The Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) has a new champion in Carla Bernat Escuder.
The 21-year-old Bernat Escuder, of Spain, shot a 68 during the final round on Saturday, April 5 to finish the overall tournament at 12 under par. She shot a 68 in all three rounds of the tournament for an overall score of 204.
“I cannot process that I won yet,” she said. “It’s really nice to see that after a cold winter, we had hard days going to the golf course and showing up, it means everything to win this tournament. It’s also such an honor.
She is the first ANWA champion from Spain and called the accomplishment “pretty cool.”
“Hopefully it doesn’t stay like that because I want more Spaniards to get here and keep pushing our country up and up. Hopefully I’m not the last one.”
When it came to the final round, especially the last few holes, Bernat Escuder said kept checking the scoreboard to see how everyone was doing and how close the other players were. But she didn’t let the tight race get to her.
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“I feel that I am pretty calm in hard moments, under stress moments,” she said. “I also really tried to enjoy this round with my coach because it’s going to be the last one, I’m turning pro this next summer. So, I was really focused on smiling and enjoying Augusta because it’s the best golf course in the world.”
As for her mindset in the final round, she knew the back nine would be key to winning.
“Today I just tried to play a pretty good nine holes,” she said. “I knew the tournament started on number 10, so when I hit the second shot on number 10, I was like ‘damn.’”
When it came to making the final putt on 18, she said it was difficult to describe what she was feeling.
“It’s hard to describe with words, but I was just so happy and relieved that I made the putt because I saw on scoreboard there was one girl just one shot behind me, so I was like ‘you need to make this,'” she said.
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Bernat Escuder started the final round in a three-way for third and one stroke behind the leaders, but said she felt like an underdog from the start of the tournament.
“I wasn’t looking who was behind me, I was looking at the winners, the ones on top of the leaderboard because that is what helps me play better,” she said.
After getting the lead, she said she focused more on making the shots she needed to stay on top of the leaderboard.
As for how she plans to celebrate her win, Bernat Escuder said there were a couple of things she wanted to do.
“Probably good dinner with all the people that came to watch me.,” she said. “I kind of want to stay here to watch the Masters, but I don’t know if I will be able. Maybe a tattoo, we will see…I was thinking maybe the flower of Augusta, but I need to decide on that, it’s a big decision.”
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This is Bernat Escuder’s third time participating in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. In 2024, she opened the tournament with a score of 78 in the first round and 69 in the second round, which got her to the final round. On the final day she was only player in the match to shoot under 70 that round and one of five players to shot under par.
In second place with an 11 under par score of 205 was Asterik Talley, of the United States. Third place went to the 2024 ANWA Champion Lottie Woad at a 9 under par score of 207. There was a three-way tie for fourth at 8 under par between Eila Galitsky, Catherine Park and Andrea Revuelta.
Tournament highlights
During the final round Talley became the first player in championship history to eagle a par-4 at the ANWA when she eagled hole 1. She went on to birdie holes 16 and 17.
The tournament finished with three players representing Spain, Bernat Escuder, Revuelta and Carolina Lopez-Chacarra, who finished in 9th. That is the first time three players from the same international country or territory have finished in the top 10. In 2021 three players from Sweden finished in the top 10.
It was a great day for Eila Galitsky, of Thailand, who on holes 6-8 went birdie, birdie, eagle and shot a 31 on the first nine, which is a record. She finished the day with a six-under par score of 66 and tied for fourth place.
Catherine Park completed the final day with eagles on hole No. 8 and hole No. 13 to finish tied for 4th place. With this final round, she came the third player in ANWA history to make two eagles in the final round. The previous two were Jasmine Koo in 2024 and Ingrid Lindblad in 2022.
Anna Davis, the 2022 ANWA champion, finished with a four-under par score of 212 and tied for 11th.
