Patriots punter Bryce Baringer qualifies for Massachusetts Amateur Championship

FOXBORO -- New England fans saw that Bryce Baringer was pretty good at kicking a football throughout his stellar rookie season for the Patriots. The 25-year-old is also pretty good on the links, qualifying for next month's Massachusetts Amateur Championship on Tuesday.

Baringer shot a 1-under, 69 at Stockbridge Golf Club in his Mass Golf championship debut on Tuesday and made the cut for the 116th Mass Amateur Championship, which will take July 8-12 at Framingham Country Club. Luckily for Baringer, the Championship will take place a little over a week before the Patriots report to training camp. 

After his round on Tuesday, Baringer said that he uses golf to both decompress and stay competitive during the offseason.

"I almost use it as a tool. Right now, we're on our break before training camp. For me, being able to do these types of events helps me keep my juices flowing," he told MassGolf.com. "Being able to compete with myself and try to put my foot forward, no matter what I'm trying to do, is always good for self-improvement. It helps me stay competitive, and it helps me learn a lot about who I am as a player."

Baringer was quite the player on Tuesday, sinking five birdies in his first ever round at Stockbridge. He shot a 2-under on the back nine, which included a 25-foot putt on the 18th hole that secured his victory. 

Baringer was drafted by New England in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Michigan State. With the Patriots possessing one of the worst offenses in the NFL, Baringer was called upon quite a bit and ended up booting 98 punts in 2023 -- the second-most in the NFL. He led the league with 38 punts inside the 20-yard line during his rookie season.