Blue Devils Open Action at Landfall Tradition

WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Duke women’s golf team opened its final tournament of the fall on Friday at the Landfall Tradition, which is being held at the 6,150-yard, par-72 Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, N.C.

The Blue Devils were paced by Anne Chen and Phoebe Brinker with rounds of 73, while Erica Shepherd added a 74 for Duke, which sits in a tie for 14th overall with 36 holes remaining.

How It Happened

•    Junior Anne Chen carded a team-best five birdies on the day.  She opened with a par and then drained a 14-footer for birdie on No. 12.  Chen played the next four holes at 2-under as she sank a 12-foot birdie on No. 15 and a 9-foot for birdie on No. 16.  She bogeyed the final two holes before making the turn and then fell to 2-over with a couple more bogeys.  Chen collected back-to-back birdies on No. 7 and No. 8 to return to even, but bogeyed her final hole, No. 9, to finish with a 73.  She hit 15 greens and 12 fairways on the day and is tied for 39th.

•    After making par on her first hole, No. 10, Phoebe Brinker rolled in back-to-back birdies on No. 11 and No. 12 to move into the red early.  Brinker dropped three shots over the next three holes and then played her final 12 holes at even par to finish with a 73.  She finished with three birdies on the day, all which occurred over her first nine holes.  She hit 13 fairways, 12 greens and had 31 putts.  

•    Senior Erica Shepherd was even-par during her first six holes as she drained a 10-foot birdie on No. 16.  She bogeyed No. 17 and made par on No. 18 to make the turn at 1-over, 37.  After sinking a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 1 to get back to even, she closed the afternoon with six pars and two bogeys to finish with a 74.  She is tied for 47th overall, after hitting 14 greens.  

•    With a birdie on her opening hole, freshman Andie Smith was the only Blue Devil to birdie No. 10 on Friday.  She parred four out of the next five holes, before adding a second birdie to return to 1-under for the day.  Smith made the turn with a 1-under, 35, but was 4-over, 40, on the back to finish with a 75.  

•    Sophomore Rylie Heflin collected one birdie on Friday en route to shooting a 78.  

•    As a team, Duke shot 7-over-par, 295, and is tied for 14th.  San Jose State leads the action with a 10-under,…