Smith Leads Tar Heel Invitational Through Two Rounds

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Boosted by a 4-under-par, 66, on Saturday, Duke women’s golf junior Andie Smith moved into the solo lead through 36 holes at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational, which is being played at the 6,081-yard, par-70 Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill. 
 
A native of Hobe Sound, Fla., Smith collected seven birdies on the morning and features a 6-under-par, 134, over the first two days. She holds a 2-stroke lead with 18 holes remaining. Smith now owns 13 rounds in the 60s and 27 scores of even or under par during her Blue Devil career.  Her 36-hole total of 134 was also a career low. 
 
 
How It Happened

• Andie Smith opened her day with two pars and then rolled in a 15-footer for birdie on the 120-yard, par-3 third hole.  After a bogey on No. 6, Smith collected back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth holes.  She hit her 9-iron from 130 yards to six feet for birdie on the seventh hole and then 2-putted for birdie from 15 feet on No. 8 to get to 2-under.  Smith then reeled off three straight birdies from 12-14 to move to 5-under.  She tapped in for birdie on No. 12, after a solid chip, and then sank birdie putts of 12 and 14 feet, respectively.  On the final three holes, Smith posted two bogeys and a birdie on the 137-yard, par-3 17th to conclude her day with a 66. 
• Sophomore Katie Li signed for a 2-over, 72, in round two and sits tied for 20th with a 36-hole score of 145.She opened the day with a birdie on No. 2 as she hit her 54-degree wedge from 82 yards to 12 feet.Li had three pars and a bogey, before sticking her 50-degree wedge from 101 yards to a foot on the 378-yard, par-4 seventh hole for birdie.She suffered a double-bogey on No. 9 to make the turn with a 1-over, 35.Li, a product of Basking Ridge, N.J., closed with six pars, a 4-foot birdie on No. 16 and two bogeys to finish with a 72. She hit 13 greens, eight fairways and 30 putts.
• Both Duke freshmen Anna Cañado Espinal and Carla De Troia turned in a 3-over, 73, on Saturday.  Espinal, who is from Barcelona, Spain, turned in 10 pars over her first 11 holes along with a double-bogey.  She closed the day with a birdie on No. 16 along with four pars and two bogeys.  De Troia featured one of the best starts of the day with birdies on No. 2 and No. 4 to move to 2-under through four holes.  The Paris, France…