AUGUSTA, Ga. — Kansas State senior Carla Bernat Escuder was taking part in the ultimate spherical of the Augusta Nationwide Ladies’s Novice at maybe the world’s most well-known golf course for under the second time on Saturday.
However like many Spanish golfers earlier than her, Bernat Escuder felt proper at house whereas carding a 4-under 68 at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership, turning into the primary lady from her nation to win the six-year-old match with a 54-hole complete of 204.
Bernat Escuder completed one shot forward of 16-year-old Asterisk Talley, who posted a 4-under 68 on Saturday, and three in entrance of defending champion Lottie Woad of England, who completed with an even-par 72.
Bernat Escuder, 21, led by as many as three pictures on the second 9, however her benefit shrank to only one over Talley after her strategy landed in a greenside bunker on the par-4 seventeenth. She two-putted for her second bogey of the spherical.
However Bernat Escuder righted the ship with a giant drive on the par-4 18th, after which she made a 5-foot, downhill par putt to complete off the most important victory of her beginner profession.
“Hopefully, it would not keep like that as a result of I need extra Spaniards to get right here and hold pushing our nation up and up,” Bernat Escuder mentioned. “Yeah, hopefully I am not the final one.”
Bernat Escuder began the spherical trailing Woad and Kiara Romero by one shot. She took the outright lead with a birdie on the par-5 eighth and made one other tap-in birdie on the ninth to make the flip at 3-under 33.
The largest second of her spherical might need come on the par-4 tenth when her strategy shot was means proper of the inexperienced. She in some way received up and down for par to keep up momentum.
Bernat Escuder is the primary golfer to file three rounds within the 60s in ANWA historical past. She additionally carded 4-under 68s within the first two rounds at Champions Retreat Golf Membership in close by Evans, Georgia.
After the spherical, Bernat Escuder was congratulated by two-time Masters champion José María Olazábal, considered one of 4 Spanish golfers to win a inexperienced jacket. Seve Ballesteros was the primary one to do it 1980 and 1983, and Olazábal (1994, 1999), Sergio Garcia (2017) and Jon Rahm (2023) adopted in his path.
“The way in which Bernat performed was superb, particularly the again 9,” Olazábal mentioned. “She really did not miss a shot. I used to be speaking to her, and clearly the adrenaline and the nerves received just a little bit onto her on the previous few holes, however she dealt with the strain rather well and implausible for Spanish golf and for ladies’s golf.”
Olazábal watched the second 9 on TV within the Augusta Nationwide clubhouse.
“I imply, clearly this place is particular for us since Seve,” Olazábal mentioned. “It is a golf course that calls for a number of distance management with the irons and a great brief recreation. And I believe, you understand, Spaniards usually, we have managed to have good palms.”
Garcia’s father, Victor, is Bernat Escuder’s swing coach. She grew up in Castellón de la Plana, Spain, with Jose Luis Ballester, who in August turned the primary Spanish golfer to win the U.S. Novice. Ballester, an Arizona State senior, will make his Masters debut on Thursday.
Bernat Escuder performed her first two seasons of school golf at Tulane, the place she was the 2023 American Athletic Convention Ladies’s Golfer of the 12 months. She transferred to Kansas State as a junior after Inexperienced Wave coach Stew Burke was employed by the Wildcats. She is a four-time winner in two seasons and is the primary golfer in this system’s historical past to be named All-American.
“She performed unimaginable,” mentioned Spain’s Andrea Revuelta, who performed with Bernat Escuder on Saturday and tied for fourth at 8 beneath. “Did not miss one shot. She did not play defensive. She performed aggressively. She hit the [par-5] thirteenth in two and hit unimaginable pictures everywhere in the 18 holes.”
Bernat Escuder hoped to stay round to look at her good pal Ballester play within the Masters. By way of celebrating her historic win, Bernat Escuder was already fascinated by getting a tattoo of the ANWA emblem.
“I used to be considering possibly the flower of Augusta, however I must determine on that,” she mentioned. “It is a huge choice.”
