Blue Devils Own 13 Stroke Lead After Day One At Lady Puerto Rico Classic

Feb. 28, 2003

HUMACAO, PUERTO RICO - The Duke women's golf team opened the 2003 spring season on Friday the same way it ended last spring, on top of the leaderboard. The Blue Devils jumped out to an opening day 13 stroke lead after firing a 579 at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic in Humacao, Puerto Rico.

Reigning NCAA Individual Champion, Virada Nirapathpongporn, opened the competition with a three-under-par total of 141 and sits in first place. The rounds of 70 and 71 for Nirapathpongporn marks the third and fourth consecutive rounds of under par scoring for the Bangkok, Thailand product.

Senior Kristina Engstram (Djursholm, Sweden) is in third place after registering a 75 in the first round and a tournament best 69 in the second. Engstrom is at 144 after two rounds of play. Sophomore Niloufar Aazam-Zanganeh (Lausanne, Switzerland) had a 72 in round one and then a 75 the second time around and sits in tied for sixth individually (147). After turning in a 76 in the first round, Leigh Anne Hardin (Martinsville, Ind.) is in tied 16th with a 149 (76-73) and Liz Janangelo (Hartford, Conn.) is in tied 30th with a 152 ((74-78).

In the team standings, the Blue Devils fired a three-over-par 579 to lead with Florida (592), Auburn (592), Texas (602), Georgia (603), Kent State (605), Wake Forest (605), South Carolina (605), Tulsa (606), Oklahoma State (607), Oklahoma (610), Purdue (615), Louisiana State (619), Missouri (628), Wisconsin (647) rounding out the field.

The tournament is being played at the Palmas Del Mar Country Club (Par 72, 6,000 Yards). The final round will begin at 8:00 AM on Saturday.

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