Blumenherst, Duke Jump Out To Big Leads At UCF Challenge

Monday, March 5

Orlando, Fla.

All Day

Duke University

Day One

Blumenherst Tabbed Winner Of The Golf Honda Award

Blumenherst, Duke Jump Out To Big Leads At UCF Challenge

3/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf

By: Duke Sports Information

ORLANDO, FLA. ? Duke sophomore Amanda Blumenherst fired a seven-under 65 in her second round to help third-ranked Duke build a commanding 21-shot advantage on the 13-team field at the UCF Challenge on Monday. Blumenherst's 65 followed up her first-round 70 (-2) to give her a nine-under total of 135 through two rounds at the Par 72, 6,214-yard layout at the Villas of Grand Cypress in Orlando, Fla.

“I saw a lot of puts fall in today,” said Duke Head Coach Dan Brooks. “This is only our second tournament and we came out of a pretty chilly winter. Sometimes it takes a little time to get into the tournament mentality. I think that has a big effect on it. It is just a matter of time.”

Fourth-ranked Pepperdine and second-ranked Georgia are in a tight battle for second place as the Waves (594, +18) hold a one-shot lead on the Bulldogs (595, +19). Southeastern Conference foes Vanderbilt (600, +24) and LSU (612, +36), respectively, round out the top five. As a team, Duke fired a team-best second round of four-under-par, 284, and owns a 36-hole total of 573.

“We need to do a little better than we did today actually,” said Brooks. “We have some people who can shoot par and under so any of those shots you are seeing going over par, with the good conditions today, we have room for improvement. We have improved a lot from the last tournament to this one. I think it has a lot to do with this being our second tournament.”

Blumenherst, the top-ranked player in women's golf according to the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index, holds a 10-stroke lead on five fellow competitors, including teammates Jennie Lee and Alison Whitaker. Those two along with Georgia's Alina Lee and the Pepperdine duo of Misun Cho and Nicole Montgomery are all tied at 145 (+1).

"The first round I hit the ball really well, said Blumenherst. "The putts really were not falling in the first round. Then, in the second round both started coming together. I hit the ball great and I started making some putts. I am feeling really good and hitting the ball solid. When the putts start falling I can go really low."

"It was great," Blumenherst commented on shooting the low number. "I haven't shot a 65 since my senior year of high school. It was great to come back and shoot really low again."

A native of Scottsdale, Ariz., Blumenherst began the day with three birdies over her first seven holes and made the turn at 33. She closed the final nine holes with a 37 due to a double-bogey on the par-four, No. 14, but came back to birdie two out of the next three holes to go along with a bogey. After a short break for lunch, Blumenherst was on fire to start her second round.

“(Amanda) is a great example of somebody who got their putter going,” Brooks said. “She was striping it too, but she just really got her putter going. She had 13 birdies and you don't do that without your putter.”

The reigning National Player of the Year, Blumenherst collected five birdies over the first nine holes and made the turn with a 31. She brought her score to eight-under-par through 15 holes and closed the day with only her second bogey in 36 holes on Monday. Her round of 65 in the afternoon was a career best as well as her eight birdies in 18 holes of action.

Whitaker continued her excellent play as a freshman with a 71 and 74 on the first day of action. A product of Melbourne, Australia, Whitaker had an up and down first 15 holes on Monday morning but closed her round with three straight birdies to finish with a one-under-par, 71. Lee, who is from Henderson, Nev., posted rounds of 73 and 72 as she notched 27 pars, five birdies and six bogies over 36 holes.

Junior Jennifer Pandolfi sits tied for 11th with rounds of 75 and 73 for a 148. This included five birdies from the Navarre, Fla., standout. Senior Anna Grzebien finished the first day of play tied for 40th with a total of 157. She posted rounds of 78 and 79 as she collected only two birdies on the day.

Playing as an individual, freshman Rebecca Kim had scores of 78 and 79 and is tied for 37th with a 156. This included her team-best second eagle of the year on her fifth hole of the day, the par-five, 491-yard hole No. 2.

In the first round of the day, the Blue Devils turned in a one-over-par, 289, and led by seven strokes over Pepperdine (296). Vanderbilt (302), Georgia (305), New Mexico (307), Louisiana State (312), Arkansas (312), Florida (313), Purdue (313) and Alabama (321) rounded out the top 10 teams.

The individual medalist from the inaugural UCF Challenge will be offered a sponsor's exemption to the LPGA's Sybase Classic to be played in Clifton, N.J., May 17-20 of this year. Duke will tee off on Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. in the final round along with Central Florida and Georgia.

- d - u - k - e -

1 Duke 289 284 573 -3
2 Pepperdine 296 298 594 +18
3 Georgia 305 290 595 +19
4 Vanderbilt 302 298 600 +24
5 Louisiana State 312 300 612 +36
6 Florida 313 301 614 +38
T7 New Mexico 307 310 617 +41
T7 Purdue 313 304 617 +41
9 Alabama, U. of 321 301 622 +46
10 Arkansas, U. of 312 312 624 +48
11 Ohio State 322 304 626 +50
12 UCF 324 308 632 +56
13 Southern Methodist 323 322 645 +69

start finish player school scores
1 1 Amanda Blumenherst Duke 70 65 135 -9
T4 T2 Misun Cho Pepperdine 72 73 145 +1
T6 T2 Alina Lee Georgia 73 72 145 +1
T6 T2 Jennie Lee Duke 73 72 145 +1
T8 T2 Nicole Montgomery * Pepperdine 74 71 145 +1
T2 T2 Alison Whitaker Duke 71 74 145 +1
T4 T7 Jacqui Concolino Vanderbilt 72 75 147 +3
T27 T7 Melissa Eaton Louisiana State 78 69 147 +3
T11 T7 Kristen Svicarovich Vanderbilt 75 72 147 +3
T11 T7 Eileen Vargas Pepperdine 75 72 147 +3
T35 T11 Stefanie Endstrasser Purdue 79 69 148 +4
T2 T11 Taylor Leon Georgia 71 77 148 +4
T11 T11 Jennifer Pandolfi Duke 75 73 148 +4
T11 14 Jayvie Agojo Pepperdine 75 74 149 +5
T27 T15 Sarah Sturm Alabama, U. of 78 72 150 +6
T17 T15 Gemma Webster Ohio State 76 74 150 +6
T17 T17 Jodi Ewart New Mexico 76 75 151 +7
T21 T17 Liebelei Lawrence Vanderbilt 77 74 151 +7
T21 T19 Kate Ackerson Southern Methodist 77 75 152 +8
T11 T19 Myrte Eikenaar Purdue 75 77 152 +8
T11 T19 Kim Meck Louisiana State 75 77 152 +8
T47 T19 Garrett Phillips Georgia 81 71 152 +8
T21 T19 Jenny Suh Alabama, U. of 77 75 152 +8
T8 T24 Mikaela Backstedt New Mexico 74 79 153 +9
T17 T24 Mallory Blackwelder Florida 76 77 153 +9
T8 T24 Leanne Bowditch Pepperdine 74 79 153 +9
T21 T24 Sara Hurwitch UCF 77 76 153 +9
T17 T24 Stacy Lewis Arkansas, U. of 76 77 153 +9
T42 T24 Whitney Wade Georgia 80 73 153 +9
T35 T30 Haley Brown Ohio State 79 75 154 +10
T47 T30 Whitney Myers Florida 81 73 154 +10
T27 T32 Tiffany Chudy Florida 78 77 155 +11
T52 T32 Leigh Crosby UCF 82 73 155 +11
T35 T32 Sandra Gal Florida 79 76 155 +11
T42 T32 Maria Hernandez Purdue 80 75 155 +11
T42 T32 Ornella Jouven Florida 80 75 155 +11
T21 T37 Rebecca Kim * Duke 77 79 156 +12
T47 T37 Alexis Rather Louisiana State 81 75 156 +12
T27 T37 Alex Schulte Arkansas, U. of 78 78 156 +12
T21 T40 Py Bengtsson New Mexico 77 80 157 +13
T27 T40 Anna Grzebien Duke 78 79 157 +13
T35 T40 Lucy Nunn Arkansas, U. of 79 78 157 +13
T60 T40 Victoria Tomko * UCF 84 73 157 +13
T52 T44 Holly Boot * UCF 82 76 158 +14
T27 T44 Chris Brady Vanderbilt 78 80 158 +14
T60 T44 Nicola Eaton * Louisiana State 84 74 158 +14
T58 T44 Jessica Hauser Ohio State 83 75 158 +14
T35 T44 Kristin Ingram Arkansas, U. of 79 79 158 +14
T35 T44 Rebecca Kuhn Louisiana State 79 79 158 +14
T42 T44 Alexandra Phelps New Mexico 80 78 158 +14
T60 T51 Helena Blomberg Alabama, U. of 84 75 159 +15
T47 T51 Giselle Claux New Mexico 81 78 159 +15
T52 T51 Brooke Goodwin Vanderbilt 82 77 159 +15
T65 T51 Mallory Hetzel Georgia 85 74 159 +15
T47 T55 Mayule Tomimbang UCF 81 79 160 +16
T58 T55 Eleanor Tucker * Florida 83 77 160 +16
T52 T57 Stephanie Gelleni Pepperdine 82 79 161 +17
T27 T57 Lacey Jones Southern Methodist 78 83 161 +17
T42 T57 Caroline Martens Louisiana State 80 81 161 +17
T27 T57 Lauren Motyl * UCF 78 83 161 +17
T52 T57 Rhea Nair Alabama, U. of 82 79 161 +17
T35 62 Christel Boeljon Purdue 79 83 162 +18
T60 T63 Stephanie Connelly UCF 84 80 164 +20
T52 T63 Kristina Rothengatter Southern Methodist 82 82 164 +20
T60 65 Emma Jandel Ohio State 84 81 165 +21
T65 66 Kristy McLaughlin UCF 85 81 166 +22
T68 67 Ashley Deatherage Southern Methodist 86 82 168 +24
T68 T68 Whitney Eckert Southern Methodist 86 83 169 +25
70 T68 Laura Goodwin Alabama, U. of 87 82 169 +25
T65 70 Whitney Sylvan Arkansas, U. of 85 85 170 +26
72 71 Jennifer Cassidy Ohio State 91 80 171 +27
71 72 Annabel Silk * UCF 88 85 173 +29
73 73 Caroline Haase Purdue 96 86 182 +38