Women’s Golf Closes Strong; In Striking Distance After Day One

CARLSBAD, Calif. – The ninth-seeded Duke women’s golf team shot 5-under-par over its final 12 holes Friday in the opening round of the NCAA Championship and the Blue Devils sit tied for 16th, just four shots out of seventh place, at the 6,271-yard, par-72 Omni La Costa Resort & Spa North Course in Carlsbad. 
 
Duke carded a 3-over-par, 291, in the first round with 17 birdies.  The Blue Devils were paced by freshman Avery McCrery, who carded a 1-under-par, 71, in her NCAA Championship debut.  A native of Wilmington, Delaware, McCrery collected five birdies on the afternoon and played her final 13 holes at 3-under-par.  Of the 156 golfers in the field, McCrery was one of only 40 golfers to shoot under par in the first round. 
 
After 18 holes, Southern California (281), Stanford (282), Oklahoma State (283) and Iowa State (284) are at the top of the leaderboard with Megha Ganne (Stanford) and Ellie Bushnell (Oklahoma State) leading the individual action with a 4-under, 68. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Duke opened action at 12:45 p.m., local time off hole No. 10.  The wind was gusting most of the afternoon and led to the Blue Devils dropping some shots over the first nine holes. 
• The Blue Devils featured a solid start Friday with Avery McCrery and Katie Li collecting birdies on their first hole, the 521-yard, par-5 No. 10 hole. 
• As a team, Duke dropped 11 shots on holes No. 13 and No. 14 with two double-bogeys, one triple-bogey and four bogeys.  The four counting Blue Devils played the other 16 holes at 6-under.
• McCrery kicked off her afternoon by hitting her 60-degree wedge from 35 yards to two feet for birdie on No. 10.  She then dropped three shots on No. 13 and No. 14, but closed the first nine holes with birdies on No. 15 and No. 18 along with two pars.  McCrery drained an 8-foot birdie on No. 15 and then sank a 45-footer for birdie on No. 18.  After missing the green and suffering a bogey on No. 1, McCrery played her final eight holes at 2-under-par.  She rolled in a 15-foot birdie on the 531-yard, par-5 second hole, made a great up-and-down par on No. 3 and then used her 5-iron on No. 5 from 173 yards to eight feet for birdie.  She hit 14 greens, 13 fairways and had 31 putts. 
• Both Li and Rianne Malixi signed for rounds of 73 in the first round. 
• Li used her 50-degree wedge from 94 yards and stuck it to five feet for birdie to open her day on No. 10.  After a pair of pars, Li dropped four shots on holes No. 13 and No….