Smith Shines in Opening Round of Tar Heel Invitational

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Duke women’s golf junior Andie Smith carded an opening-round 2-under-par, 68, on Friday at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational and sits in a tie for second place at the 6,081-yard, Par 70 Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill.
 
Smith, a native of Hobe Sound, Fla., shot 3-under-par over her final 12 holes to notch her 12th career round in the 60s and 26th score of even or under par as a Blue Devil.  She enters the second round only one shot off the individual lead. 
 
How It Happened

• After opening the round with five straight pars, Andie Smith suffered her lone bogey of the day on No. 6.She got things going on the back nine as she rolled in a 10-foot birdie on No. 10, after hitting her 6-iron from 160 yards.Smith sank a 15-footer for birdie on No. 15 and then drained a 30-foot birdie on No. 18 to close the day.She hit 13 fairways, 16 greens and had 32 putts on the day.
• Sophomore Katie Li had an eventful day with eight pars, four birdies and six bogeys or worse on her way to finishing with a 3-over, 73.She connected on four birdies on the day with the first coming on No. 3 as she sank a 12-footer.Li, who is from Basking Ridge, N.J., rolled in another 12-foot birdie on No. 7 and then got up-and-down from 35 yards for birdie on No. 12.Her final birdie came on No. 15 as she drained an 18-footer.Li enters round two tied for 25th.
• Senior Rylie Heflin opened round one with a 75, as she finished with one birdie on the 165-yard, par-3 sixth hole.
• Duke freshmen Anna Cañado Espinal and Carla De Troia signed for rounds of 76 and 79, respectively, in round one. 

 
Notes

• As a team, Duke opened the tournament with a 292 and is tied for sixth overall.Kentucky carded a 284 and leads the field.
• Carolina Lopez-Chacarra of Wake Forest leads the field with a 3-under, 67.
• Duke totaled 12 birdies in round one, which ranked tied for fifth.
• Andie Smith shot 2-under-par on par-4 holes, which is tied for first among the field.
• Katie Li was 2-under-par on par-5 holes to rank tied for third.

 
What is Next

• Duke will tee off Saturday beginning at 8:30 a.m., on hole No. 1 along with North Carolina and NC State.

 
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