Moving away from the shadows of a celebrity parent can be tough, but building your own name can be even more challenging. For Scott Baio’s daughter, Bailey, that’s been a story since she started playing golf as a three and a half year old. Making her professional debut at the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour at Stoneybrook West Golf Course in Winter Garden, Florida, she has many supporters backing her. Of course, there’s his father, but she also found one in Phil Mickelson.

“What a great life moment to share with your daughter and an incredible experience for her to compete with professionals while still being a young amateur. I love this for you both,” Mickelson commented on Scott’s tweet.

In his tweet, the Happy Days actor shared a photo of the two of them as he caddied for his daughter at the event. He also added BB’s scorecard, where she stood at 27th, making the cut with a +19 round. Showing his pride, he added the caption to the tweet, “Round 2 of 3. The two pros from yesterday that was behind Bailey withdrew. Bailey was sitting 5 over until the 17th hole and doubled. She carded a 79. She just fueled up and got a sweet Fortune Cookie! The amateurs are all out of college, while BB is still in high school.”

At the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour, which gives opportunities for amateur players trying to find their way into the professional golfing world, Bailey was one of the few amateurs still standing and shot 7-over par on the second day to bring her total to 19-over par for two days. Bailey Baio was among the four amateurs who were part of the 29-player field. She is currently placed last due to her score on the first day.

With a comeback in Round 2, Bailey proved that her skills aren’t just luck or name. But there’s so much to her story.

Bailey was just 3.5 years old when her father put a golf club in her tiny hands. She would hit the ball or play in a sand trap. She even confessed that she was already getting good within months since she started playing. Interestingly, her rounds came with some bribes, as well. If she made it to the 10th hole, Scott would let her go to the snack shack for chocolate chip cookies.

By eight, BB was already competing for her school, winning the Delphic League tournament in 8 grade for best individual middle school girl’s golfer. So far, she has participated in at least twenty events and has three seasons of golf club experience.

While rising in the golfing world, she also had to make some other sacrifices. Bailey was a swimmer and a dancer. However, when she became serious about golfing, she gave up on both her favorite activities. The family, too, relocated from LA to Florida as she enrolled at the IMG Academy for her second semester. She is a class of 2026 graduate.

We can see why Mickelson gave his vote of confidence to the father-daughter duo.

Lefty always encourages junior golfers and young players and has spoken publicly about the value of early competitive experience. From LIV star Brendan Steele admitting that Mickelson “is a hero of mine and a mentor“ to Akshay Bhatia calling him one of a kind, Mickelson has taken countless young fans under his wing. Now, he is backing a star in the making who is already fighting her battles with the world.

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Scott Baio has shown his constant support for Bailey amid the criticism

Being the daughter of a well-known actor always comes at a price. Unfortunately, Bailey’s case is no different. Back in March, she posted an open letter to Donald Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump, who faced a similar wrath during the Hurricane Golf Tournament in March. In that Instagram reel, not only did she advise Trump on how to ignore the trolls, but she also revealed a personal story.

Like anyone else, Bradley has faced her fair share of struggles while competing in golf. No doubt, she has been dead last in many of the tournaments. While she only takes lessons from such situations, golf fans haven’t been as kind to her. Sadly, she even confessed to getting death threats.

She has also shared a screenshot of a comment trolling her and her response to the person, trying to teach them a lesson. Although she has been fighting her own battles, her father has also supported her through and through.

Recently, for her selection in the NXXT tournament, Scott wrote a tweet sharing how happy he was for Bailey’s first professional event. But a person commented on it, “…she’s a good golfer for her age, but if others who qualified ahead of her had to sit it out, this is clearly unfair to them.”

The people reading the comment did not cut her slack, nor did Scott.

“My daughter qualified for this tournament. She earned her way into this tournament,” he responded to the online critic, defending her daughter.

But this moment didn’t come out of nowhere. Scott Baio has constantly shown his support for his daughter. In May, when Bailey committed to Providence College to play Division I golf, Scott Baio was right there being the proud dad that he is.

Now the world is indeed staying tuned. And with Mickelson offering support, Bailey’s first taste of pro golf has become more than just a tournament; it’s become a moment.