Amateur Carta Sets Exceptional Example

GALLOWAY, NEW JERSEY | Maria Fassi and Jennifer Kupcho emerged from the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the NCAA Championship as the future faces of women’s golf as well as glowing examples of the value – in terms of growth as both a person and a player – of four years of college. But when it comes to combining golf and academics, Virginia Elena Carta wins, 1 up.

The Italian star by way of Duke University is deferring a pro golf career to pursue a master’s degree in environmental sciences at the University of Cambridge in England. The résumé of this engaging and articulate young woman makes Bryson DeChambeau look like an academic underachiever.

And did we mention she was the NCAA individual champion her freshman year and tied a bow around her college career with Duke’s NCAA team title last month? Hold onto your hats, you’re about to be blown away by an impressive fresh face in the game.

“It’s just been two weeks, but I’m still smiling about it,” Carta said at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, where she is competing as an amateu...