Blue Devils in Fifth, Malixi Tied for Sixth at NCAA Regionals

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Duke women’s golf freshman Rianne Malixi carded a 1-under-par, 70, Tuesday in the second round of the NCAA Ann Arbor Regional to move into a tie for sixth on the individual leaderboard, while the second-seeded Blue Devils are in fifth as a team.  Duke owns a 36-hole total of 576 and is only seven shots off the lead with 18 holes remaining at the 6,260-yard, par-71 University of Michigan Golf Course in Ann Arbor. 
 
Malixi, a native of Manila, Philippines, turned in one of eight under par rounds Tuesday as the scores increased with challenging conditions.  She has totaled rounds of 71 and 70 for a 1-under, 141, and is six shots off the individual lead.  Malixi’s roommate, Avery McCrery, turned in an even-par, 71, to move into a tie for 18th. 
 

After Wednesday’s final round, the top five teams will advance to the NCAA Championship May 22-27 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Duke opened its second round on hole No. 10 at 8 a.m., Tuesday morning.  The Blue Devils featured only three birdies over their first nine holes, but closed strong with eight birdies over the final nine. 
• Rianne Malixi was 1-over through five holes, but got things rolling on the 379-yard, par-4 No. 15 as she drained a 20-foot birdie to return to even.  She hit a low 9-iron on No. 17 from 123 yards to less than a foot for birdie to get in the red.  After making the turn, Malixi had a great chip on the par-5 first hole and placed it within inches for birdie to move to 2-under.  After bogeys on No. 2 and No. 7, Malixi closed strong by hitting her 52-degree wedge from 101 yards to four feet for birdie to finish with a 1-under, 70.  She hit 13 greens, 11 fairways and had 31 putts.
• On the front nine, Avery McCrery had seven pars and two bogeys, but regrouped on the next nine by playing the stretch at 2-under-par.  She got things started by hitting her 54-degree wedge from 65 yards to four feet for birdie on the 486-yard, par-5 first hole.  McCrery, a product of Wilmington, Delaware, then sank a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 2 to get to even par for the day.  She had five pars and one bogey over the next six holes, before sinking a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 9 to finish at even-par, 71.  McCrery hit 10 greens and had 31 putts on the day. 
• Katie Li featured Duke’s best start to the day as she drained a 9-foot par putt on No. 10 and then rolled in an 11-foot birdie putt on No. 11 to get to 1-under. …