Brinker Leads Duke on Day One of Valspar Augusta Invitational

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Duke women’s golf junior Phoebe Brinker carded back-to-back rounds of 1-under-par, 71, to lead the Blue Devils on the first day of action at the Valspar Augusta Invitational, which is being played at the 6,244-yard, par 72 Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.

Brinker, who hails from Wilmington, Del., enters the final round in a tie for ninth with a 2-under, 142.  She ranked tied for first in the field with a 5-under-par score on par-5 holes and was one of only four golfers to register an eagle.  Brinker’s eagle came in round one on the 533-yard, par-5 17th hole when she hit her 3-wood from 240 yards to three feet.  

How It Happened

•    After opening round one with a shotgun start on No. 4, Phoebe Brinker suffered a double-bogey on No. 4 and a bogey on No. 7 to move to 3-over-par through four holes.  She then struck fire shooting 4-under-par over her final 14 holes to finish with a 1-under-par, 71.  In round two, Brinker once again started her afternoon on No. 4 and moved to 2-under with back-to-back birdies on No. 8 and No. 9.  After six pars and a bogey over the next seven holes, she got back to 2-under with a birdie on No. 17.  She closed with two pars, one birdie on No. 2 and a double-bogey on No. 1 to finish with another 71.  

•    Senior Erica Shepherd signed for rounds of 74 and 72 for a 2-over-par, 146, which is tied for 22nd overall.  She collected 14 pars and two birdies in round one.  Shepherd was 2-under-par heading into her 16th hole, before dropping four shots on two holes.  In round two, she opened her afternoon on No. 5 and quickly moved to 3-under-par with birdies on No. 4, No. 9 and No. 11.  A double-bogey on No. 12 and bogey on No. 16 moved her score back to even.  She closed with two birdies, two bogeys and two pars.  

•    Both Rylie Heflin and Anne Chen turned in identical scores of 74 and 76 and are tied for 44 overall through 36 holes.  

•    In round one, Heflin went a 9-hole stretch where she was bogey-free from holes 10-18, which included a 10-foot par save on No. 10.  She collected birdies on No. 3 and No. 9 on the front nine, while finishing with a 74.  Heflin collected 15 pars in the second round and finished with a 76.  

•    Chen opened the morning with an even-par score through 14 holes, before dropping a…