Kansas State University Athletics
K-State Has Taken Bernat to Her ‘Highest Point of Golf’
Apr 07, 2025 | Women's Golf, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
About an hour after 21-year-old Carla Bernat sank the biggest five-foot putt of her life on the 18th hole of one of the most famous golf courses in the world to capture the 2025 Augusta National Women's Amateur title at 1:17 p.m. Saturday, and about an hour after she held the coveted sterling bowl with 24-karat yellow gold vermeil, Bernat, the first Spaniard to win the event, sat at a news conference in the comfy confines of Augusta National Golf Club.
A reporter asked Bernat, a native of Castellon, Spain, who entered at No. 29 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, to describe the level of competition that she experiences throughout her season at Kansas State.
Bernat replied, "Kansas State has taken me to my highest point of golf."
Somewhere in the crowded room, K-State women's golf head coach Stew Burke, and assistant coach Rinko Mitsunaga, who had served as Bernat's caddie for all three rounds, took it all in. It was two summers ago that Burke left Tulane to accept the same position in Manhattan, Kansas, and Mitsunaga arrived alongside him, as did Bernat, the 2023 AAC Women's Golfer of the Year. Now in their fourth season together, they share an unbreakable bond that goes beyond the putting green — "She's like one of my best friends," Bernat said of Mitsunaga — and after the pomp and circumstance that goes along with winning a prestigious title, all three joined several other dinner guests for a night of laughter and stories.
"We had a really nice dinner," Burke said. "Just hearing all the stories from Rinko and Carla, it was just incredible. It was really cool to see people coming up to Carla at the table and asking her to sign things. She was gracious. I'm sure she was exhausted by that point. We had a great meal.
"It's funny because she was already talking about the Big 12 Championship and what's next."
The first K-State women's golfer to be named All-American, Bernat with her ANWA victory enters a new arena with an invitation to the next five Augusta National Women's Amateurs — the U.S. Open, the AIG Women's Open, the Chevron Championship, and the Evian Championship.
She also seeks to help No. 29-ranked K-State earn a berth in a NCAA Regional. She played in a NCAA Regional as an individual last year before advancing to the NCAA Championship.
"My main goal is to bring our team with me," she said one day sitting at Colbert Hills Golf Club. "I want us to win as a team. We're close."
When it comes to Bernat's spot in K-State lore, she's in her own universe.
"She's a future hall-of-famer," Burke said. "She's the best player the program has ever had. For me, we've been lucky to have her, and she's elevated our program. One of the best parts about it is she's helped us to improve and helped the players around her improve as well, because they see a world-class player. We have a really, really good roster of elite players who are driven and looking to emulate some of her success, which is exciting for the future."
The 2025 Augusta National Women's Amateur boasted one of its deepest fields in history.
"I felt like an underdog, yeah, from the very beginning of the tournament," Bernat said.
Yet, with her third-straight round of 4-under par 68 on Saturday, Bernat posted a winning score of 12-under par that was the lowest in the history of the event while she also became the first player ever to shoot in the 60s in all three rounds of the championship.
"It feels amazing. I am over the moon," she told Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Fred Ridley in an interview on NBC. "As of right now, I don't think my brain has processed that I've won."
Bernat birdied all four par 5s in the final round, including the second hole, and after bogeying No. 4, she responded with another birdie on the par-4 5th in addition to birdies on Nos. 8 and 9. Those birdies ascended her atop the leaderboard. With a one-shot lead entering the final nine holes, she pushed her approach too far right on No. 10 and nearly put the ball into the bushes. Unfazed, Bernat hit a 30-yard chip over a bunker and the ball landed on the green and ran about 15 feet below the hole. Bernat, who led by as many as three shots on the back nine, sank her putt to save par.
"I just tried to play a pretty good nine holes, and I knew the tournament started at No. 10, so when I hit the second shot on No. 10, I was like, 'Damn,'" Bernat said of missing the green.
She birdied No. 13 and No. 15 before bogeying No. 17. The 16-year-old Astrisk Talley was one shot back as Bernat reached the 18th.
Bernat's tee shot on the par-4 18th hit the fairway and she two-putted from the back of the green.
Her five-foot putt gave her the win.
"She hit a beautiful drive, got a little adrenaline on the second shot to get on the back tier, and what an incredible two-putt down the hill," Burke said. "Even though it was a short putt that she made to win, I don't think people realize the difficulty of that putt for arguably the biggest championship in women's amateur golf, and everything that will come with it for her."
Augusta staff positioned Burke at the front of the rope to witness Bernat's two fateful putts.
"Literally right behind her," he said. "Got to see the putt go down the down slope. I didn't know if I wanted to watch the last putt or not. I was preparing both scenarios in my head — how proud I was of her, but also helping her prepare for a playoff and getting back into the right mindset if it didn't go in. Her composure was there all week. I didn't really have any doubt she was going to make it, but you have to get your coaching hat on right away."
Burke hadn't yet returned to Manhattan, so he hadn't been able to fully absorb it all.
"We were unbelievably busy right after (the win)," Burke said. "She had all the media stuff. I've seen replays of the putt on the last green, but I really just want to sit down and watch the final round undisturbed and just soak it all in."
Meanwhile, Bernat, less than two weeks from helping lead the Wildcats to the 2025 Big 12 Championship on April 15-17, is eager to keep things going.
"We've been playing a pretty strong schedule," she said. "I've been competing so much. I feel like I'm at my highest point in golf right now."
About an hour after 21-year-old Carla Bernat sank the biggest five-foot putt of her life on the 18th hole of one of the most famous golf courses in the world to capture the 2025 Augusta National Women's Amateur title at 1:17 p.m. Saturday, and about an hour after she held the coveted sterling bowl with 24-karat yellow gold vermeil, Bernat, the first Spaniard to win the event, sat at a news conference in the comfy confines of Augusta National Golf Club.
A reporter asked Bernat, a native of Castellon, Spain, who entered at No. 29 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, to describe the level of competition that she experiences throughout her season at Kansas State.
Bernat replied, "Kansas State has taken me to my highest point of golf."
Somewhere in the crowded room, K-State women's golf head coach Stew Burke, and assistant coach Rinko Mitsunaga, who had served as Bernat's caddie for all three rounds, took it all in. It was two summers ago that Burke left Tulane to accept the same position in Manhattan, Kansas, and Mitsunaga arrived alongside him, as did Bernat, the 2023 AAC Women's Golfer of the Year. Now in their fourth season together, they share an unbreakable bond that goes beyond the putting green — "She's like one of my best friends," Bernat said of Mitsunaga — and after the pomp and circumstance that goes along with winning a prestigious title, all three joined several other dinner guests for a night of laughter and stories.
"We had a really nice dinner," Burke said. "Just hearing all the stories from Rinko and Carla, it was just incredible. It was really cool to see people coming up to Carla at the table and asking her to sign things. She was gracious. I'm sure she was exhausted by that point. We had a great meal.
"It's funny because she was already talking about the Big 12 Championship and what's next."
The first K-State women's golfer to be named All-American, Bernat with her ANWA victory enters a new arena with an invitation to the next five Augusta National Women's Amateurs — the U.S. Open, the AIG Women's Open, the Chevron Championship, and the Evian Championship.
She also seeks to help No. 29-ranked K-State earn a berth in a NCAA Regional. She played in a NCAA Regional as an individual last year before advancing to the NCAA Championship.
"My main goal is to bring our team with me," she said one day sitting at Colbert Hills Golf Club. "I want us to win as a team. We're close."
When it comes to Bernat's spot in K-State lore, she's in her own universe.
"She's a future hall-of-famer," Burke said. "She's the best player the program has ever had. For me, we've been lucky to have her, and she's elevated our program. One of the best parts about it is she's helped us to improve and helped the players around her improve as well, because they see a world-class player. We have a really, really good roster of elite players who are driven and looking to emulate some of her success, which is exciting for the future."
The 2025 Augusta National Women's Amateur boasted one of its deepest fields in history.
"I felt like an underdog, yeah, from the very beginning of the tournament," Bernat said.
Yet, with her third-straight round of 4-under par 68 on Saturday, Bernat posted a winning score of 12-under par that was the lowest in the history of the event while she also became the first player ever to shoot in the 60s in all three rounds of the championship.
"It feels amazing. I am over the moon," she told Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Fred Ridley in an interview on NBC. "As of right now, I don't think my brain has processed that I've won."
Bernat birdied all four par 5s in the final round, including the second hole, and after bogeying No. 4, she responded with another birdie on the par-4 5th in addition to birdies on Nos. 8 and 9. Those birdies ascended her atop the leaderboard. With a one-shot lead entering the final nine holes, she pushed her approach too far right on No. 10 and nearly put the ball into the bushes. Unfazed, Bernat hit a 30-yard chip over a bunker and the ball landed on the green and ran about 15 feet below the hole. Bernat, who led by as many as three shots on the back nine, sank her putt to save par.
"I just tried to play a pretty good nine holes, and I knew the tournament started at No. 10, so when I hit the second shot on No. 10, I was like, 'Damn,'" Bernat said of missing the green.
She birdied No. 13 and No. 15 before bogeying No. 17. The 16-year-old Astrisk Talley was one shot back as Bernat reached the 18th.
Bernat's tee shot on the par-4 18th hit the fairway and she two-putted from the back of the green.
Her five-foot putt gave her the win.
"She hit a beautiful drive, got a little adrenaline on the second shot to get on the back tier, and what an incredible two-putt down the hill," Burke said. "Even though it was a short putt that she made to win, I don't think people realize the difficulty of that putt for arguably the biggest championship in women's amateur golf, and everything that will come with it for her."
Augusta staff positioned Burke at the front of the rope to witness Bernat's two fateful putts.
"Literally right behind her," he said. "Got to see the putt go down the down slope. I didn't know if I wanted to watch the last putt or not. I was preparing both scenarios in my head — how proud I was of her, but also helping her prepare for a playoff and getting back into the right mindset if it didn't go in. Her composure was there all week. I didn't really have any doubt she was going to make it, but you have to get your coaching hat on right away."
Burke hadn't yet returned to Manhattan, so he hadn't been able to fully absorb it all.
"We were unbelievably busy right after (the win)," Burke said. "She had all the media stuff. I've seen replays of the putt on the last green, but I really just want to sit down and watch the final round undisturbed and just soak it all in."
Meanwhile, Bernat, less than two weeks from helping lead the Wildcats to the 2025 Big 12 Championship on April 15-17, is eager to keep things going.
"We've been playing a pretty strong schedule," she said. "I've been competing so much. I feel like I'm at my highest point in golf right now."
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
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