Brinker Tied for Lead at Tar Heel Invitational

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Duke women’s golf junior Phoebe Brinker registered 10 birdies through 35 holes on Monday and sits tied for the individual lead at 6-under-par at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational, which is being played at the 6,203-yard, par-72 Governors Club in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Inclement weather forced play to be called with 20 golfers still needing to finish their second round, including Brinker.  The second round will be finished starting at 9 a.m., on Tuesday morning followed by the start of the final round.

How It Happened

•    As a team, Duke jumped out to a great start and shot a 1-under-par, 287, in round one Monday morning.  The Blue Devils held the team lead by two strokes ahead of Michigan State.

•    Phoebe Brinker turned in a 5-under, 67, and is tied for the individual lead along with Valery Plata of Michigan State.  

•    Duke struggled in round two dropping to ninth as a team as the Blue Devils are currently 9-over-par for the second round. Kentucky (-4), Wake Forest (-2), North Carolina (+1), Louisville (+5), Michigan (+6), Virginia Tech (+7), Michigan State (+7), NC State (+7) and Duke (+8) round out the top nine teams.  

•    Brinker is currently tied for the individual lead at 6-under-par along with Laney Frye of Kentucky.

•    In round one, Brinker registered a season-high seven birdies on her way to shooting a 67, which was a season-low score.  She collected three birdies on the four par-5 holes.  Brinker registered three birdies over her first six holes and then notched three birdies over her final six holes.  

•    Brinker opened the second round with birdies on No. 10 and No. 13, after starting the round on No. 8.  With the 2-putt birdie on No. 13, Brinker moved to 8-under-par for the day and the solo lead.  She had bogeys on No. 14 and No. 18, but had a birdie on No. 5 to get back to 1-under for the second round.

•    Erica Shepherd turned in rounds of 71 and 74 and is currently tied for 20th with a 145.  In round one, she collected birdies on No. 14, No. 16 and No. 2 to move to 2-under for the day.   She suffered a bogey on No. 4 to close the first round.  Shepherd was limited to one birdie in round two, on No. 13, on her way to turning in a 74.

•    Junior Anne Chen signed for rounds of 74 and 76 and is tied for…