While he'll never be confused with Bo Jackson, Bryce Baringer is a pretty good two-sport athlete in his own right. The New England Patriots punter proved that this week when he won the 2024 Massachusetts Amateur Qualifier.
The win qualifies the 25-year-old Baringer for the 2024 Massachusetts Amateur Championship, which will take place in July, prior to the start of Patriots training camp.
Wearing a Tiger Woods Sun Day Red hat and an Arnold Palmer Bay Hill polo shirt, Baringer won Saturday's qualifier by submitting a 1-under-par 69 at Stockbridge Golf Club. His victory came courtesy of an 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole.
"Making a putt like that feels like you're pinning the opponent deep," Baringer told Mass Golf.
Baringer celebrated by playing in a father-son golf tournament with his dad the following day, which was Father's Day.
"He was pumped for me, and obviously it's cool for us because I know how important golf is to him," Baringer told Patriots.com. "Just to be able to make him proud, not just on the football field, but in a sport he so deeply cares about was cool for me."
Baringer, who ultimately chose to pursue a career in football over one in golf, finds many similarities between his two favorite sports.
"Golf forces you to stay in the moment," Baringer said. "I could have a good shot or a bad shot -- a good punt or a bad punt. All that matters is how you recover and how you come back. I think that's another big correlation."
Speaking of football, Patriots teammates and coaches encouraged Baringer to register for this past weekend's event. It's safe to say that they will continue to support Baringer on July 8, when he competes alongside Massachuette's finest amateur golfers.