Li Fires Season-Opening 66 to Lead ANNIKA Intercollegiate After Day One

LAKE ELMO, Minn. – Duke women’s golf sophomore Katie Li opened the 2024-25 campaign with a bang Monday at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M by firing a bogey-free 6-under-par, 66, and leads the field by one stroke at the 6,395-yard, par-72 Royal Golf Club in Lake Elmo. 
 
A native of Basking Ridge, N.J., Li carded four birdies and one eagle en route to tying a career-low score in the first round.  It matched her back-to-back scores of 66 as a rookie last year at the Florida State Match-Up, where she ended up winning the individual title with a 12-under ledger. 
 
Li leads the ANNIKA Intercollegiate field by one stroke with 36 holes remaining. 
 
How It Happened

• As a team, Duke opened the day on hole No. 10 and Katie Li hit the first tee shot off the hole and was stellar the entire day.After back-to-back pars, Li hit stuck her approach from 125 yards to six feet for birdie on the 163-yard, par-3 No. 12.She then parred the next five holes, which included a flop shot to one foot to save par on No. 14.Li was on the par-5 No. 18 green in two and 2-putted for birdie to make the turn with a 2-under, 34.After hitting her tee shot in the water on No. 1, Li drained a key 27-footer for par to remain at 2-under.Li then hit her 3-wood from 230 yards to three feet on the 516-yard, par-5 second hole and drained her third career eagle to move to 4-under for the day.She backed that up by hitting her 54-degree wedge from 76 yards to close range for birdie on No. 3 to get to 5-under.After parring the next five holes, Li got up-and-down for birdie from 20 yards to finish the day with a 6-under, 66.
• Li leads the field by one stroke ahead of six golfers that shot 5-under on the day.
• In her third appearance in the ANNIKA Intercollegiate, senior Rylie Heflin opened the tournament with an even-par, 72, and is tied for 19th overall.Heflin, who hails from Avondale, Pa., had a hot start to her round Monday with two birdies over her first three holes.After a par on No. 10, she hit her 6-iron from 165 yards to 10 feet for birdie on No. 11 and then drained a 15-footer for birdie on No. 12 to move to 2-under-par.Heflin suffered back-to-back bogeys on No. 13 and No. 14 to return to even, but came right back to hit her 58-degree wedge from 72 yards to eight feet for birdie on the 296-yard, par-4 No. 15.She then…