Li Places T4th to Pace Blue Devils at ANNIKA Intercollegiate

LAKE ELMO, Minn. – Duke women’s golf sophomore Katie Li carded a final round of 2-under, 70, Wednesday on her way to placing tied for fourth at the season-opening ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M, which was contested at the 6,395-yard, par-72 Royal Golf Club in Lake Elmo. 
 
Li, a native of Basking Ridge, N.J., fired rounds of 66, 75 and 70 over 54 holes to finish with a 5-under, 211.  It marked her second career top-5 finish and second-best 54-hole score in her short time as a Blue Devil.  Li posted her 15th career round of even or under par out of 34 career rounds. 
 
As a team, Duke turned in a fifth-place finish with rounds of 291, 286 and 289 for a 2-over, 866.  It marked the sixth time the Blue Devils have finished fifth or better at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate out of nine appearances.
 
How It Happened

• Katie Li led the charge in the final round for the Blue Devils with a 2-under, 70.  She had a hot start to her round as she sank a 30-footer for birdie on the 320-yard, par-4 third hole and then drained a 15-foot birdie on No. 5 from the fringe to get to 2-under.  After her lone bogey on No. 8 where she missed the green, Li parred the next nine holes.  At the par-5 No. 18, Li had 155 yards to the green with her second shot and used an 8-iron to hit to 15 feet for eagle.  She 2-putted for birdie to close her round.  Li hit 14 greens, 11 fairways and rolled 31 putts. 
• Senior Rylie Heflin finished the week with scores of 72, 73 and 72 for a career-best 1-over, 217, which was tied for 16th.It marked her second career top-20 finish and the first at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate.In the final round, Heflin opened the day with an impressive sand save for par on No. 1 and then placed her 58-degree wedge on No. 2 to 10 feet for birdie to move to 1-under.The Avondale, Pa., product parred 10 out of the next 11 holes with a bogey in the middle and a couple of up-and-downs as well.After back-to-back bogeys on No. 14 and No. 15, Heflin rolled in a 20-footer for birdie on No. 16 and then hit her 58-degree wedge from 68 yards to two feet for birdie on No. 18.
• Coming off matching a career-best 7-under, 65, the day before, junior Andie Smith posted a 3-over, 75, in the final round en route to finishing tied for 23rd with a 3-over, 219.On Wednesday, Smith opened with three bogeys over her first…