Li, Duke Jump Out to Leads at FSU With Record-Breaking Day

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Duke women’s golf team along with freshman Katie Li turned in a record-breaking day on Friday as the Blue Devils and Li jumped out to leads on both the team and individual leaderboards at the Florida State Match Up, which is being contested at the 6,250-yard, par-72 Seminole Legacy Golf Club in Tallahassee, Fla.
 
The Blue Devils carded a school-record 31-under-par, 545, over the first 36 holes on a par-72 course to lead host Florida State (559) by 14 strokes.  Duke’s second round of 24-under, 264, was the third-lowest 18-hole score in NCAA history.  The Blue Devils collected a season-high 31 birdies in the second round and have shot a tournament-best 26-under on the par-5 holes through the first two rounds.
 
Li, who hails from Basking Ridge, N.J., posted back-to-back rounds of 66 en route to shooting a school-record 12-under-par, 132, and leads by two strokes.  She became the first Duke freshman to card two straight rounds of 66 or better and shot a tournament-best 10-under on par-5 holes. 
 
Duke’s four counting scores in the second round all were 4-under or better – Li (6-under, 66), Anne Chen (7-under, 65), Andie Smith (7-under, 65) and Emma McMyler (4-under, 68).  The Blue Devils feature four golfers in the top 12 entering the final round – Li (1), Smith (T4), Chen (T6) and McMyler (T12). 
 
How It Happened – Round One

• The Blue Devils opened action with a 7-under-par, 281, in round one and were three shots off the lead held by host Florida State with a 10-under, 278.
• The 281 for Duke was tied for the third-lowest round of the season and the 18 birdies in round one was the most for the Blue Devils this spring.
• Duke was led by freshman Katie Li, who carded a career-best 6-under, 66, which was tied for first along with FSU’s Alice Hodge.It was tied for the fourth-lowest 18-hole score by a Blue Devil freshman.She tallied a career-best six birdies and her first collegiate eagle.
• Li opened her day on hole No. 6 and birdied three out of her first four holes to get to 3-under.She posted two birdies, two bogeys and three pars over the next seven holes to remain even.Li closed with five pars, a birdie on No. 2 and an eagle on No. 4 to finish with a career-low, 66.For her eagle, Li hit her 3-hybrid from 211 yards to 15 feet and drained the putt.
• Senior Phoebe…