Brinker, McMyler Pace Blue Devils on Day One at ANNIKA Intercollegiate

LAKE ELMO, Minn. – The Duke women’s golf duo of senior Phoebe Brinker and graduate student Emma McMyler paced the Blue Devils in round one of the ANNIKA Intercollegiate on Monday as the duo carded a 2-under, 70, and 1-under, 71, respectively, at the 6,395-yard, par-72 Royal Golf Club in Lake Elmo, Minn.

How It Happened

•    As a team, Duke had the last tee times off in the morning and started on hole No. 10.

•    Phoebe Brinker registered five birdies in round one and totaled her 35th career round of even or under par with a 2-under, 70.  She enters the second round in a tie for 12th overall.  She opened the day with a bogey, but then played the next eight holes at 2-under with birdies on No. 15 and No. 17.  On the short par-4 No. 15, she had a beautiful chip from just off the green to five feet for birdie and then rolled in a 5-footer for birdie on No. 17.  

•    On the next nine, Brinker tried to go for the green in two on the par-5 second hole, but went long and ended up suffering a double-bogey.  She regrouped and played the final seven holes at 3-under.  Brinker chipped in on No. 5 for birdie and then hit her 7-iron from 165 yards to nine feet for birdie on No. 7.  She hit her second shot almost pin-high off the green on the par-5 18th and got up and down for birdie to close her round.  

•    In her first round as a Blue Devil, Emma McMyler was solid, totaling three birdies and shooting a 1-under, 71.  On the first nine, she posted seven pars, one bogey and a 4-foot birdie on No. 17.  She played her final 14 holes at 2-under-par with back-to-back birdies on No. 7 and No. 8.  McMyler also had a key up-and-down par on No. 6 from nine feet.  On the seventh hole, she hit her 7-iron from 164 yards to three feet for birdie and then drained an 11-footer on No. 8 for birdie.  McMyler, who is from San Antonio, Texas, is tied for 19th.

•    Senior Anne Chen had a slow start to her day with three straight bogeys, but found her rhythm and played her final 15 holes at 1-under-par.  She posted back-to-back birdies on No. 14 and No. 15 to get going.  She rolled in a 14-footer from the fringe on No. 14 and then sank a 4-foot birdie on No. 15.  Chen suffered a couple of bogeys on the final nine to go along with six pars and a 9-foot birdie on No. 18.  She is tied for 43rd…