Blue Devil Golfers Finish Second At Derby Invitational

Sunday, November 6

Auburn, Ala. (Auburn University Club)

All Day

Duke University

Day Three

No. 1 Duke Women?s Golf To Play In Stanford Pepsi Intercollegiate This Weekend

Blue Devil Golfers Finish Second At Derby Invitational

11/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf

By: Duke Sports Information

AUBURN, ALA. ? The top-ranked Duke Women's Golf team finished the weekend at the Derby Invitational with a 54-hole total of 880, but it was one-shot short as the Blue Devils concluded play at the 6,270-Yard, Par 72 Auburn University Club in second place behind the host, Auburn.

“We didn't play bad at all today,” said Duke Head Coach Dan Brooks. “Auburn had a great day and that happens. Our big deal this weekend was we didn't have a lot of putts fall in. We played well and had a great effort. The Bermuda greens were strange and bumpy, which gave us some trouble. We got beat by a team that played good golf and that I don't mind that as much.”

Auburn turned in a tournament-best two-under-par total of 286 on Sunday and finished with a three-day total of 879 to win the Derby. The Blue Devils were second with an 880 with Georgia (892), Virginia (893), Tennessee (894), Florida (906), South Carolina (298), Oklahoma State (909), Alabama (912) and Louisiana State (917) rounding out the top-10.

Duke registered four golfers in the top-11 of the individual ledger but the play of Auburn's Maria Martinez led the Tigers to the victory. Martinez shot a three-day total of 209 to win the individual title by nine strokes.

Freshman Amanda Blumenherst closed out the weekend with a one-under-par 71 and finished tied for fourth. A native of Scottsdale, Ariz., Blumenherst had three birdies on the day and posted her fourth straight top-five finish to start her collegiate career.

Also finishing tied for fourth was junior Anna Grzebien, who closed out the tournament with a 74 today. Grzebien, from Narragansett, R.I., was four-over-par on Sunday heading into hole 12 but she turned in three birdies over her final seven holes to notch a 74.

Posting her best finish of the season, sophomore Jennifer Pandolfi collected a 54-hole total of 221 to finish tied for eighth. Pandolfi, a product of Navarre, Fla., had a 74 on the final day that included two birdies. Senior Liz Janangelo earned a tied for 11th finish after firing a 74 on the final day.

“Jennifer played with a lot of guts more than anything,” said Brooks. “She didn't hit it the best of the fall season. Guts show up around the green and she was able to get a lot of ups and downs.”

Jennie Lee, a freshman from Huntington Beach, Calif., shot a 73 on Sunday to finish tied for 28th with a 228.

The second place finish for the Blue Devils marks the first tournament Duke has lost in the fall since a tied for fourth finish at the Derby Invitational on Nov. 3, 2002.

Duke will now be off until Feb. 20-21 when it will compete in the Wildcat Invitational in Tucson, Ariz.

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