Heflin, Shepherd Close Action with Even, Under-Par Rounds

HILTON HEAD, S.C. – Duke women’s golf concluded play on Wednesday at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate with sophomore Rylie Heflin and senior Erica Shepherd carding even and under-par rounds on the final day of play at the 6,220-Yard, Par-71 Long Cove Club in Hilton Head, S.C.

Heflin birdied the final hole en route to posting an even-par, 71, while Shepherd turned in her ninth career round in the 60s with a 2-under, 69.  Junior Phoebe Brinker was 3-under-par on the front nine and moved into a tie for the individual lead, before closing with a 73.  

How It Happened

•    Duke featured the best start of any school on Wednesday as the Blue Devils jumped out to a 4-under-par ledger early to move up the leaderboard.  During the hot start, Phoebe Brinker was 3-under-par through eight holes and moved into a tie for the individual lead at 4-under for the tournament.  

•    Brinker, who hails from Wilmington, Del., had her irons dialed in early as she stuck approach shots on No. 4, No. 6 and No. 8 inside 12 feet and sank the birdies.  She would drop five strokes over the next five holes, before collecting her fourth birdie of the day on No. 14.  Brinker closed with a 2-over-par, 73, on Wednesday, while finishing the tournament in a tie for ninth with a 214.  She tied a season best with 29 putts, hit eight fairways and 11 greens on the day.  

•    After shooting over par the first two days, senior Erica Shepherd had things working on Wednesday as she shot a 2-under, 69.  On the front nine, she was 3-under-par as she drained a 15-foot birdie on No. 4, 5-footer on No. 7 and 11-footer on No. 9.  After a bogey on No. 10, Shepherd parred the final eight holes to finish with a 69.  She hit 13 fairways, 13 greens and had 28 putts.  

•    Sophomore Rylie Heflin turned in one of her best rounds of the season to close action in Hilton Head.  She opened with six straight pars, before hitting her 7-iron from 155 yards to six feet for birdie on No. 7.  Heflin parred the next five holes and then dropped a couple of shots on holes 13-16.  She turned in a sand save for par on No. 17 and then sank a 30-foot birdie from off the green on No. 18 to finish with an even-par, 71.  

•    Both Andie Smith and Megan Furtney closed action with a 78 on Wednesday.  Smith was held without a birdie,…