More Spanish success at Augusta National - and this time it's in women's event
Disappointment for defending champion Lottie Woad as Carla Bernat Escuder wins ANWA
Add Carla Bernat Escuder to Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm on that list of Spanish successes at one of golf’s special venues after the 21-year-old from Castellón de la Plana won the sixth edition of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
On a dramatic final day, which included American Asterisk Talley holing out at the opening hole for the event’s first eagle 2 and Thailand’s Eila Galitsky catapulting herself up the leaderboard with its lowest front nine of 31, victory eventually fell to Bernat Escuder, which meant disappointment for Lottie Woad.
Twelve months after the young Englishwoman created history as the first European player to claim the coveted crown, Woad started out in a tie for the lead and, though having also been joined by Asterisk on seven under following her spectacular start, quickly opened up a two-shot cushion as she birdied the first and her playing partner, American Kiara Romero, bogeyed it.
Woad then missed a golden chance to go further ahead after playing a delightful chip with side-spin for her third shot at the par-5 second and, by the time the 21-year-old from Farnham in Hampshire had dropped a shot at the short sixth, her title challengers had started to build up momentum.
No one more so than Bernat Escuder, who, after almost holing out for an eagle as well at the ninth, turned in three under and kept her foot to the floor thereafter. With Woad running up a 6 at the tenth, birdies at the 13th and 15th had given the leader some breathing space and, despite dropping a shot at the 17th, it was job done as she held her nerve to knock in a four-footer for par at the last.
A model of consistency, the Kansas State University student signed for a 68, the same score she’d shot in the two opening rounds at nearby Champions Retreat earlier in the week. She won by a shot from Talley, who signed off with the same score, with world No 1 Woad having to settle for third on this occasion following a last-day 72.
“It feels amazing,” said Bernat Escuder, the world No 29, who was joined in the final top ten by two of her compatriots, Andrea Revulta and Carolina Lopez-Chacarra, the little sister of Eugenio, the former LIV Golf player who won the recent Hero Indian Open on the DP World Tour. “Right now, I don't think my brain has processed that I won.”
Asked how she planned to celebrate, she added with a smile that she might copy how Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz literally marks his big wins. “Maybe a tatto,” she said. “I was thinking maybe the flower of Augusta, but I need to decide on that. It's a big decision!”
Two-time Masters Olazabal was there to congratulate Bernat Escuder after she had signed for her card while Victor Garcia, dad of 2017 Green Jacket winner Sergio, helped her earlier in her career back in Spain with her swing. “He’s always there for me,” added the new champion.
Though there was no need whatsoever for Woad to feel disappointed after giving another great account of herself, missing out on a chance to become the first player to defend the title seemed to sting. “I'm pretty frustrated,” she admitted afterwards. “Played decent tee to green, just didn't hole really any putts, and that's what it came down to in the end.”
Watched by South Carolina team-mate Hannah Darling after the Scot had missed the 36-hole cut, Galitsky closed with a best-of-the-day 66 to share fourth spot with Revuelta and American Catherine Park.
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