Duke Leads After First Day of Rod Myers Invitational

DURHAM – Following the first two rounds of play at the Rod Myers Invitational, Duke sits atop the leaderboard at 7-under, 569. The Blue Devils, hosting their annual event for the 13th year, were led individually by Luke Sample, who sits in a tie for fourth place at 4-under, 140, following Sunday’s rounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED: ROUND ONE

• As a team, Duke shot a 10-under, 278, in the first round
• The Blue Devils were the only team to finish under-par through the first 18 holes and had all five players in their lineup finish in red figures.
• Ian Siebers paced the field in the first round, carding a bogey-free, 5-under, 67. The senior got into red numbers with a birdie on the par-3 fourth hole. He took advantage of the first par-5 hole of the day, No. 7, rolling in a long birdie and was 2-under at the turn. Three more birdies on the back nine, including on both par-5’s, capped off Siebers’ 5-under first round.
• Jimmy Zheng quickly got under-par as well, pouring in birdies on holes No. 5 and 7. A double-bogey moved Zheng back to even-par after eight holes, but the senior steadied his round on the back nine, making five consecutive pars after making the turn. The Auckland, New Zealand native then caught fire to close out his morning round, making birdies on three of his final four holes to finish off a 3-under, 69.
• The first of three Duke rounds of 1-under, 71, came courtesy of Luke Sample. The junior dropped an early shot on No. 3 but rolled in birdies on both front-nine par-5’s, No. 5 and 7. A bogey on the par-3 eighth was quickly erased by a tap-in eagle on No. 9, and Sample made the turn at 2-under. He tallied seven pars on the back nine, while adding one birdie and a double-bogey to finish off his opening round at 1-under.
• Freshman Bryan Kim birdied the opening hole to start his first ever Rod Myers Invitational and offset a single bogey on the front nine with a birdie on the par-5 seventh. Similar to Sample, Kim made seven pars on the back nine while also making bogey on No. 12 and birdie on No. 17, ending his first round at 1-under, 71.
• Kelly Chinn wrapped up the lineup’s scoring in the first round with a 1-under, 71. The junior moved to 2-over early in the morning after dropped shots on holes No. 1 and 5, but promptly caught fire with four birdies over a five-hole stretch to reach 2-under…