Sarah Ingram, a three-time U.S. Women’s Mid-Am champ and the current Curtis Cup captain, and at Pinehurst, talked with Lauren Greenlief, a former Virginia player who never turned professional, won the 2015 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and continues to be extremely competitive on the amateur circuit at age 39.
That fits Baggarly’s vision for what her future golf life could be.
“(Greenlief) had a lot of great words to say about the competitive side and still having a career and the balance that it takes,” Baggarly said. “She said it’s possible because she’s doing it, and I admire that.”
Baggarly has another semester of classes at Florida to finish her degree in telecommunications. Gator history runs deep in Baggarly’s veins. She was born in Gainesville, Florida, and family history intertwines with the university. Her great grandfather helped found the school of building construction and her dad Mark Baggarly was part of the men’s golf national title team in 1993.
Beginning in January, however, Baggarly is headed for Baylor. With a year of eligibility left, she’ll play the spring season for the Bears as she starts an 18-month masters program in sports pedagogy. That would set her up to get into college coaching down the road.
Welcome to the #BaylorFamily @addiebaggs
2020 All-SEC
2022 Baylor Bear
: https://t.co/nvZrK4dfNC#SicEm
pic.twitter.com/eTLR3rrcF1
— Baylor Women’s Golf (@BaylorWGolf) July 2, 2021
“I’m forever grateful for the opportunity (Florida) gave me over the last four years,” she said. “Something really nice came up for me at Baylor and I’m able to get my masters.”
Baggarly has a deeply rooted affection for amateur golf, and no future coaching gig would change that. This week is a sweet reminder of all she loves about competing.
“This is my escape week – I’m here to play golf but I’m also having so much fun in other areas,” Baggarly said. “The people here are great, everyone is so welcoming. It’s definitely my favorite week of the year.”