Blue Devils Open ACCs Tied for Second; Malixi, Li in Top Six Individually

WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Duke women’s golf team opened the 2026 ACC Championship Thursday with a 12-under-par ledger through 36 holes and currently sits tied for second with 18 holes remaining in stroke play at the 6,197-yard, par-72 Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington. 
 
The Blue Devils were hot out of the gate carding a 12-under-par, 275, in round one and then turned in a 1-over, 289, in round two in the afternoon.  Duke features a 36-hole score of 564 and is tied with SMU for second overall, while Stanford leads the field with a 23-under, 553. 
 
Duke freshman Rianne Malixi turned in bogey-free rounds of 67 and 68 Thursday and is second overall with a 9-under, 135, while junior Katie Li is tied for sixth with a 4-under, 140, after totaling scores of 69 and 71.  Malixi enters the final round two stroke behind individual leader Paula Martin Sampedro (133). 
 
Following Friday’s final round of stroke play, the top six teams will advance to match play and an individual champion will be crowned. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – ROUND ONE

• The Blue Devils had a solid start to the day and eventually took their first lead on the back nine at 12-under-par. 
• Rianne Malixi turned in a bogey-free 5-under, 67, to open play.  She rolled in her first birdie of the morning from 20 feet on No. 2 and then drained a 6-footer for birdie on No. 9 to make the turn at 2-under.  Malixi then hit her 52-degree wedge from 42 yards to 3-feet for birdie on the 374-yard, par-4 12th hole.  She closed with birdies on the final two par-five holes as she connected on a 4-footer on No. 15 and 5-footer on No. 17 to finish with a 67.  Malixi hit 16 greens, 13 fairways and had 29 putts. 
• Katie Li had the hottest start of the morning as she birdied the first three holes to reach 3-under quickly.  She hit her 50-degree wedge from 109 yards to two feet on No. 1 for birdie, sank an 18-footer for birdie on No. 2 and then hit her pitching wedge from 115 yards to seven feet on No. 3.  Li parred the next seven holes and then bogeyed No. 10.  After a 34-footer for birdie on No. 12, she hit her 54-degree wedge from 80 yards to a foot on No. 15 for birdie to get to 4-under.  Li suffered a bogey on No. 16 and parred the final two holes to finish with a 3-under, 69.  She hit 16 greens, 11 fairways and rolled 32 putts. 
• In her first tournament since early March, freshman Avery McCrery carded a 3-under, 69, in round one with four birdies.  After parring the first two holes,…