By Jack Spalding, Duke Athletics Communications Intern
DURHAM —
Four years ago, Duke’s women’s golf team topped off a historic season by securing the highest achievement in all of college athletics, an NCAA Championship. In a tightly contested match, the Blue Devils were able to defeat the Wake Forest Demon Deacons by a score of 3-2 in late May of 2019, capturing the team’s school-wide record seventh NCAA Championship and Duke University’s 17th as an athletics program.
Fast forward to the present day and members of the team have continued to thrive at the professional level with multiple tournament wins and achievements among the members of the team. The squad was highlighted by now-professionals: Miranda Wang, Gina Kim, Ana Belac, Jaravee Boonchant, and Virginia Elena Carta. As the Blue Devils prepare for the upcoming 2023-24 campaign, let’s take a look at what made the 2019 women’s golf team so successful and how they’ve each become role models as professionals in their sport.
Today, four out of the five members of the 2019 championship squad have won a professional tournament in just four years, combining for six total professional victories. Together, the five members of the team have accumulated over $954,054.34 in earnings since turning pro, speaking to their talent and abilities as professionals. Combining for a staggering 128 rounds in the 60s and 23 top-10 finishes between the LPGA, Ladies European Tour, Epson Tour and Women’s All Pro Tour since they’ve left Duke, success has been no stranger to each member of the team.
Belac, a three-time All-American at Duke, celebrated her first win at the Symetra Tour’s Carolina Golf Classic back in 2020, finishing 7-under-par for her breakthrough victory, mere months after she elected to go pro following the cancelation of her spring season because of the coronavirus pandemic. She was also awarded Epson Tour Player of the Year honors for her success during her rookie season.
Though she hasn’t yet won a professional tournament, Italian-born Carta has found consistent success as a member of the Ladies European Tour. Following graduation from Duke, Carta made the decision to head to England and obtain a…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Duke University…