Barcelona native Carolina Perez-Tasso did not need much time to adjust to college golf.
Maryland women’s golf’s freshman was named Big Ten Golfer of the Week and Freshman of the Week last week after placing first in the French Broad Collegiate Invitational, which featured 11 teams.
“Before playing the tournament, we obviously have a practice round, and I remember saying like, ‘Wow this course is really tough.’” Perez-Tasso said.
She quickly adjusted to the U.S. after crossing the Atlantic, and since then, has been a breakout star for the Terps.
Perez-Tasso has never been shy of competition. In early September, she represented Europe in the PING Junior Solheim Cup, which features some of the best amateur golfers aged 18 years and under worldwide.
That tournament delayed Perez-Tasso’s arrival to College Park. She missed the first three weeks of the Terps’ season and did not participate in the team’s first tournament this year. But she was sure to still communicate with coaches and teammates about what she would need when she did arrive.
“Our wonderful support staff, all of the professors, everybody was really just rooting her along and encouraging her and supporting her however we could.” coach Kelly Hovland said. “I think that meant a lot to her in terms of how she was welcomed when she did get here.”
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After having conversations with coaches from Maryland’s staff, Perez-Tasso realized College Park was the place she wanted to be. But it wasn’t just about athletics.
Academics were also a catch for Perez-Tasso, especially the opportunities a U.S.-based education could provide. She now majors in operations management and business analytics after the subject piqued her interest in high school.
“I chose to pursue and study this for my future because I think that definitely opens a lot of doors for future job opportunities if I decide not to go pro in golf.” Perez-Tasso said.
Golf wasn’t always the number one interest for Perez-Tasso. Tennis was her first passion and something she saw a future for herself in — even potentially playing at the college level. The COVID-19 pandemic caused her to change her mind and switch to golf.
Local tennis courts near her closed down, but golf courses remained open. Perez-Tasso discovered her passion for the sport after visiting the course with her dad.
“I kind of just started playing golf a lot, started playing competitions, getting better and better. So I kind of left tennis aside and just made golf my focus, and I just loved it,” Perez-Tasso said.
Maryland’s coaching staff worked to keep Perez-Tasso a part of the team by updating her on what the team was working on even when she wasn’t yet in College Park. Perez-Tasso impressed assistant coach Emilyee McGiles, on how easily she was able to adjust to college play after arriving late.
McGiles described Perez-Tasso as a dedicated and hardworking person, always wanting to learn more about the game. The coach said when Perez-Tasso is in practice, she will ask questions about what the team is working on so she can better understand. All of this has fueled her smooth transition from Barcelona to College Park.
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“She’s kind of been like a sponge and has just soaked everything in a lot quicker than most people have had to do since she came in a little late.” McGiles said.
Pereza-Tasso’s journey – participating in the PING Junior Solheim Cup to now winning her first college tournament as an individual – is a testament to her game. The freshman golfer will next look to outperform her fall season this spring by collecting even more awards.
“After that win, she jumped up huge in the rankings as an individual. So obviously, All-American is a goal that she can have, and I know that she wants.” McGiles said. “A long-term goal for her is to get into the ANWA [Augusta National Women’s Amatuer], which is very hard for internationals to get into.”
Reaching that goal won’t be easy. But Perez-Tasso had a strong start after her impressive first campaign at Maryland.