Shepherd Paces Blue Devils on Day Two in Bahamas

BAHAMAS – Duke women’s golf senior Erica Shepherd carded one of only 12 rounds of even or under par on Tuesday during the second round of action at the Nexus Collegiate Invitational in the Bahamas as she signed for a 72. 

Shepherd, who hails from Greenwood, Ind., vaulted into a tie for 16th overall with 18 holes remaining  at the Par-72, 6,544-yard Albany Golf Resort.  

How It Happened

•    The Blue Devils opened the second round on hole No. 10.

•    After bogeys on No. 11 and No. 13, Erica Shepherd rolled in back-to-back birdies on No. 15 and No. 16 to return to even par.  She made the turn at even-par, 36.  Shepherd had a bogey on No. 1 as she missed the green on her approach.  She then stuck two straight shots to one foot and two feet for birdie on No. 3 and No. 4 to move to 1-under for the day.  Shepherd had four pars and a bogey on No. 7 to close play with an even-par, 72.

•    Shepherd hit 12 fairways, 10 greens and rolled 29 putts.  

•    Junior Anne Chen opened her round with seven straight pars, before notching a bogey on No. 8.  She made the turn at 1-over, 37, and then suffered bogeys on No. 1 and No. 2.  Chen then got hot with three birdies in a span of five holes.  She sank a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 3, stuck her approach to four feet for birdie on No. 6 and then hit her 60-degree wedge from 75 yards to five feet and made the birdie on No. 7.  Chen finished the afternoon with a 2-over, 74.

•    For the day, Chen hit 12 fairways, 11 greens and had 29 putts.  

•    Freshman Andie Smith rolled in Duke’s first birdie of the day as she drained a three-footer on the 180-yard, par-three 12th hole and was 1-under through her first five holes.  Smith hit her 7-iron from 144 yards and then made the putt.  She then went through a stretch where she had five bogeys over a span of seven holes to drop to 4-over.  Smith finished strong with six straight pars to close the day with a 76.  She enters the final round tied for 25th overall.

•    Junior Phoebe Brinker and sophomore Rylie Heflin turned in rounds of 80 and 87, respectively.  Both were limited to only one birdie each on the day.  

•    Playing as an individual, senior Megan Furtney had an 81 on the day.  She collected her first eagle of the season and third of her collegiate career…