Blumenherst Wins Eighth Career Tournament To Open 2007-08 Season

FRANKLIN, TENN.? From the start to the finish, Duke University junior Amanda Blumenherst led the 2007 Mason Rudolph Women's Championship as the two-time National Player of the Year claimed the eighth victory of her career with a school record 54-hole total of 13-under-par, 203. Blumenherst collected a total of 14 birdies over the three days at the 6,217-yard, Par 72 Ironhorse Course at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn.

Blumenherst, who is from Scottsdale, Ariz., won the tournament by four strokes over Arizona State's Anna Nordqvist, who finished with nine-under-par, 207. A two-time All-America, Blumenherst did not make a bogey during the tournament until the fourth hole on Sunday. She turned in two birdies on each side as she finished with a 69 on the final day, after totaling rounds of 66 and 68 the first two days.

“I love this tournament and I'm really excited about winning it,” said Blumenherst. “I had a great time with my team and I played really well. I putted the ball well and I made some long par saves today to keep my round going.”

With her eight career wins in three years, Blumenherst now is in sole possession of second place in the Duke record books passing Jenny Chuasiriporn and Liz Janangelo. Her 13-under-par ledger over the weekend broke the school record and was one shy of the 54-hole total of 202 set by Janangelo at the Stanford Pepsi Intercollegiate in 2005, which was a par 71. The victory by Blumenherst at the Mason Rudolph is the second in three appearances as she won as a freshman in 2005.

“I couldn't be more excited for Amanda,” said Duke Head Coach Dan Brooks. “I asked her on the way back what was forte and she said she hit almost every fairway, but obviously you don't just hit driver and then putt. There has to be something really good to happen between there, but she was the most happy with her drives. She was talking about the possibilities as she could have gone a whole lot lower than she did the way she felt. She is playing that good of golf.”

In the team standings, the Blue Devils finished third with a 54-hole total of 866. Taking home the crown was UCLA with a 13-under-par, 851, while Arizona State was second (865). Rounding out the top five were Florida (876), Southern California (877), Auburn (877) and Arizona (877).

“Obviously, we are not going to be comfortable being 17 shots off the lead,” said Brooks. “I was satisfied with the effort everyone gave. We are a team that fights hard and nobody gave up on the idea that we could win this tournament. That is a big part of this process -- always believing in the possibility, which is very important. I feel like we had a group that believed in that possibility until the very end. I couldn't be happier about that.”

Sophomore Rebecca Kim led the other Blue Devil golfers on Sunday as she registered a career-best one-under-par 71. Kim, who is a native of Tigard, Ore., finished the weekend tied for 31st with rounds of 74, 77, 71 for a total of 222. On the final day, Kim registered birdies on No. 3 and No. 8 to make the turn at two-under-par, 34. She closed the back nine with bogies on No. 10 and No. 18, but had a birdie on the 547-yard, par five 14th. For the weekend, Kim played the front nine at four-under-par and the back nine at 10-over-par.

“Fantastic,” said Brooks on Kim's play the final day. “It is so exciting to have Rebecca Kim shoot a 71 on the last day. She had trouble closing out the previous two rounds. That is why I was so excited because she was able to finish that round right at the end of the tournament.”

Senior Jennifer Pandolfi closed the weekend with a 76 to finish tied for tied for 28th with a 221. On Sunday, Pandolfi made the turn at even par but struggled on the back nine with one birdie, three pars and five bogies. Freshman Kim Donovan concluded her first career tournament at tied for 36th with rounds of 72, 77 and 74 (223). On the front nine on Sunday, Donovan registered birdies on No. 2 and No. 8, but had bogies on the fourth, sixth and nine holes to make the turn at one-over-par, 37. The Hopkinton, Mass., product closed with pars on eight holes and a bogey on No. 14 to finish with a 74.

Finishing the weekend tied for 54th with a 227, sophomore Alison Whitaker had a 74 on the final day of play. Whitaker, who is from Melbourne, Australia, was one-over-par through 16 holes but finished bogey, double-bogey to post a 74.

“We have some work to do on our games,” said Brooks. “That is a good thing. That is what you play tournaments in September for so you know what you have to work on months.”

Duke will next travel to Albuquerque, N.M., from Sept. 24-26 to compete in the NCAA Fall Preview, which will be played at the University of New Mexico Championship Golf Course.

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Final Team Results
1 UCLA ? 281-283-287=851 (-13)
2. Arizona State ? 280-293-292=865 (+1)
3. Duke ? 284-292-290=866 (+2)
4. Oklahoma State ? 292-292-287=871 (+7)
5. Florida ? 285-299-292=876 (+12)
6. USC ? 291-295-291=877 (+13)
6. Arizona ? 283-300-294=877 (+13)
6. Auburn ? 288-301-288=877 (+13)
9. Georgia ? 291-299-290=880 (+16)
10. Purdue ? 294-296-300=890 (+26)
11. Wake Forest ? 291-306-296=893 (+29)
12. Stanford ? 293-302-299=894 (+30)
13. Vanderbilt ? 301-301-299=901 (+37)
14. South Carolina ? 294-311-300=905 (+41)
14. Kentucky ? 290-306-309=905 (+41)
16. LSU ? 293-308-306=907 (+43)
17. Ohio State ? 295-317-301=913 (+49)

Top Individuals
1 Amanda Blumenherst (Duke) ? 66-68-69=203 (-13)
2. Anna Nordqvist (Arizona State) ? 68-68-71=207 (-9)
3. Cydney Clanton (Auburn) ? 71-71-68=210 (-6)
3. Tiffany Joh (UCLA) ? 65-74-71=210 (-6)
3. Pernilla Lindberg (Ok. State) ? 70-70-70=210 (-6)
6. Azahara Munoz (Arizona State) ? 67-73-71=211 (-5)
7. Glory Yang (UCLA) ? 71-70-72=213 (-3)
8. Adriana Zwanck (Arizona) ? 70-73-71=214 (-2)
9. Mallory Blackwelder (Kentucky) ? 69-74-72=215 (-1)
10. Maria Hernandez (Purdue) ? 71-72-73=216 (E)
10. Belen Mozo (USC) ? 74-69-73=216 (E)
10. Maria Jose Uribe (UCLA) ? 74-6-76=216 (E)
10. Alison Walshe (Arizona) ? 68-75-73=216 (E)
10. Gemma Webster (Ohio State) ? 73-73-70=216 (E)