As a 10-year-old growing up in Castellón de la Plana, Spain, Carla Bernat Escuder played combined sports– golf and tennis. However, her first love was always tennis that she began playing as a 6-year-old with Josele Ballester, a fellow amateur golfer and a childhood friend who lived a little down the road from her house and a high school friend at the IES Miquel Peris in Grao de Castelló where Carla was a 2nd Baccalaureate student.

However, both ended up switching to golf, which was initially only a sport they played while taking a break from long tennis sessions at her home golf club. “We started playing tennis together, and we changed to golf more or less at the same time,” she recalls now. The reason behind the swap is also interesting.

Competition wise, the dates for events for both the sports started coinciding eventually, forcing her to choose one over the other. But according to Carla, there were two more reasons. “Golf is more social. Tennis is more individual. I like hanging out with my friends on the golf course and playing games against them. You can also play golf for longer. During the day you can play for six hours, while tennis, six hours you can’t.” But if you ask her today who has better skillset at tennis, she will say, “He’s good. I’m better. He even said that I’m better than him.” As for golf, she already started planning.

By 13, Escuder was already coaching under Victor Garcia, the father and coach of Spanish legend and LIV Golf member– Sergio Garcia. Eventually, she became a permanent fixture in amateur scenes alongside her friend Ballester.

In 2018, she was a runner-up of Spain Under 18. In 2020, she was again a runner up in the Absolute Spanish Championship in 2020. At that point, her amateur world ranking stood at 125 and was already a member of the Spanish Girls National Team. She led the team in the 2020 European Girls Team Championship in the stroke play at two-under for an undefeated match play. In the US, she placed fourth in the 2020 Junior Orange Bowl in Florida.

She won the Spanish International Ladies Amateur in 2021 after which she came to New Orleans, Louisiana to study at Tulane University. Carla represented the Green Wave for the 2022-23 seasons.

In Spring 2022, the freshman became an AAC All-Conference team member after leading the team to the AAC championship after appearing in all seven events for Tulane by tying for seventh individually at 8-over par 224. She had three top-10 finishes with five rounds under par. In the NCAA Stillwater Regional, she went 10th with 3-over par 219 score before finishing just one stroke shy of the NCAA Championship.

In the 2022-23 season, she swept the AAC Golfer of the Year. She posted 70.65 average across 11 events, Tulane’s all-time lowest. She had a trip to her second straight NCAA regionals and won the Tulane Classic by three strokes with a score of 2-over par 218 to start the spring. Carla also set a new Tulane 54-hole score record with a 13-under par 203 at the Trinity Forest Invitational.

In the summer of 2023, she played in Arnold Palmer Cup as one of 12 women golfers for Team International. Later, she moved to Kansas State following her coaches Stew Burke and Rinko Mitsunaga. Burke also caddies for her, per her Instagram story highlights, giving her essential guidance through the events.

At Kansas State, she made history by becoming the first player to earn All-America honors. In 2024-25 season, she’s had two big wins, beating her opponents by 9 and 7 shots. Her improved chipping has been a key part of her success, thanks to the help from her friend Ballester.

In a similar vein, the Ron Moore intercollegiate event was a memorable one, with a standout performance that saw a tied-for-first position with a score of -10 (71,68,67). This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the players, and it’s exciting to see what the future holds for these talented golfers.

“After great experiences and competing well but failing to win at the NCAA Regionals or the Women’s Amateur, I felt that all I could do was keep working hard and stay patient. I would like to thank my coaches and teammates for sharing all this moments with me. Special mention to my biggest support in the course this week @victoria_ahlbrecht for being the best SID and encourager🫶🏻👯‍♀️ .”

With her impressive skills, Bernat Escuder is certainly a name to look out for in future tournaments as she continues with one mantra: A fearless mindset that seeks not to hold on to a lead but lengthen it. But where does she get the support to keep her momentum going? Well, it’s her parents.

Carla Bernat Escuder personal life

Carla Bernat Escuder is not only a talented golfer but also a vibrant individual with a rich personal life. Born to Alfredo Bernat and Isabel Escuder in 2004, she also has a sibling, Gonzalo. Currently majoring in kinesiology, Bernat Escuder’s academic pursuits complement her athletic endeavors. When she’s not on the golf course, Bernat Escuder loves to blow off steam by attending carnivals and embracing the festive atmosphere.

She also loves to spend time in the gym, an important aspect of any golfer’s life. She is also fond of cooking, hiking, and reading. Similar to her favorite female golfer, the world No. 1 Nelly Korda, she wants to be an inspiration to the future generations. Seemingly, she is already doing that as today she became only the fifth after Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, Garcia and her favorite Jon Rahm in the Georgia event. But more interestingly, she is the first female Spanish golfer to carry the Augusta National trophy.

Her Instagram feed is filled with pictures of her fun and eclectic outfits, showcasing her playful personality. One of her notable posts was from the Mardi Gras celebration, where she captioned her photo: “Mardi Gras: CHAPTER ONE🎭🤠.”

Bernat Escuder is also a beach lover and enjoys spending time by the ocean. In 2023, she had the opportunity to visit Hawaii, where she soaked up the sun and enjoyed the beautiful beaches. Her appreciation for the Aloha State was evident in her post, where she expressed her gratitude with a heartfelt “Mahalo Hawaii 🤙🏼🌺”. What do you think about the golfer’s personal life? Let us know in the comment section below!