WG Signs Trio of International Standouts
11/15/2025 12:38:00 PM | Women's Golf
WACO, Texas – Baylor women's golf has signed a trio of international talents, including Paloma Ibarra, Abigail May and Sofie Nooij, it was announced by Head Coach Jay Goble on Wednesday.
"This class represents everything we look for in Baylor student-athletes — excellence on the course, commitment in the classroom, and strong character," Goble said. "We're so excited to get them here, watch them grow and see how they impact our program right away."
The Bears welcome Ibarra, from Monterrey, Mexico, May, from Scotland, and Nooij, from The Netherlands for their 2026-27 incoming class. Ibarra will be an early enrollee in the program and will be able to compete with the Bears in January.
"We're incredibly excited about this class," BU assistant coach Maddie Luitwieler said. "Each of these young women brings something special — passion, talent and a strong desire to compete. We can't wait to get them here on campus, start working with them and see what they're made of. The future of Baylor Women's Golf is very bright with this group."
Ibarra has prepped at the International Junior Golf Academy with Coach Camilo Castiblanco. She has had a decorated prep career that includes winning the 2025 Optimist International Junior Golf Championships over the summer at Trump National Doral Resort & Spa in Miami, going wire-to-wire to win the title. She also won a NXXT Junior Tour event and in 2024 claimed the U15 section of the Associacion de Clubes de Golf del Norte in Monterrey, Mexico.
"We're incredibly excited to welcome Paloma to the Baylor family," Goble said. "She's a ball of energy — passionate about the game, fiercely competitive and a joy to be around. Paloma has had an outstanding year, competing in a number of tournaments and capturing five victories, including an eight-stroke win at the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship. She'll be joining us a semester early and will begin competing for Baylor this January, which is a huge boost for our program. We really believe she's going to bring a spark to our spring season and make an immediate impact with her confidence and drive."
A product of St. Andrews, Scotland, May has prepped at her high school, Madras College, and has played at St. Regulus. She boasts a World Amateur Golf Ranking that soared as high as 343. Owning three wins and 14 top-10 finishes, May has extensive experience entering her collegiate career. She finished third in the Scottish Girls' Amateur Championship, sixth in the Boyd Quaich Memorial and second in the Northern Ladies Open. May played fifth in the Annika Invitational Europe, second in the Barrie Douglas Scottish Junior Masters, ninth in the Scottish Women's Amateur Championship and won the Junior Tour Duff House Royal. She added a sixth-place finish in the Helen Holm Scottish Women's Open Championship and placed ninth in the Scottish Girls' Open Championship. In 2024, May also won the Barrie Douglas Scottish Junior Masters and the ProDreamUSA Junior Masters.
"Abigail comes to us from the home of golf, St Andrews, Scotland, and we couldn't be happier to have her join our program," Luitwieler said. "The first time I watched her compete, she was five down in her match and fought all the way back to win on the 18th hole — striping her driver and dropping clutch putts. That kind of resilience and competitive fire is exactly what we value here at Baylor. Beyond her golf ability, Abigail is an absolute joy to be around. You can tell by the way she treats others that she'll be a great teammate and a wonderful addition to our team. She's also incredibly dedicated to the game and always strives to improve, which will serve her well at the collegiate level. With her talent, work ethic and personality, I think she will have a lot of success at Baylor, and we can't wait to see her shine."
Nooij joins the Bears from The Netherlands, where she boasts two tournament wins in 2025 and 10 top-10 finishes over the last two years. Nooij has had a strong 2025, posting a third-place finish in the Dutch National Open Championship on the pro circuit, 15th in the Dutch National Stroke Play Championship and 22nd in the Dutch International Junior Open.
"Sofie is an exciting addition to our team from the Netherlands, and we couldn't be more thrilled to welcome her to the Baylor family," Goble said. "She's what we like to call a 'silent killer' — calm and steady on the surface but fiercely competitive inside. She's a phenomenal ball striker with tremendous power and precision, and her maturity and focus make her a perfect fit for our program. We can't wait to get her on campus and watch her thrive as a Bear."
She finished fifth in the Annika Invitational Europe, and won both the Dutch National U21 Stroke Play Championship and the Dutch National U18 Stroke Play Championship.
"I had the chance to watch Sofie compete at the Annika Invitational Europe, where she finished fifth and tied with one of her future Baylor teammates," Luitwieler said. "She impressed me with her composure and consistency under pressure — she carries herself with poise and confidence well beyond her years. Sofie has already proven she can compete at an elite level, and I know she'll continue to develop and shine here at Baylor."
The trio will join a Baylor program that is currently ranked No. 15 following the fall season, and boasts one of the best players in the nation in junior Yurang Li, who was named to the Watch List for the Annika Award, given to the best player in the nation.
"This group reflects the international reach and high standard of our program," Goble said. "Paloma, Abigail and Sofie each bring unique strengths that will make our team better the moment they arrive. We're proud to welcome them to Baylor and can't wait to see the impact they'll make on and off the course."
"This class represents everything we look for in Baylor student-athletes — excellence on the course, commitment in the classroom, and strong character," Goble said. "We're so excited to get them here, watch them grow and see how they impact our program right away."
The Bears welcome Ibarra, from Monterrey, Mexico, May, from Scotland, and Nooij, from The Netherlands for their 2026-27 incoming class. Ibarra will be an early enrollee in the program and will be able to compete with the Bears in January.
"We're incredibly excited about this class," BU assistant coach Maddie Luitwieler said. "Each of these young women brings something special — passion, talent and a strong desire to compete. We can't wait to get them here on campus, start working with them and see what they're made of. The future of Baylor Women's Golf is very bright with this group."
Ibarra has prepped at the International Junior Golf Academy with Coach Camilo Castiblanco. She has had a decorated prep career that includes winning the 2025 Optimist International Junior Golf Championships over the summer at Trump National Doral Resort & Spa in Miami, going wire-to-wire to win the title. She also won a NXXT Junior Tour event and in 2024 claimed the U15 section of the Associacion de Clubes de Golf del Norte in Monterrey, Mexico.
"We're incredibly excited to welcome Paloma to the Baylor family," Goble said. "She's a ball of energy — passionate about the game, fiercely competitive and a joy to be around. Paloma has had an outstanding year, competing in a number of tournaments and capturing five victories, including an eight-stroke win at the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship. She'll be joining us a semester early and will begin competing for Baylor this January, which is a huge boost for our program. We really believe she's going to bring a spark to our spring season and make an immediate impact with her confidence and drive."
A product of St. Andrews, Scotland, May has prepped at her high school, Madras College, and has played at St. Regulus. She boasts a World Amateur Golf Ranking that soared as high as 343. Owning three wins and 14 top-10 finishes, May has extensive experience entering her collegiate career. She finished third in the Scottish Girls' Amateur Championship, sixth in the Boyd Quaich Memorial and second in the Northern Ladies Open. May played fifth in the Annika Invitational Europe, second in the Barrie Douglas Scottish Junior Masters, ninth in the Scottish Women's Amateur Championship and won the Junior Tour Duff House Royal. She added a sixth-place finish in the Helen Holm Scottish Women's Open Championship and placed ninth in the Scottish Girls' Open Championship. In 2024, May also won the Barrie Douglas Scottish Junior Masters and the ProDreamUSA Junior Masters.
"Abigail comes to us from the home of golf, St Andrews, Scotland, and we couldn't be happier to have her join our program," Luitwieler said. "The first time I watched her compete, she was five down in her match and fought all the way back to win on the 18th hole — striping her driver and dropping clutch putts. That kind of resilience and competitive fire is exactly what we value here at Baylor. Beyond her golf ability, Abigail is an absolute joy to be around. You can tell by the way she treats others that she'll be a great teammate and a wonderful addition to our team. She's also incredibly dedicated to the game and always strives to improve, which will serve her well at the collegiate level. With her talent, work ethic and personality, I think she will have a lot of success at Baylor, and we can't wait to see her shine."
Nooij joins the Bears from The Netherlands, where she boasts two tournament wins in 2025 and 10 top-10 finishes over the last two years. Nooij has had a strong 2025, posting a third-place finish in the Dutch National Open Championship on the pro circuit, 15th in the Dutch National Stroke Play Championship and 22nd in the Dutch International Junior Open.
"Sofie is an exciting addition to our team from the Netherlands, and we couldn't be more thrilled to welcome her to the Baylor family," Goble said. "She's what we like to call a 'silent killer' — calm and steady on the surface but fiercely competitive inside. She's a phenomenal ball striker with tremendous power and precision, and her maturity and focus make her a perfect fit for our program. We can't wait to get her on campus and watch her thrive as a Bear."
She finished fifth in the Annika Invitational Europe, and won both the Dutch National U21 Stroke Play Championship and the Dutch National U18 Stroke Play Championship.
"I had the chance to watch Sofie compete at the Annika Invitational Europe, where she finished fifth and tied with one of her future Baylor teammates," Luitwieler said. "She impressed me with her composure and consistency under pressure — she carries herself with poise and confidence well beyond her years. Sofie has already proven she can compete at an elite level, and I know she'll continue to develop and shine here at Baylor."
The trio will join a Baylor program that is currently ranked No. 15 following the fall season, and boasts one of the best players in the nation in junior Yurang Li, who was named to the Watch List for the Annika Award, given to the best player in the nation.
"This group reflects the international reach and high standard of our program," Goble said. "Paloma, Abigail and Sofie each bring unique strengths that will make our team better the moment they arrive. We're proud to welcome them to Baylor and can't wait to see the impact they'll make on and off the course."
- BaylorBears.com -
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