RAISED ON GOLF
5/8/2026 4:35:00 PM | Women's Golf, My Baylor Story
Ohma is wrapping up BU career top 10 in scoring average, top-10 finishes
Silje Ohma literally grew up on the golf course at her home in Bergen, Norway.
"My dad used to take me when I was in a stroller, so that's where I started," said Ohma, a senior on the Baylor women's golf team that is seeded fifth in the NCAA Waco Regional that starts Monday at Ridgewood Country Club. "It was super easy. The golf course was right there, so it was pretty set on what I was going to play."
From following along with her dad, Silje started swinging a club when she was 5 years old and developed into one of the best junior golfers in Norway, winning the 2020 Norwegian Junior Championship and helping Team Norway capture the 2021 European Girls Championship.
"It's an awesome experience," Ohma said of representing Team Norway in 2019 and '21. "It's very similar to college golf, because it's a team thing. So, I got a lot of experience before college that was pretty important to me."
Silje also got somewhat a taste of college life by moving out of her house in Bergen when she was 15 years old and going to an academy seven hours away, where she trained under English coach Jeff Dixon.
"That was kind of a preparation for college," she said. "Living by myself, not having my parents around all the time and stuff like that, it made the transition to college a lot easier for me."
Not completely alone, Silje moved to the academy with one of her closest friends, Mia Lussand, a senior on the South Carolina women's golf team.
"We grew up together, played a lot of golf together," Silje said of Lussand. "The fact that we both made it over here and were able to play college golf has been just an absolute dream."
She made a connection with Baylor through a fellow Norwegian, when then-Baylor men's assistant coach Mikkel Bjerch-Andresen told then-women's assistant coach Carly Ludwig about this big hitter from Bergen, Norway.
Watching Silje play in the European Girls Championships in Italy, Ludwig saw her hit a "beautiful drive and great wedge shot, and then she walked away."
"I thought, 'Oh no!''' Silje said. "But then she came back a little later, and we started talking. She showed me around the (Billy Williams Golf Practice Facility) on Facetime, and then I got in contact with (head coach Jay Goble). I thought they were really cool people, and I just fell in love with the school."
To say that Silje's transition to college golf was seamless would be an understatement. In her first collegiate tournament, she tied a school record with a 5-under-par 67 in the final round and tied for 10th at Oklahoma's Schooner Invitational with a 4-under 206 total.
"I feel like that event just sums up golf," she said. "I shot 3-under the first day, 5-over the second day – it was a roller coaster – and finished with a really good score. I think that event is something I will always remember."
That year, Silje set a program freshman record with the third-best single-season scoring average at 71.90, earning All-Big 12 honors.
"It was super special," she said. "Going to college is, obviously, a little scary. I'm a long way from home; I've never played in America before. Going here and doing that was not anything I expected. I expected it to be very hard and challenging, but the transition was super easy. I felt like I could play my best golf, even though it was new."
After an off year as a sophomore – at least for her – Silje bounced back last year with the second-best scoring average on the team (73.43) and helped the Bears advance to the NCAA Championship for the fifth-consecutive year by finishing fourth individually in the NCAA Norman Regional.
That was only after the Bears sweated out even making it to postseason, finishing 11th at the Big 12 Championship to have a .500 record for the season.
"I remember at the Big 12, we were all standing there, and we weren't sure if we had made it or not," Silje said. "And I think we were spot-on .500. That was a crazy, crazy experience. And we didn't want to celebrate until we were 100% sure. But once we got in, we knew that it's one tournament. We knew we could play really well. It was just a matter if we could bring it after that. I thought we all fought a really good fight in the regionals, and we powered through."
Averaging 72.94 strokes per round this year, Silje earned second-team All-Big 12 honors and is ranked in the top 10 in career scoring average (73.33), top-5 (7), top-10 (13) and top-25 finishes (24) and most career rounds played (127).
"Silje as a golfer is the most naturally talented player I have ever had the pleasure of coaching," said Goble, whose team is trying to advance to the NCAA Championships for the eighth time in nine years.
"Silje as a person is the sweetest and most kind person I've ever coached. She does have a fiery streak, but she cares deeply for her friends, family and teammates, and you can feel that from her all the time. I have seen her grow in all aspects of her life while here at Baylor. And I am confident in this as a fast: whether it's in golf or anything else she chooses, Silje Ohma will be a success."
Playing on their home course at Ridgewood for next week's Waco Regional, Silje said the team is "a little bit more confident, because we know Ridgewood. We've been playing out there for a long time."
Majoring in sociology with a minor in communications, Silje will graduate next Friday and plans to play professionally on the Ladies' European Tour before potentially going back to Norway for law school.
"That will be a goal of mine for the next few years," she said. "Law school is something I'm interested in, but it's also a lot of studying and a lot of school. I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet. I just want to play golf for a little bit, so (law school) is my Plan B."
"My dad used to take me when I was in a stroller, so that's where I started," said Ohma, a senior on the Baylor women's golf team that is seeded fifth in the NCAA Waco Regional that starts Monday at Ridgewood Country Club. "It was super easy. The golf course was right there, so it was pretty set on what I was going to play."
From following along with her dad, Silje started swinging a club when she was 5 years old and developed into one of the best junior golfers in Norway, winning the 2020 Norwegian Junior Championship and helping Team Norway capture the 2021 European Girls Championship.
"It's an awesome experience," Ohma said of representing Team Norway in 2019 and '21. "It's very similar to college golf, because it's a team thing. So, I got a lot of experience before college that was pretty important to me."
Silje also got somewhat a taste of college life by moving out of her house in Bergen when she was 15 years old and going to an academy seven hours away, where she trained under English coach Jeff Dixon.
"That was kind of a preparation for college," she said. "Living by myself, not having my parents around all the time and stuff like that, it made the transition to college a lot easier for me."
Not completely alone, Silje moved to the academy with one of her closest friends, Mia Lussand, a senior on the South Carolina women's golf team.
"We grew up together, played a lot of golf together," Silje said of Lussand. "The fact that we both made it over here and were able to play college golf has been just an absolute dream."
She made a connection with Baylor through a fellow Norwegian, when then-Baylor men's assistant coach Mikkel Bjerch-Andresen told then-women's assistant coach Carly Ludwig about this big hitter from Bergen, Norway.
Watching Silje play in the European Girls Championships in Italy, Ludwig saw her hit a "beautiful drive and great wedge shot, and then she walked away."
"I thought, 'Oh no!''' Silje said. "But then she came back a little later, and we started talking. She showed me around the (Billy Williams Golf Practice Facility) on Facetime, and then I got in contact with (head coach Jay Goble). I thought they were really cool people, and I just fell in love with the school."
To say that Silje's transition to college golf was seamless would be an understatement. In her first collegiate tournament, she tied a school record with a 5-under-par 67 in the final round and tied for 10th at Oklahoma's Schooner Invitational with a 4-under 206 total.
"I feel like that event just sums up golf," she said. "I shot 3-under the first day, 5-over the second day – it was a roller coaster – and finished with a really good score. I think that event is something I will always remember."
That year, Silje set a program freshman record with the third-best single-season scoring average at 71.90, earning All-Big 12 honors.
"It was super special," she said. "Going to college is, obviously, a little scary. I'm a long way from home; I've never played in America before. Going here and doing that was not anything I expected. I expected it to be very hard and challenging, but the transition was super easy. I felt like I could play my best golf, even though it was new."
After an off year as a sophomore – at least for her – Silje bounced back last year with the second-best scoring average on the team (73.43) and helped the Bears advance to the NCAA Championship for the fifth-consecutive year by finishing fourth individually in the NCAA Norman Regional.
That was only after the Bears sweated out even making it to postseason, finishing 11th at the Big 12 Championship to have a .500 record for the season.
"I remember at the Big 12, we were all standing there, and we weren't sure if we had made it or not," Silje said. "And I think we were spot-on .500. That was a crazy, crazy experience. And we didn't want to celebrate until we were 100% sure. But once we got in, we knew that it's one tournament. We knew we could play really well. It was just a matter if we could bring it after that. I thought we all fought a really good fight in the regionals, and we powered through."
Averaging 72.94 strokes per round this year, Silje earned second-team All-Big 12 honors and is ranked in the top 10 in career scoring average (73.33), top-5 (7), top-10 (13) and top-25 finishes (24) and most career rounds played (127).
"Silje as a golfer is the most naturally talented player I have ever had the pleasure of coaching," said Goble, whose team is trying to advance to the NCAA Championships for the eighth time in nine years.
"Silje as a person is the sweetest and most kind person I've ever coached. She does have a fiery streak, but she cares deeply for her friends, family and teammates, and you can feel that from her all the time. I have seen her grow in all aspects of her life while here at Baylor. And I am confident in this as a fast: whether it's in golf or anything else she chooses, Silje Ohma will be a success."
Playing on their home course at Ridgewood for next week's Waco Regional, Silje said the team is "a little bit more confident, because we know Ridgewood. We've been playing out there for a long time."
Majoring in sociology with a minor in communications, Silje will graduate next Friday and plans to play professionally on the Ladies' European Tour before potentially going back to Norway for law school.
"That will be a goal of mine for the next few years," she said. "Law school is something I'm interested in, but it's also a lot of studying and a lot of school. I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet. I just want to play golf for a little bit, so (law school) is my Plan B."
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
Baylor Athletics: My Baylor Story - Silje Ohma
Tuesday, May 05
Baylor Golf (W): NCAA National Championships at La Costa
Saturday, May 17
Baylor Golf (W): NCAA Norman Regional Day 1
Tuesday, May 06
Baylor Coach's Show: Maddie Luitwieler-Caruana | April 24, 2025
Friday, April 25
