Latest news with #CarlaBernatEscuder
Forbes
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
This LPGA Tournament Sponsor's Exemption Is Brought To You By..…
ROGERS, ARKANSAS - SEPTEMBER 29: Maria Fassi of Mexico plays her shot from the third tee during the ... More final round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G 2024 at Pinnacle Country Club on September 29, 2024 in Rogers, Arkansas. (Photo by) Winning isn't everything. Very few LPGA or PGA athletes playing on a tournament sponsor's exemption have turned the invitation into a win (Lydia Ko and Tiger Woods are among the notable exceptions). However, the opportunity to compete against the best players in the world can be equally important to an aspiring or veteran golfer's career. Carla Bernat Escuder is one of eight elite amateurs extended invitations to compete in the Chevron Championship, the first LPGA major of the season. A senior at Kansas State, the 2025 Augusta National Women's Amateur (ANWA) champion was making her first LPGA Tour start, and talked about the significance of teeing it up with the pros. 'It's giving me the perspective of what the professional players do and how they prepare for tournaments,' she explained. 'I've learned that there are already things that I can do to be a better player in the future.' AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 05: Carla Bernat Escuder of Spain celebrates with the trophy after winning ... More the Augusta National Women's Amateur at Augusta National Golf Club on April 05, 2025 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by) The 2024 AJGA Girls Player of the Year, 17-year old Gianna Clemente, is also a rising star and was only amateur invitee to make it to weekend play, finishing in a tie for 71st place. 'I think just any experience in LPGA events is great,' said Clemente, who took home low amateur honors. 'I have so much fun out here with my dad on the bag, and playing with the pros is always great, so I'm just learning from playing with them.' Making the cut at the Chevron earned her a third point in the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) standings. This was added on to her T30 finish as a sponsor exemption in the Honda LPGA Thailand. 'It's a great opportunity for any junior to be able to play in a major championship. The LPGA events I've played in have really showed me how amazing professional golf is and how much I really want to be a pro someday.' Sponsor exemptions are generally offered to players who have not otherwise qualified for a specific tournament. Sometimes the invitations are extended to lesser-known athletes who are changing the face of golf. Gabby Barker, for example, played in the recent LPGA Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass as an invitee of The Thunderbirds, the tournament Founding Partners. The tournament was held at Whirlwind Golf Club on the Gila River Indian Community, a most appropriate venue for Barker, the first female Native American professional golfer. PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 27: Gabby Barker of the United States plays her shot from the fourth tee ... More during the first round of the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass 2025 at Whirlwind Golf Club in Wild Horse Pass on March 27, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by) A member of the Shoshone-Paiute tribe, it was her fifth start on the LPGA Tour, and first since she teed it up in the 2022 U.S. Women's Open. She admitted that being the standard bearer for Native American golfers can be daunting. 'For me as a woman golfer, it's challenging,' said the 28-year old Texas Tech grad. 'I definitely get put in the spotlight a little more than I would like. But it's beautiful to be able to share my culture and to represent Indian Country and really any Native American community out there.' Following an outstanding collegiate career that earned her 2016 Big 12 Player of the Year honors, she joined the Epson Tour in 2018, but has yet to achieve her dream of LPGA membership. A special friendship with 52-year old four-time PGA TOUR winner, golf commentator and fellow Native American, member of the Navajo Nationa, Notah Begay III has helped her navigate the ups and downs of professional golf. The two met while Barker was playing collegiately and share the opportunity to represent Indian Country as the first professional Native American golfers. SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND - JULY 21: Golf Channel commentator Notah Begay during the second round of the ... More 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on July 21, 2017 in Southport, England. (Photo by) 'It's sometimes scary personally to be the first, and that's what I kind of lean on him for,' explained Barker. 'We have a great relationship that we've built in terms of he's been my mentor and has given me access to his brain in terms of hitting golf shots and learning the business side of golf.' She added, 'I owe a lot to Notah. He has definitely helped me and he's been sitting right beside me on this journey of golf as a career.' Like Begay, Barker is committed to growing the game withing the Native American community. Begay's NB3 Foundation focuses on improving health in Native communities through core areas of physical activity, healthy nutrition, youth development and cultural connections. Since its founding in 2005, the Foundation has awarded 136 grants to support Native-led organizations throughout the U.S. Barker has been involved with the Nike N7 Fund, which supports 'a culture of belonging in sport that welcomes all Indigenous youth to play.' She said, 'Indian Country has always been super positive and uplifting in every aspect of my life, including golf. Any way that I can help push our culture and the boundaries of what we have set for us, that's what I'm willing to do.' A sponsor's exemption can be a reward for past performance, and possibly recharge a career. Maria Fassi, a native of Pachuca, Mexico, and former University of Arkansas Razorback burst onto the national scene when she went toe-to-toe with eventual winner Jennifer Kupcho in the 2019 inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur. Known for her aggressive play and expressive personality, she has always been an exciting golfer to watch. BELLEAIR, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 09: Maria Fassi of Mexico smiles after hitting an approach shot on the ... More 13th hole during the first round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican at Pelican Golf Club on November 09, 2023 in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by) No matter what direction her golf career takes, the historical significance of playing in the first ANWA is always with her. 'I think for me, being able to have my name attached to Augusta National for the rest of time, it's something that I take a lot of pride in,' she said. The impact went beyond the fairways and greens. 'I mean what we were able to do and what we were able to show to the world about amateur women's golf, I don't think anybody could have dreamed of a better outcome. I think we did a great job with representing ourselves, our sport, representing women, female athletes and women in general,' she said. A seamless transition to the pro level was predicted for the 2018 SEC Golfer of the Year, 2019 NCAA Championship D1 Individual Champion, two-time Annika award winner and two-time Olympian (2020, 2024). But, golf is hard. Even with eight career top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour and $1.2 million career earnings, she struggled and lost her card after finishing 179 on the Priority List. She is working her way back by playing the 2025 Epson Tour and hopes for more tournament exemptions. The Ford Championship invitation meant a great deal to her. 'I'm just super excited to be here with a very grateful heart.' For Fassi, who celebrated her birthday on tournament grounds, it was a present she'll never forget. 'It's just a huge gift,' she said. 'Just being able to get an opportunity to come out here and see what areas of my game are trending in the right direction, what areas of my game are still needing some help and what I need to focus on. So I'm incredibly blessed that Ford and everybody involved with the tournament put some faith in me, maybe at times when I didn't' really have much in myself.' As one of the few female Mexican golf professionals, Fassi takes her status seriously. 'For me it's a huge responsibility,' she said of representing her country. 'I don't take it lightly. Whether it's playing in the Olympics or just making sure that the flag is on the range at every LPGA tournament that we go to is a huge privilege for both Gaby (López) and I.' Committed to growing the game, Fassi established Fassi's Friends through the M Fassi Foundation in Arkansas. The organization offers free golf classes for disabled and full-bodied kids to come together and learn the game of golf. Meanwhile, the upcoming LPGA Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba from May 22-25 will provide much-needed exposure to a country that has not hosted the LPGA since the 2017 Lorena Ochoa Invitational tournament. Three-time LPGA winner and three-time Olympian representing Mexico (Rio, Tokyo, Paris) Gaby López believes recruiting more Mexican players to U.S. colleges will be a huge step to increase the number of Mexicans on Tour. An Arkansas Razorback like Fassi, she viewed her collegiate experience invaluable in jump-starting her LPGA career as she considered college her developmental tour. PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 06: Gaby Lopez and Maria Fassi of Team Mexico take a selfie photo with the ... More Olympic rings on the 18th hole during a practice round ahead of the Women's Individual Stroke Play on day eleven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Le Golf National on August 06, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) 'I was telling myself, hey, this is my Semetra tour at that time, or my Epson tour. So I treated everything just as a professional player already,' she explained. 'I was trying to get practices committed and just purposeful and trying to be a professional when I was still a young girl.' She has been encouraged by the diversity at D1 institutions. 'You have the best talent in of Europe and Asia, Latin America and just everywhere. It does just literally become like a like a tour.' López is one of five LPGA Tour Girls Golf Ambassadors supporting the movement to introduce more girls to the game of golf. Each ambassador serves as a national spokeswomen for LPGA*USGA Girls Golf. Like Barker and Fassi, López understands the assignment. 'It's amazing to be a Girls Golf ambassador,' she said enthusiastically. 'I think these girls are the future and being able to inspire them and tell them that through hard work and passion and love for the game, they can achieve whatever they want, it's amazing.' Added Barker, 'I definitely believe that girls need to be out doing golf because it's such an opening to meeting new people, the relationships, and building confidence and being able to walk up to a golf course that is mainly surrounded by men and just feel comfortable.' She added, 'The LPGA slogan is 'Little Girls, Big Dreams.' For me to be out here and just say that I am a professional golfer is ridiculous. Little six-year old Gabby probably wouldn't have thought that.' Fassi agreed. "I think my purpose in life is not just to win. I think you make any impact on people by who you are as a person more so than how many tournaments you've won. I hope to see more brave girls chasing after their dreams, whether it's playing professional golf or being a CEO or being the best mom in the world.' Neither Fassi or Barker made the cut at the Ford Championship, but it certainly doesn't diminish the importance of their presence. Who knows how many seeds were planted into little girls who saw someone who looked like themselves and thought 'I can do that, too!'
USA Today
23-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ANWA champion Carla Bernat Escuder makes LPGA debut at Chevron, where she met her idol
ANWA champion Carla Bernat Escuder makes LPGA debut at Chevron, where she met her idol THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Carla Bernat Escuder makes her LPGA at this week's Chevron Championship two weeks after her victory at Augusta National. On Monday, she came out to the Club at Carlton Woods without her caddie, who was still en route, and felt slightly embarrassed carrying her tour-sized bag to the range. There she found fellow Spaniard Carlota Ciganda working on her game with swing coach Jorge Parada. "She was like, do you want to play? I was like, I don't have my caddie," said Bernat Escuder. "I don't have anyone to carry my bag. I don't think I can deal with this huge bag on my own." No problem, said Ciganda, who gave the job to her fiancé. "She's always there for whatever we need," said Bernat Escuder. "She makes Spanish young players become better just because she's approachable and so kind that, I don't know, it makes it normal all she has done. I don't know, it's cool." Bernat Escuder, who is coming off a runner-up showing to her Kansas State teammate at the Big 12 Championship in Houston, has been blown away by the reaction she's received since winning the Augusta National Women's Amateur, from being recognized at the airport to hearing from Spanish superstars like Pau Gasol and Rafael Nadal. "He's the symbol of competition and that motivation that every athlete in Spain has," she said of Nadal. "When I saw that, I was just like, whoa, yeah." On Tuesday, she played in the pro-am alongside Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson as one of the amateurs in the group. Bernat Escuder said she was so nervous teeing off alongside Korda on the first hole that she couldn't even see the ball. "I was telling my caddie yesterday, I don't think I'm going to be more nervous on Thursday No. 1," she said, "because playing with her, it's like – I mean, she's always been my idol, so playing with her is like a dream come true." This week is the first of four LPGA major championship exemptions she received for winning ANWA. Bernat Escuder, a senior, apologized to her professors for all the school she's missed in recent weeks. "I completely forgot the classes that I'm doing," she said. "I think this is the third week in a row without going to class. I went last Friday and I was like, I don't know what you're talking about. "Yeah, it's been a little stressful, I need to say, but it's good stress if that makes sense. It's everything positive."
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Meet the 8 amateurs invited to the LPGA's first major, the Chevron Championship
Meet the 8 amateurs invited to the LPGA's first major, the Chevron Championship The Chevron Championship has announced the eight amateurs who received emptions into the LPGA's first major of the season. Recent Augusta National Women's Amateur champion Carla Bernat Escuder and runner-up Asterisk Talley are among those making their debut in the Texas event. Talley is teeing it up in this week's JM Eagle LA Championship. Bernat Escuder will make her first-ever LPGA start at the Chevron. Talley, 16, replaces 2024 U.S. Women's Amateur champion Rianne Malixi, who withdrew due to a lingering back injury. 2024 ANWA champion Lottie Woad is in the field for a second year in a row. The No. 1 amateur in the world replaces Melanie Green, the 2024 British Amateur champion who turned professional. Woad finished in the top 25 at last year's Chevron, her LPGA debut. Pepperdine's Jeneath Wong earned her spot by winning the 2025 Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific while Arkansas freshman Clarisa Temelo received an invitation after her 2025 Women's Amateur Latin America triumph. Chayse Gomez, who now works as an assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton, received a spot as the highest-placing graduating senior from the 2024 Chevron Silverado Showdown, a collegiate event in Napa, California. Rounding out the eight exemptions are USC's Jasmine Koo and junior player Gianna Clemente. Koo tied for 13th at the Chevron one year ago to earn low amateur honors. Clemente, the 2024 AJGA Girls Player of the Year, finished 30th in the Honda LPGA Thailand event earlier this season. The 2025 Chevron takes place April 24-27 at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands. Kids ages 17 and under get in free with the purchase of an accompanying adult ticket.
USA Today
07-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Meet the 5 amateurs playing in the 2025 Masters at Augusta National
Meet the 5 amateurs playing in the 2025 Masters at Augusta National It's a good week to be an amateur at the 2025 Masters. Every amateur is making their first start at Augusta National Golf Club this year and will battle it out for the low amateur title. If they made the 36-hole cut, they will have the chance to win the Silver Cup and be honored alongside the Masters winner. There is no low amateur awarded if none make the weekend. An amateur has never won the Masters, though the Masters has plenty of history involving ams, including the famed Crow's Nest, the living space on the third floor of the Augusta National clubhouse, and the Monday night Amateur Dinner. Here's a look at the five amateurs competing in the 89th Masters Tournament. Josele Ballester Ballester became the first Spaniard to win the U.S. Amateur, winning 1 up at Hazeltine National last August. The senior at Arizona State has been one of college golf's best players this year. He's also from the same hometown as 2025 ANWA winner Carla Bernat Escuder. Evan Beck Beck made it to the championship match of the U.S. Mid-Amateur for the second straight year, but this time, he had a dominating 9-and-8 win over Bobby Massa to win the championship and earn his spot in the Masters. He has a good chance of making the Walker Cup team later this year, too. Justin Hastings Hastings survived a 36-hole marathon to win the Latin America Amateur Championship, the second player from the Cayman Islands to win the event in the past four years. Hastings, a senior at San Diego State, is challenging numerous career school records held by Xander Schauffele. Noah Kent Kent, who became a fan favorite during the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine, transferred to Florida over the winter and will begin play with the Gators this fall. He has played each of the last two weeks at the Texas Children's Houston Open and the Terra Cotta Invitational, but he has the most "rust" of the amateurs coming in. Hiroshi Tai Tai waited almost 11 months to get to Augusta National. He earned his spot in the Masters last May when he won the NCAA individual title at Omni La Costa. He's set to become the first Singaporean to play in the Masters.
USA Today
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Augusta National Women's Amateur champion celebrates with wine, two kinds of steak
Augusta National Women's Amateur champion celebrates with wine, two kinds of steak When Augusta National Women's Amateur champion Carla Bernat Escuder got back to her hotel Saturday evening, the Spanish players in the field were standing in the hall clapping and singing "Olé, Olé, Olé." When she called her swing coach Victor Garcia, he serenaded her with 'We are the Champions.' Garcia's son, Sergio, the 2017 Masters champion, was among those who sent a congratulatory note, along with LPGA player Carlota Ciganda and former NBA player Pau Gasol. She had more than 200 messages on WhatsApp, over 100 on iMessage and a slew of Instagram DMs. The 21-year-old Kansas State senior carried on the celebration at a local steakhouse, dining on both a ribeye and T-Bone, washed down with some wine. She and a friend stayed up until 2 a.m. watching a replay of the back nine. 'I'm still like, that's not me on the TV,' she said beaming. Bernat Escuder was back at Augusta National on Sunday to pass out hardware to participants in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals. She plans to return to Kansas on Tuesday to get back to class and prep for the Big 12 Championship. Then it's off to the Chevron Championship, April 24-27, for her first LPGA appearance. Last December, Bernat Escuder played in the Women's Spanish Open on the Ladies European Tour and tied for 14th. As for the tattoo she plans to get, Bernat Escuder has decided on an azalea. She already has a lightning bolt on her forearm. Fitting for the petite Spaniard whose flashes of brilliance on Saturday etched her name into history.
