Sample, Love Named to PING East All-Region

DURHAM – NCAA Division I PING All-Region honors have been announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). Two Blue Devils – Luke Sample and William Love – are among the individuals who earned all-region honors across six different regions in 2023, being named to the East All-Region team.

With their selections, both Sample and Love earn the first PING All-Region honors of their careers. The two Blue Devils join their teammate Ian Siebers (2021) as current players that have been recognized as PING All-Region.

Sample led the team this season with his 71.47 stroke average in 13 total events played. The sophomore shot both his lowest 18-hole score (66, Valspar Collegiate), 54-hole score (204, White Sands Bahamas Invitational) and secured his best individual finish after tying for first place in the Bahamas, before eventually falling in a playoff for medalist. The New York, N.Y., native finished the year at even-par through 38 rounds and earned five top-5 finishes. His 12 rounds in the 60’s, 18 under-par rounds and 23 rounds at par or better this season are tied for fourth-most, sixth-most and fifth-most by any Blue Devil in a single season, respectively. Sample led the team in birdies made, rolling in 151, and also carded six eagles this year – doubling his output from his freshman campaign.

Love ends his first year at Duke with one of the top performances by a freshman in program history. The Atlanta, Ga., native ended his first year on campus with a 71.80 stroke average, second-best by any newcomer – trailing only Ian Siebers (71.07) in the freshman record book. He tallied the most rounds in the 60’s (11) and under-par rounds (18) by any freshman, while finishing second in the freshman record books for rounds of par or better (19). Love became just the sixth freshman in program history to secure a tournament win, after finishing with a 17-under, 199, at the Dorado Beach Collegiate. Both the score to par and total score at the Dorado Beach Collegiate were freshman records for a 54-hole event. He tallied two rounds of 9-under this season, a freshman record, with a 63 at the Dorado Beach Collegiate and a 62 at the Stitch Intercollegiate. Love’s five top-five finishes and seven top-20 finishes are tied for second and third, respectively, for a freshman at Duke.

Sample is currently preparing for a U.S….