Kansas State golfer Carla Bernat thrilled to have teammates along for NCAA Championship
She wanted to share the postseason experience with her Wildcat teammates, and she finally got the chance in her final go-round.
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Not only did Bernat claim the individual title last week at the NCAA Lexington Regional, securing her place at nationals for a second straight year, thanks to a tie for second place, but the whole team is tagging along.
"It means everything," Bernat, a senior from Castellon, Spain, said of advancing the NCAA Championship, which gets underway Friday at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. "I'm just really happy we made it.
"I've been wanting to go with my team to nationals for four years, so getting that done, I think I was more nervous playing the last hole in regionals than in Augusta, so that means everything."
Related: Kansas State golfer claims Augusta National Women's Amateur championship
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Kansas State senior golfer Carla Bernat watches her tee shot during the third round of the NCAA Lexington Regional last Wednesday at the Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Ky.
If qualifying for nationals was the team highlight for Bernat, the individual high point to her senior season came last month when she won the Augusta National Women's Amateur title the week before The Master's. But it has been that kind of year.
Bernat's three individual titles tied the school single-season record, and her 69.91 scoring average is on track to break her own school record of 70.90 from last year. The results are reflected in her postseason honors as Big 12 player of the year and a finalist for the ANNIKA Award presented to the top golfer in Division I.
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K-State coach Stew Burke, who initially recruited Bernat to Tulane three years ago, has had a front row seat for her entire college career, which featured two standout seasons with the Green Wave and then two more in Manhattan when she followed Burke from New Orleans in 2023.
What has impressed Burke more than Bernat's success in tournaments is the work she put in to get there.
"Honestly, it's the day-to-day things that she does," Burke said. "She came in as a freshman at Tulane, and she knew she needed to get stronger and faster. She needed to get a little bit better technically, she needed to get a little bit better in her decision making, with her mental game.
"And she did all of that. The plan was kind of laid out for her, and it's very easy to get sidetracked when you get good at one thing to then fall off on another thing."
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Burke saw something special in Bernat from the first time he watched her on a recruiting trip to Spain when he was still the Tulane coach. Mostly, he saw the potential.
"She's got a little bit of an unconventional move, and she was not a good putter," he recalled. "It's probably one of her strengths now when we talk about the little things that she's improved upon.
"I think, for me, there was a high ceiling, and she wanted to know what she could improve upon in our first conversation. As a coach, that's a pretty rewarding thing, even in the recruiting process."
When Burke took the K-State job, Bernat didn't hesitate to join him for her final two seasons. Burke was familiar with Manhattan from a three-year stint as a Wildcat assistant coach from 2014-17, so he quickly sold her on the idea.
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"(Burke) told me really good things about Manhattan and how supported it is by the fans, and how proud this town is about the university," Bernat said. "When I came here, I knew I wanted to stay here, because the facilities are amazing.
"The people are so nice compared to New Orleans. I think even when it's cold, it's nice here."
While Bernat's college career winds down over the coming week, Burke knows it won't be the last women's golf fans will see of her.
"She's going to do this for a living," he said. "She's going to do this for a long time, and having a small hand in her success is a big thing for Kansas State golf."
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Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on X (formerly Twitter) at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State golfer Carla Bernat views NCAA tourney as a team effort
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