When the opportunity to complete his degree presented itself to Bobby Bai, he could not pass it up.
One of the greatest golfers in UCF history, Bai chose to suspend his time on campus following his junior year in 2019 to pursue his dream of becoming a professional golfer. Despite playing abroad and having his hands full with the pressures that come with living the life of a professional athlete, Bai chose to remain dedicated to his studies and was able to earn his degree from UCF this May.
Like so many other graduates across the country, Bai celebrated his accomplishment from home via virtual commencement, receiving his degree in interdisciplinary studies.
A native to Shantou, China, Bai committed to travel to the other side of the globe to come play golf at UCF and began his playing career as a freshman in 2016.
From early on, Bai proved himself to be an invaluable asset to the team, earning American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year honors following his rookie season.
In his three years in the Black and Gold, Bai brought home three American Athletic Conference All-Conference honors, including a unanimous selection his junior year, was the Golf Coaches Association of American Golfer of the Week three times, won three college golf tournaments individually and helped propel the Knights to eight team titles in that time.
Bai was a part of one of an historic UCF team as he helped the Knights to win the NCAA Regional Championship in 2017 and finish 14th at the NCAA National Championship.
After helping the Knights to place 24th overall at the 2018 NCAA National Championship, Bai qualified as an individual for the 2019 NCAA Regional Championship along with teammate Kyler Tate.
With so much success at the collegiate level, Bai decided to officially turn his attention to the professional landscape following his junior year.
Last summer, Bobby Bai had a great run of golf finishing high in the PGA Tour China Order of Merit and winning a European Challenge Tour event. As a result, Bai earned a conditional European Tour Card and status on the European Challenge Tour. Next, Bai earned a Korn Ferry Tour Card in November at Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School.
In his short time as a professional, Bai has already begun to set records. With a 269(-19) first place finish at the Foshan Open, part of the Challenge Tour, Bai became the first Chinese player to win the open and the first to win on the Challenge tour. En route to the first-place finish, Bai set a new course record in the second round when he posted a bogey-free 63(-9).
"Becoming a professional golfer has been my dream since I was eight years old," said Bai. "Coach Wallor helped me with course management and he played an irreplaceable role in helping me get here. I am playing on the Korn Ferry Tour this season. I hope to get on the PGA tour in the near future and in 20 years, I hope to have won all majors and still be competing professionally.
"I am very proud to officially be a UCF alum and I am especially proud to have served my team," said Bai.
When asked for advice to give underclassmen looking to follow in his footsteps, Bai had this to say:
"Time flies. Please treasure every moment of your college life. Enjoy meeting new people from different states, cultures and backgrounds because they will help you to expand your horizons."
As a mentor to Bai for three years, UCF Men's Golf head coach Bryce Wallor was also thrilled to see Bai's hard work pay off.
"It means a great deal to me and to our program that throughout all of his early success as a professional, that both Bobby and his inner circle never lost the importance of him completing his education," said Wallor. "It shows how committed he was to his word that he would graduate, and it shows that as a program, we continue to build golfers and graduates."
When recalling some of Bai's most incredible achievements on the golf course, two moments came to mind for coach Wallor.
"The year Bobby won the 2018 Purdue Boilermaker Invitational, he birdied his way home through holes 16, 17 and 18 on the Kampen Golf Course. Purdue's home golf tournament is played in Indiana, in mid-April, during some very cold and windy weather conditions. The Kampen Course has hosted the NCAA National Championship and the final three holes of the golf course are one of the toughest stretches in all of golf.
"The reason that this memory stands out to me, is that this was a season where I spent a great deal of time walking the golf course and helping Bobby work through his rounds of golf during his sophomore season. Our goal that year was to try and create and stick to a very smart and strategic game plan, but as I look back at that snapshot of golf there just aren't too many people that possess the strength, finesse and talent to do what he did that day. He made eight birdies and one eagle and carved the course apart on his way to victory."
With Wallor by his side, Bai placed first overall at the Boilermaker Invitational with a 139(-5) two-round total.
"The second memory that I have of Bobby Bai is one week later during the 2018 Augusta 3M Invitational. Our team played some pretty uninspired golf on the 36-hole day of competition and the team was in a tough spot needing a few quality wins in a great tournament field which would prove to be necessary to push our team into the NCAA tournament.
"On that day, Bobby asked me to walk the golf course with him. He buzzed around, shooting 64, carding seven birdies and one eagle while playing one of the more clean and mistake-free rounds of golf I have ever watched. He simply overpowered a short, firm and fast golf course and took advantage with his length and short game creativity. That was the day where Bobby truly put the team on his back and elevated the success of our program. "
Now, with a degree from UCF, Bai has the chance to expand on his legacy.
"With his playing resume cemented in the UCF record books and now a diploma in hand, Bobby will be looked back on as one of the better players to ever suit up for UCF Men's Golf," said Wallor.