Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, March 29
Athens, Ga.
Kansas State University
vs
Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic
Bernat Captures Liz Murphey Individual Title
Mar 30, 2024 | Women's Golf
ATHENS, Ga. – Kansas State junior women's golfer Carla Bernat turned in a final-round score of 1-under par 71 on Saturday to put the finishing touches on a dominating six-shot victory, claiming the individual crown of the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic at UGA Golf Course.
Bernat produced a 54-hole score of 9-under par 207, six shots clear of a three-way tie for second place, and she was one of just four golfers to shoot under par for the event at the difficult par-72, 6,351-yard layout. The score of 207 tied for the third best 54-hole score in K-State history and was the best since Connie Jaffrey also recorded a 207 at the Maryb S. Kauth Invitational in October 2017. The victory is also a springboard for Bernat as she is set to compete next week at the Augusta National Women's Amateur.
"Carla did an amazing job from start to finish," head coach Stew Burke said. "She stayed patient and hung in there. She really helped the team to one of our best finishes against a tough field, and she defeated some extremely accomplished players. The golf course acted as an excellent tune up for Augusta National next week. She continues to excel, and I'm excited to see her compete on the international stage before returning home to Manhattan."
A product of Castellon, Spain, Bernat collected her second individual win this season, the first being the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational at Colbert Hills in early October. She is the first Wildcat with two victories in a season since Jaffrey had two in 2017-18. Bernat's two wins, in addition to Haley Vargas' title at the White Sands Invitational this past October, marks the first time since the 2017-18 season that K-State posted three individual crowns in one season.
Bernat, who transferred to K-State from Tulane prior to the season, is now tied for third place in program history for career wins (2), while she is tied for eighth place in career top-five finishes (4).
As a team, the Wildcats fell one spot on the leaderboard but still finished in fifth place among the tough 17-team field at 19-over par 883 after carding a 10-over par 298 on Saturday. Kansas State, which entered the week ranked 56th nationally, earned victories over six top-60 teams in No. 23 SMU, No. 34 Michigan, No. 37 Alabama, No. 52 Georgia Southern, No. 57 NC State and No. 60 Charleston, and the Wildcats finished just one shot back of No. 22 Virginia.
"Today was a big step forward," Burke said. "The golf course was playing as tough as it has all week, and I'm really proud of the way the team hung in there right until the end. You have to be your best to compete in fields like this, and even though we didn't have our best stuff this week, we still manage to rely on grit and determination to get us over the line today. The team showed great mental toughness when it was needed, and they responded well to bad breaks. They love to compete, and it was exciting to hear them talking about our next event in Oklahoma even before we reached the airport."
The Wildcats also received a 1-under par score on Saturday from freshman Alenka Navarro. The Mexico City product moved 15 spots up the leaderboard on the final day to tie for 40th place at 9-over par 225. Navarro was 2-over par after the front 9, but she tallied four birdies on the back 9, including birdies on each of her final two holes.
Navarro finished one shot behind Vargas, who tied for 34th place at 8-over par 224 following a round of 4-over par 76 on Saturday.
Senior Napua Glossner tied for 60th place at 16-over par 232, while sophomore Noa van Beek tied for 69th place at 19-over par 235.
Auburn went 4-over par on Saturday as the Tigers took home the team title at 1-over par 865, 11 shots ahead of second-place Florida and 14 shots better than homesteading Georgia.
Next action for the Wildcats comes April 8-9 as they take part in the Sooner Match Play at Jimmie Austin OU GC in Norman, Oklahoma.
Bernat produced a 54-hole score of 9-under par 207, six shots clear of a three-way tie for second place, and she was one of just four golfers to shoot under par for the event at the difficult par-72, 6,351-yard layout. The score of 207 tied for the third best 54-hole score in K-State history and was the best since Connie Jaffrey also recorded a 207 at the Maryb S. Kauth Invitational in October 2017. The victory is also a springboard for Bernat as she is set to compete next week at the Augusta National Women's Amateur.
"Carla did an amazing job from start to finish," head coach Stew Burke said. "She stayed patient and hung in there. She really helped the team to one of our best finishes against a tough field, and she defeated some extremely accomplished players. The golf course acted as an excellent tune up for Augusta National next week. She continues to excel, and I'm excited to see her compete on the international stage before returning home to Manhattan."
A product of Castellon, Spain, Bernat collected her second individual win this season, the first being the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational at Colbert Hills in early October. She is the first Wildcat with two victories in a season since Jaffrey had two in 2017-18. Bernat's two wins, in addition to Haley Vargas' title at the White Sands Invitational this past October, marks the first time since the 2017-18 season that K-State posted three individual crowns in one season.
Bernat, who transferred to K-State from Tulane prior to the season, is now tied for third place in program history for career wins (2), while she is tied for eighth place in career top-five finishes (4).
As a team, the Wildcats fell one spot on the leaderboard but still finished in fifth place among the tough 17-team field at 19-over par 883 after carding a 10-over par 298 on Saturday. Kansas State, which entered the week ranked 56th nationally, earned victories over six top-60 teams in No. 23 SMU, No. 34 Michigan, No. 37 Alabama, No. 52 Georgia Southern, No. 57 NC State and No. 60 Charleston, and the Wildcats finished just one shot back of No. 22 Virginia.
"Today was a big step forward," Burke said. "The golf course was playing as tough as it has all week, and I'm really proud of the way the team hung in there right until the end. You have to be your best to compete in fields like this, and even though we didn't have our best stuff this week, we still manage to rely on grit and determination to get us over the line today. The team showed great mental toughness when it was needed, and they responded well to bad breaks. They love to compete, and it was exciting to hear them talking about our next event in Oklahoma even before we reached the airport."
The Wildcats also received a 1-under par score on Saturday from freshman Alenka Navarro. The Mexico City product moved 15 spots up the leaderboard on the final day to tie for 40th place at 9-over par 225. Navarro was 2-over par after the front 9, but she tallied four birdies on the back 9, including birdies on each of her final two holes.
Navarro finished one shot behind Vargas, who tied for 34th place at 8-over par 224 following a round of 4-over par 76 on Saturday.
Senior Napua Glossner tied for 60th place at 16-over par 232, while sophomore Noa van Beek tied for 69th place at 19-over par 235.
Auburn went 4-over par on Saturday as the Tigers took home the team title at 1-over par 865, 11 shots ahead of second-place Florida and 14 shots better than homesteading Georgia.
Next action for the Wildcats comes April 8-9 as they take part in the Sooner Match Play at Jimmie Austin OU GC in Norman, Oklahoma.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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