Anchorage Daily News

In the past three years, 13-year-old Rynae Baca of Wasilla has gone from cute prodigy to serious tournament player on any golf course.

Baca's deadly accurate short game and 200-plus-yard drives would make most weekend duffers envious -- after she removes the stuffed animal covers on her golf clubs.

Now she's causing serious players to take note.

Two weeks ago, competing against some of the state's best golfers, Baca won her second straight Alaska State Amateur Stroke Play Championship title by a whopping 22 strokes.

This week, Baca played against the best in the world at her age level in the U.S. Kids Golf Teen World Championship, which concluded Saturday at historic Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.

Baca finished a strong fourth among 37 golfers. Her three-day total of 225 (74-76-75) was second among U.S. golfers. Casey Danielson of Osceola, Wisc., shot 71-69-69 -- 209 to win.

The tournament field was comprised mainly of U.S. golfers but included girls from Columbia, Japan, South Africa, Canada and the Philippines.

Playing on Pinehurst No. 5, Baca opened the tournament Thursday with a 2-over-par 74to tie for fifth place. Her father, Roger Baca, said his daughter could have shot better -- after all, she missed four birdie putts from four to six feet.

But Rynae characteristically shook off the misses.

"She shakes things off extremely well," he said Thursday by cell phone from North Carolina. "That's the best part of her game. She stays so focused. She doesn't let bad shots bug her."

Baca shot a 76 on Friday and fell to seventh place, 10 shots behind leader Danielson, who was 4-under through two rounds.

In addition to her mental calm during the game, Baca continually proves that accuracy is far more important than length.

According to Roger Baca, Rynae hit the fairway on all but one tee shot Thursday and missed a shot onto the green only once.

"She should have shot a 69," he said, noting the missed birdie putts. "The greens were very slick and fast. But she likes fast greens."

The Bacas live near Settlers Bay Golf Course. Rynae's younger sister Madison is also quite a golfer. She had the lowest net score in the women's A flight at the state-am tournament. And on Tuesday she begins play at the junior world tournament at Pinehurst.

That means Roger is now in the position of having two young daughters regularly out-play him. Rynae beats him already, he said. Two to three years ago, a good score for Rynae was in the mid to low 80s. Now, she's regularly pushing the low 70s.

"I play with a machine every day," he said.

Baca was the only 12-year-old to compete in the tourney last year, which took place at Twin Eagles Golf Course in Naples, Fla., and finished fifth. She was invited based on her 11th-place showing at the U.S. Kids Junior World Championship at Pinehurst last summer.

Baca has maintained the busy travel schedule this summer.

In early June, she competed in the World Youth Team Challenge, a match-play event at Bolingbrook Golf Club in Bolingbrook, Ill. Baca's team, USA West Coast, lost in a four-hole championship playoff to USA East Coast.

Also in June, Baca shot back-to-back 88s but missed the cut at the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship at Erin Hills Golf Course in Erin, Wisc. Baca was one of the youngest golfers at that tournament.

Find Ron Wilmot online at adn.com/contact/rwilmot or call 352-6712.

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