Blue Devils in Third Heading into Final Day of Regionals

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – The Duke women’s golf team sits in third-place at the NCAA Women’s Golf Palm Beach Gardens Regional, after carding rounds of 298 and 290 for a 36-hole ledger of 588 at the 6,318-yard, par-72 PGA National Champion course.  

On Tuesday, senior Erica Shepherd and junior Phoebe Brinker paced the Blue Devils with a 1-under-par, 71.  Shepherd and freshman Andie Smith enter the final round in a tie for eighth, individually, with a 2-over, 146.  

The top-5 teams following Wednesday’s action will advance to the NCAA Championship, which will be contested May 19-24 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.

How It Happened

•    The Blue Devils opened action at 8 a.m., on Tuesday off hole No. 1.  

•    Duke featured a 5-under-par score on the front nine to vault into sole possession of second place on the leaderboard.  Four Blue Devils posted 10 birdies.

•    On the back nine, Duke totaled only two birdies and shot 7-over-par.  The 2-over-par, 290, was the second-best 18-hole score of the day, behind Northwestern (284).  

•    For the Blue Devils’ four counting scores on Tuesday, on hole nine Duke featured three birdies and only three putts.

•    Erica Shepherd turned in a solid start to her round as she parred the first eight holes.  She hit 8-of-9 greens on the front nine and registered a solid up-and-down par on No. 5 to remain even.  On the ninth, she hit her 54-degree wedge from 106 yards to five feet for birdie to move into the red numbers.  Shepherd turned in one of only two birdies on the day at the 378-yard, par-4 12th as she used her 48-degree wedge from 122 yards and hit it to three feet for birdie to move to 2-under.  She found the fairway bunker on No. 14 and ended up with her lone bogey of the day, before playing the final four holes of the “Bear Trap” at even par to finish with a 71.

•    After struggling in round one, Phoebe Brinker was dialed in from the beginning on Tuesday.  She got up-and-down for par on No. 1 and then just missed a birdie on No. 2.  She 2-putted for birdie on the third hole and then drained a 15-foot birdie on No. 5 to move to 2-under.  She used her 60-degree wedge from 65 yards on No. 6 and stuck it to four feet for birdie to get to 3-under.  After hitting the greenside trap on No. 8, she suffered her…