Teresa Toscano Borrero ’21 was standing on the 16th tee box at Ohio State University’s Scarlet Golf Course when she decided to break a personal rule. Nearing the end of a U.S. Open local qualifier, Toscano Borrero checked the scores to see where she stacked up against the field. She had a feeling things might be breaking her way.
“I never like to check the scores during a qualifier, but I was playing well and wanted to see where I was at,” Toscano Borrero said.
The live scoring feed showed Toscano Borrero three strokes clear of the field, with three holes left to play. Nerves suddenly crept in for the first time all day. The year prior, the 2021 South Dakota
State University graduate and former Jackrabbits golfer just missed her chance at qualifying for the U.S. Open—the biggest tournament in women’s golf—and she wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip through her fingers.
“I finished the round and went to check the scores again…. I realized, oh my god, I’m going to play at Pebble Beach,” Toscano Borrero, who fired a 6-under two-round score, explained.
The 2023 U.S. Open was scheduled to be held at Pebble Beach Golf Links on the Monterey Peninsula in California. Nestled against the banks of the Pacific Ocean, Pebble—as it is widely known—is one of the most famous golf courses in the world and routinely tops the list for the best public course in the U.S. For nearly every serious golfer, an opportunity to play Pebble is a dream come true.
LPGA Tour debut
Since graduating from SDSU with a degree in sports, recreation and park management, Toscano Borrero has been a member of the Epson Tour—a U.S.-based developmental golf tour that feeds into the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour. Following her remarkable tournament in Ohio, she qualified for her first-ever LPGA event: the Meijer LPGA Classic in Belmont, Michigan. Her debut came just weeks before she was scheduled to travel to California.
“It was really good that I got to play in that before the U.S. Open,” Toscano Borrero, a Huelva, Spain native, said. “It helped me get rid of my nerves.”
Toscano Borrero’s debut was the first time a Jackrabbit had appeared on the LPGA Tour. Fittingly, she is responsible for many Jackrabbits golf “firsts.” In 2021, she was the first woman to qualify for the NCAA regional tournament. One of the most decorated golfers in SDSU history, she finished her career as a program leader in round average (74.5), wins (9) and top-five finishes (32), while also being named a third-team All-American by Golfweek following the ’21 season.
“Teresa is a beloved Jackrabbit through and through,” current SDSU head coach Ericka Schneider said. “I’ve yet to meet someone who has met Teresa who didn’t instantly become a fan of hers. She has been described as hard working, genuine and a joy to be around—truly everything we could ask for as an ambassador of SDSU and Jackrabbits women’s golf.”
California dreaming
Before most tournaments, golfers will get an opportunity to play at least one practice round. Toscano Borrero linked up with seasoned LPGA professional Amy Olson, a Fargo, North Dakota resident, for a round before the start of the U.S. Open. 
“I was freaking out,” Toscano Borrero said about the practice round. “I was just watching all the top players in the world go about their business while at the same trying to figure out how to play my best golf at the biggest golf tournament you can play in.”
The next day, Toscano Borrero made her U.S. Open debut on a cold, windy day on the peninsula. The hardest hole she faced was the par-4 eighth hole, which required a hybrid off the tee followed by a long iron into the green.
The par-5 18th—one of the most memorable holes on the course—wasn’t the hardest for Toscano Borrero, but it was the most intimidating.
“There’s a tree right in the middle of the fairway and the Pacific Ocean right off to the left … definitely some nerves on that tee shot,” she said.
Of course, the most famous hole at Pebble is the iconic par-3 seventh, which plays just over 100 yards but drops 40 feet to a postage stamp green surrounded on three sides by ocean. Club selection for this hole can vary drastically depending on the wind. Sometimes a 60-degree wedge is all that is needed. Other times, when the wind is howling off the ocean, pros will reach for a long iron. The legendary golfer Sam Snead once putted from the tee box.
“The wind wasn’t awful, so I used a 52-degree (club),” Toscano Borrero said. “I made par both rounds.”
Toscano Borrero competed admirably, posting a 3-over first round, followed by 6-over second round to just miss the cut by three strokes. As she points out, she played better than her score suggests, but little mistakes turned into big mistakes at such a challenging course.
“If you have one bad shot, it might take you three more to recover,” Toscano Borrero said. “I had a few shots that derailed my round a little bit, but it’s something I will learn from for the future.”
Still, the experience of playing at Pebble during the U.S. Open is something Toscano Borrero will not soon forget.
“It was such a memorable, amazing week,” she said. “My family even traveled from Spain to watch me play. I’ll never forget this experience.”
Addison DeHaven
