2023-24 Women's Golf Roster
Crista Izuzquiza
- Height:
- 5-5
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Madrid, Spain
- High School:
- Coronado (Coronado, Calif.)
Career: Played in 29 tournaments over four seasons for the Tar Heels • Has the 18th-lowest stroke average in UNC history • Averaged 75.59 in 81 collegiate rounds • Completed 14 rounds at or below par, including four in the 60s • Low round of 66 in the final round of the 2023 ACC Championship (equaled the fourth-lowest round ever by a Tar Heel and tied the best round ever in an ACC Championship by a Tar Heel) • Career-best T10 in a full field event at the 2023 Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic in Athens, Ga. • Scoring best was 2-under 214 at the 2023 MountainView Collegiate in Tucson • Went 7-7-1 in match play.
2023-24: Averaged 75.42 over 19 rounds in eight tournaments • Season-best 2-under 70 in the first round of the Mason Rudolph Championship in Nashville • Finished that event at even-par 216 • Tied for fourth in stroke play at the Jubilee Course in the St Andrews Links Collegiate with rounds of 73-75 for a 4-over 148.
2022-23: Averaged a career-best 74.14 strokes per round (from 78.33 as a freshman and 76.46 as a sophomore) • Started in 10 of the 12 tournaments • Career-best 6-under-par 66 in the third round of the ACC Championship, one of four rounds in the 60s (all of which came in the final round) • That 66 equaled the second-best round in UNC history, one off the 18-hole record • The 66 also tied the best round ever by a Tar Heel in an ACC Championship (also by Allie White in 2011 and Meaghan Francella in 2004) • Six under was the best score to par ever by a Tar Heel in an ACC Championship round • Also shot 69 at the Texas A&M “Mo”Morial, MountainView Classic and Liz Murphey Collegiate • Career-best 2-under 214 in Tucson, where she tied for 26th • Best finish and first top 10 was a T10 at MountainView • Went 2-1 at the NC State Match Play with wins over Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Fall 2021: Started in all four events • Averaged 75.50 strokes over 12 rounds • Season-low 72 in the second round at the Blessings and the final round of the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Intercollegiate • Finished 40th at the Blessings.
2020-21: Played in three tournaments, including the ACC Championship • Averaged 78.33 over nine rounds • Season-low round 70 in the second round at the Briar’s Creek Invitational • Went 2-3 in match play with wins over NC State in the Big Four Challenge and Virginia Tech in the Cavalier Match Play • Member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll and WGCA Academic Scholar.
Amateur/Prep: Four-year letter winner at Coronado High School • Played for Coach Stuart Gordon • Advanced to the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) tournament in each season • Four-time team MVP • Earned first-team All-CIF honors as a junior and senior • Placed third in the state with a 74 and first at regionals with a 70 as a senior • Ranked second in San Diego • Fourth in stroke play (71-68) in the 2023 Western Amateur • Shot career-best 63 and 67 to win the AJGA at Zion Park at the Bloomington Country Club in St. George, Utah, in 2020 • A 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifier • Runner-up at the SDJGA, shooting a 70 at the Twin Oaks course • Fourth at the San Diego Junior Amateur with a low round of 69 at Encinitas Ranch • Also played doubles tennis as a freshman.
Personal: Born August 30, 2002, in Madrid, Spain • Daughter of Isabel Ruiz De Arana • Has two younger siblings, Iñigo and Inés • Enjoys playing tennis • Favorite food is sushi • Favorite vacation spot is Sotogrande in Andalusia, Spain • Favorite non-golf athlete is Rafael Nadal • Greatest golf achievement is winning the AJGA at Zion Park • Favorite course is The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. • Favorite golfer is Jordan Spieth • Best shot was an ace on the 11th hole at La Costa GC in Carlsbad, Calif.
