Blue Devils Advance to Monday’s Final Round of Stroke Play

CARLSBAD, Calif.  – The Duke women’s golf team was one of 15 teams to advance to Monday’s final round of stroke play as the Blue Devils currently sit in 11th overall at the 6,297-yard, par-72 Omni La Costa Resort & Spa North Course in Carlsbad, Calif. 
 
It marks the sixth time out of the last nine NCAA Championships that Duke moved on to the final round of stroke play.  Following Monday’s action, the top eight teams will advance to match play. 
 

The Blue Devils struggled on the way in on Sunday to finish with a 304 and currently owns a 19-over, 883, through 54 holes.  Texas A&M holds the lead with an 854, while Stanford (855), LSU (863), Clemson (866), Northwestern (873), UCLA (874), Oregon (876), Auburn (876), Arkansas (877), Southern California (878), Duke (883), Wake Forest (884), Mississippi State (885), Texas (887) and Florida State (889) round out the top 15 teams.
 
Duke is only seven strokes out of eighth place with 18 holes remaining.  Coverage on GOLF Channel and Peacock will start Monday at 6 p.m. (ET). 
 
How It Happened

• Duke opened the day on hole No. 10 at 7:57 a.m., local time.
• The Blue Devils had a tough start as all five golfers were over par through the first five holes and were held without a birdie.Duke then played the next seven holes at even par, but closed with a 10-over ledger on the final six holes.
• Senior Phoebe Brinker led the Blue Devils with a 2-over, 74, on the day.She collected eight pars to go along with a triple-bogey on No. 14 on the front nine.Brinker, a native of Wilmington, Del., made the turn after rolling in a 30-footer for par, after being in the greenside bunker.She hit her 60-degree wedge from 80 yards on the 531-yard, par-5 second hole to get a stroke back.Brinker missed the green on the next hole and suffered a bogey, but came back to hit her 60-degree wedge from 70 yards on No. 5 to four feet for birdie.She got unlucky on the par-5, sixth as her third shot hit the pin and came back to the front of the green and Brinker had a bogey.Brinker came through with a clutch birdie on No. 8 as she drained a 15-footer to finish with a 74.She hit 14 greens, 12 fairways and had 33 putts.
• Entering the final round, Brinker currently sits tied for 15th with an even-par, 216.
• Senior Anne Chen opened her day with two bogeys over a span of four holes,…