Carla Bourdeaux's path to Coastal Carolina has been shaped by distance, discipline, and a continued dedication to the game she learned to love.
A native of southern France, Bourdeaux transferred to Coastal from Texas State and arrived in Conway with a renewed sense of purpose. That work paid off in a big way this fall when she captured the individual title at the Tot Hill Farm Invitational, a breakthrough moment that affirmed the changes she made to her preparation.
"I had more discipline and focus during my practices this year," Bourdeaux said. "It was really nice to see that it's paying off. It showed me that I'm on the right path."
That discipline has been refined with help from coaches on both sides of the Atlantic. In May, Bourdeaux met with a coach in France, explained her goals and approach, and created a shared understanding that continues today. She still communicates with her French coach nearly every day while also following Coastal's weekly competitive challenges, which include match play formats and skill-based goals. Bourdeaux currently sits atop the team's match play leaderboard during the offseason.
Bourdeaux first arrived in the United States two and a half years ago without knowing English beyond a few basic words. Adjusting to life in America was overwhelming at first.
"It was very different. I was very homesick because I was so far from my family," she said. "But I love it here because there are so many opportunities."
Her first visit to the United States came in Las Vegas for a tournament, where she was struck by the country's size and the possibilities it offered, especially the opportunity to balance academics and athletics. In France, it was often one or the other.
Golf itself was not always the plan. Bourdeaux grew up horseback riding, starting at age five, before a move to a different city forced her to stop. She picked up golf at 13, initially without much enthusiasm, but her competitive nature quickly took over.
"Maybe a year after starting to play golf, I knew I wanted to do that," she said. "Not specifically the U.S., but I knew I wanted to go pro."
Her parents, both supportive of her journey, encouraged her along the way. Her father designs helmets for Formula 1 drivers, while her mother works in real estate. Though distance limits their time together, they recently traveled to Virginia Beach to watch her compete last fall.
At Coastal, Bourdeaux found what she was looking for, a close-knit team and a shared vision with head coach Katie Quinney.
"When I talked to coach about what I was looking for, we just matched," she said. "The girls are so close. Communication is really important."
Off the course, Bourdeaux is majoring in sports media and journalism, with aspirations of both playing professional golf and working in sports reporting. For now, her focus is on helping Coastal return to the Sun Belt Championship stage.
"I believe in the girls," she said. "We can do great things."
