COLUMBIA, MO. – The University of Missouri Women's Golf program has signed prep standout Bri Bolden (pronounced BREE) of Mokena, Ill. to a National Letter of Intent, as announced today. Bolden, a two-time Illinois State Championship runner-up, is a three-time All-State performer for Lincoln-Way Central High School who has 16 career tournament wins for her school. She's also turned in eight career top-10 performances on the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) circuit in her junior career, including a win at the 2016 Illinois Junior Girls Amateur Championship.
Bolden, who averaged 69.2 strokes per round as a senior this past fall, set an Illinois State Championship record with a second-round 67 in the finals, on the way to her second-place finish. On the amateur circuit, she had an impressive showing at the 2018 Western Women's National Amateur Championship, when she finished second in stroke play out of 120 competitors, with a four-under par 140 total. That performance advanced her to the match play portion of the tournament, where she eventually placed in the top eight in the prestigious event.
Bolden is currently ranked 97th in her class, and 244th nationally overall in the Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings.
"Bri had competed with Jess Yuen in high school, so we had a great connection right away from that," said Priesmeyer. "Bri has a wonderful spirit about her and I love her enthusiasm and positive attitude, those are intangibles that will help everyone in our program. She has had a very decorated high school career and is one of the top junior golfers in her class. We love that she chose to be a Tiger, and we're looking forward to getting her in our program," said Priesmeyer.
"I had the opportunity to visit a lot of schools to find the best fit for me academically and athletically, but my visit to Mizzou with the coaches and future teammates was eye opening," said Bolden. "It felt like home from my first visit on campus. The coaches and the program are the best fit for me and I knew right away it was the place I wanted to spend my life for the next four years," she said.
An honor roll student at Lincoln-Way Central High School, and a member of National Honor Society, Bolden has an interest in studying Health Science at Mizzou.
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