Blue Devils Claim Hooters Collegiate Match Play Championship

Nov. 4, 2003

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, FLA. - The top-seeded Duke women's golf team pulled out a dramatic 3-2 victory over sixth-seeded Georgia on Tuesday in the finals of the 2003 Hooters Collegiate Match Play Championship at the Barefoot Resort in North Myrtle Beach, Fla.

"It is match play and you never know what will happen," said Duke Head Coach Dan Brooks. "Georgia came into the match playing really well, but we stayed patient and came out on top at the end."

The reigning U.S. Women's Amateur Champion, Virada Nirapathpongporn, birdied the final hole and then won on the first playoff hole to defeat Kelly Froelich, 1 up, to lead the Blue Devils to the victory. A senior from Bangkok, Thailand, Nirapathpongporn led Froelich, 2 up, through three holes, but Froelich came back to take the lead on the 10th hole.

Nirapathpongporn, who started the day off on hole 17, went down one on holes 14 and 15, before birding the 16th hole to send it in a playoff. On the par-five hole 16, Nirapathpongporn had a great drive and then hit a 3-wood on to the green. She missed an eagle putt, but was able to sink the birdie to even the match.

"I really wanted to win the match today and I was very determined," said Nirapathpongporn. "Whatever way I had to win the match I was going to do it. On hole 16, I knew I needed a birdie and I was able to put together a great drive and three-wood, which allowed me to have a good chance at an eagle."

It came down to the par three hole 17 for the playoff. Both golfers hit their tee shots into the hazard, but Nirapathpongporn was able to come back from 88 yards and stuck a wedge to about three feet and made bogey. Froelich couldn't make a 12-foot putt for bogey to give Nirapathpongporn the victory. In four matches in the competition, Nirapathpongporn won three and halved one other match.

"Going into the playoff hole, I knew that we needed to win this match for us to win the championship," said Nirapathpongporn.

Fellow senior Leigh Anne Hardin dominated Natalia Nicholls over the final seven holes winning 5 & 4. Hardin, from Martinsville, Ind., trailed 1 up early, but from holes nine through 15 was able to go up by five strokes. Also, collecting a victory on the day was freshman Anna Grzebien, which knocked off Lisa Tyler, 2 up. A product of Narragansett, R.I., Grzebien trailed for only one hole in the match and finished the championship winning her final three matches over Ohio State, UCLA and Georgia.

"Leigh Anne played great and she was very solid all week," said Brooks. "Anna came back yesterday to win her match and was able to control her match for most of the day today. They both came through with key victories today."

Georgia's Allison Martin took an early lead and Blue Devil sophomore Liz Janangelo couldn't come back falling 3 & 2, while freshman Brittany Lang lost 2 up to Whitney Wade.

Duke will take the rest of the fall off before opening the spring season on Feb. 22-24 at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Blue Devils finished the fall season winning all five tournaments they played in for the first time in school history.

"It is nice to win and it gives you something to believe in," said Brooks. "When we come back in the spring, we will be a good team that is trying to get better. This sends you into the break still excited about golf and that is a good thing."

Other Comments:

Leigh Anne Hardin
"It was a real exciting day all the way around. Everyone played really well, but Georgia was on a mission to beat us and were all playing great."

On her round of golf: "I was real solid today hitting a lot of fairways and greens. She [Natalia Nicholls] made a bogey and was scrambling a lot. I knew that she couldn't scramble all day, as it would catch up to her. I just kept hitting it on the greens and stuck it close quite a bit. Most of the time I was hitting first and that put a lot of pressure on her."

"The whole point in the match when I knew I was in charge was on hole 10. She made her birdie putt and then I made it on top of her. It happened on hole 12 also as I made my birdie and she wasn't able to capitalize on it. I knew right then that I had a real good chance at putting her away. I just kept hitting the fairways, greens and giving myself a good chance at birdie, but making sure I made pars. It eventually wore her down I think."

Virada Nirapathpongporn
On her summer experience helping this week:
"I think it helped a lot. The whole time I was playing these matches, I felt like I was playing at the WAPL and U.S. Amateur. I just wanted to be the winner of that match. I really enjoy match play and there is definitely a different between match play and stroke play. It was a nice feeling to come back to the match play atmosphere."

On the team winning all five tournaments this spring:
"I am very confident in this team and there is something very special about this team. We have won two tournaments very convincing and it is very exciting to see what is going to happen next spring."

- d - u - k - e -

Final Round Scores
Duke def Georgia 2.5-2.5 Won in Playoff
(UGA)Allison Martin def (Duke) Liz Janangelo 3&2
(Duke) Leigh Anne Hardin def (UGA) Natalia Nicholls 5&3
(UGA) Whitney Wade def (Duke) Brittany Lang 2up
(Duke) Anna Grzebien def (UGA) Lisa Tyler 2up
(Duke) Virada Nirapathpongporn def (UGA) Kelly Froelich AS (won on first playoff hole)

Winners Consolation A Bracket
(4) UCLA def (2) Auburn 3-2

Winners Consolation B Bracket
(3) Arizona def (9) Ohio State 3-2

Consolation Bracket
(5) Oklahoma State def (14) Stanford 3-2