Blue Devils Open Tied For 10th At The Liz Murphey

ATHENS, GA. ? Coming off winning the UCF Challenge a week ago, the top-ranked Duke women's golf team struggled on day one at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic as the Blue Devils turned in an 18-hole total of 314 and is tied for 10th. The Blue Devils are 17 strokes off the lead with 36 holes remaining at the 6,335-yard, Par 72 University of Georgia Golf Course.

Leading the team play is Louisiana State with a 297, while Alabama (302), Georgia (302), Purdue (302), Kent State (303), Auburn (303), Arkansas (305), Tennessee (309), Wake Forest (309), Duke (314) and Virginia (314) rounding out the top 10. The 26-over-par total of 314 for the Blue Devils is a season-high as Duke had previously turned in a 302 in round one of the Tar Heel Invitational. Duke came back to win the tournament by two strokes.

“We were off today,” said Duke Head Coach Dan Brooks. “I think we were a little surprised by the greens as they were pretty slow and not very similar to what we have been on lately. So that was part of the problem. We just had an off day as a group today. Tomorrow is another day.”

The Blue Devils struggled out of the gate as Duke did not register a birdie until the 13th hole by senior Jennifer Pandolfi and freshman Kim Donovan. As a team, the Blue Devils posted only three birdies on the afternoon. Duke has been faced with deficits like this over the last couple of years, but has made miraculous comebacks to win the team title.

In the individual action, junior Amanda Blumenherst is tied for fifth with a two-over-par, 74. Blumenherst, who is from Scottsdale, Ariz., collected 14 pars, three bogeys and one birdie on the day. Her birdie came on the 470-yard, par five 17th hole. Leading the individuals is Megan McChrystal of Louisiana State with a three-under-par, 69.

Junior Jennie Lee, sophomore Alison Whitaker and Pandolfi each turned in season-worst rounds on the day. Lee had a 79 and is tied for 47th, Whitaker had an 81 and is tied for 68th and Pandolfi posted an 82 and is tied for 75th. All this came a week after Whitaker won the UCF Challenge individual title with an eight-under-par, 208.

Donovan, who is from Hopkinton, Mass., notched an 80 and is tied for 51st. Playing as an individual, sophomore Yu Young Lee is tied for 51st with an 80.

The University of Georgia Golf Course is one of the regional sites for the 2008 postseason so the Blue Devils wanted to play the course in case they are sent there for regionals.

“It is a good golf course,” said Brooks. “It has some challenging stuff to it and I am glad we are down here. We don't know if we are going to be at this regional [for the postseason], but I am glad we are here to see the course.”

Duke will tee off on Saturday morning beginning at 10:40 a.m. along with Virginia and Central Florida.

Duke's Results
- T5 Amanda Blumenherst Duke 74 +2
- T47 Jennie Lee Duke 79 +7
- T51 Kimberly Donovan Duke 80 +8
- T51 Yu Young Lee * Duke 80 +8
- T68 Alison Whitaker Duke 81 +9
- T75 Jennifer Pandolfi Duke 82 +10

- d - u - k - e -

rank team scores
1 Louisiana State 297 297 +9
T2 Alabama, U. of 302 302 +14
T2 Georgia 302 302 +14
T2 Purdue 302 302 +14
T5 Kent State 303 303 +15
T5 Auburn 303 303 +15
7 Arkansas, U. of 305 305 +17
T8 Tennessee 309 309 +21
T8 Wake Forest 309 309 +21
T10 Duke 314 314 +26
T10 Virginia 314 314 +26
12 Central Florida 315 315 +27
T13 South Carolina 316 316 +28
T13 Vanderbilt 316 316 +28
T15 Florida State Univ. 317 317 +29
T15 Texas A&M University 317 317 +29
17 Furman University 318 318 +30
18 Kentucky, U. of 339 339 +51

Start Finish Player Team Scores
- 1 Megan McChrystal Louisiana State 69 -3
- 2 Stephanie Connelly Central Florida 71 -1
- 3 Candace Schepperle Auburn 72 E
- 4 Liebelei Lawrence Vanderbilt 73 +1
- T5 Kristin Ingram Arkansas, U. of 74 +2
- T5 Laura Goodwin Alabama, U. of 74 +2
- T5 Maude-Aimee Leblanc Purdue 74 +2
- T5 Christel Boeljon Purdue 74 +2
- T5 Amanda Blumenherst Duke 74 +2
- T5 Garrett Phillips Georgia 74 +2
- T11 Camila Mori South Carolina 75 +3
- T11 Caroline Martens Louisiana State 75 +3
- T11 Nannette Hill Wake Forest 75 +3
- T11 Stacy Lewis Arkansas, U. of 75 +3
- T11 Kathleen Ekey Alabama, U. of 75 +3
- T11 Stefanie Kenoyer Furman University 75 +3
- T11 Tara Delaney Kent State 75 +3
- T11 Mallory Hetzel Georgia 75 +3
- T11 Krystle Caithness Georgia 75 +3
- T11 Kira Meixner Kent State 75 +3
- T11 Sarah Thead * Auburn 75 +3
- T11 Helena Blomberg * Alabama, U. of 75 +3
- T23 Corinna Rees Arkansas, U. of 76 +4
- T23 Alexis Rather Louisiana State 76 +4
- T23 Lene Krog Virginia 76 +4
- T23 Rhea Nair Alabama, U. of 76 +4
- T23 Maria Hernandez Purdue 76 +4
- T23 Angela Oh Tennessee 76 +4
- T23 Kirby Dreher Kent State 76 +4
- T23 Marci Turner Tennessee 76 +4
- T23 Cydney Clanton Auburn 76 +4
- T32 Natalie Sheary Wake Forest 77 +5
- T32 Whitney Brummett Florida State Univ. 77 +5
- T32 Rebecca Kuhn Louisiana State 77 +5
- T32 Courtney Harter Alabama, U. of 77 +5
- T32 Sarah Zwartynski Texas A&M University 77 +5
- T32 Danielle McVeigh Texas A&M University 77 +5
- T32 Maddi Swaney Kent State 77 +5
- T32 Nicole Smith Tennessee 77 +5
- T32 Abigale Schepperle Auburn 77 +5
- T41 Allie Bodemann Wake Forest 78 +6
- T41 Junthima Gulyanamitta Purdue 78 +6
- T41 Calle Nielson Virginia 78 +6
- T41 Mariana Macias Auburn 78 +6
- T41 Carolina Andrade Georgia 78 +6
- T41 Martina Gavier Kent State 78 +6
- T47 Laura Crawford Wake Forest 79 +7
- T47 Blair Lamb Furman University 79 +7
- T47 Margaret Shirley Auburn 79 +7
- T47 Jennie Lee Duke 79 +7
- T51 Lauren Cousart Florida State Univ. 80 +8
- T51 Lindy LaBauve Louisiana State 80 +8
- T51 Bly Worley South Carolina 80 +8
- T51 Lucy Nunn Arkansas, U. of 80 +8
- T51 May Tomimbang Central Florida 80 +8
- T51 Whitney Simons South Carolina 80 +8
- T51 Whitney Wright Florida State Univ. 80 +8
- T51 Kelli Shean Arkansas, U. of 80 +8
- T51 Caroline Westrup Florida State Univ. 80 +8
- T51 Kristen Simpson Virginia 80 +8
- T51 Jennie Arseneault Virginia 80 +8
- T51 Ashley Freeman Texas A&M University 80 +8
- T51 Sarah Sturm Alabama, U. of 80 +8
- T51 Ginny Brown Tennessee 80 +8
- T51 Jacqui Concolino Vanderbilt 80 +8
- T51 Kimberly Donovan Duke 80 +8
- T51 Yu Young Lee * Duke 80 +8
- T68 Taylor Barrett South Carolina 81 +9
- T68 Macarena Silva Florida State Univ. 81 +9
- T68 Jessy Tang Central Florida 81 +9
- T68 Corrine Carr Furman University 81 +9
- T68 Mallory Blackwelder Kentucky, U. of 81 +9
- T68 Megan Grehan Vanderbilt 81 +9
- T68 Alison Whitaker Duke 81 +9
- T75 Benedicte Toumpsin South Carolina 82 +10
- T75 Diana Cantu Tennessee 82 +10
- T75 Jennifer Pandolfi Duke 82 +10
- T75 Brooke Goodwin Vanderbilt 82 +10
- T75 Meredith Taylor * South Carolina 82 +10
- T80 Katie Detlefsen Central Florida 83 +11
- T80 Leigh Crosby Central Florida 83 +11
- T80 Jean Chua Wake Forest 83 +11
- T80 Jaclyn Hilea Furman University 83 +11
- T80 Lauren Johnson Texas A&M University 83 +11
- T80 Julie Bartholomew Vanderbilt 83 +11
- T86 Elizabeth Dotson Kentucky, U. of 84 +12
- T86 Joy Kim Virginia 84 +12
- 88 Innapha Tantanavivat Georgia 85 +13
- 89 Kristin Vincent Kentucky, U. of 86 +14
- T90 Jodi Neal Texas A&M University 87 +15
- T90 Ashley Baker Furman University 87 +15
- 92 Beth Felts Kentucky, U. of 88 +16
- T93 Camie Mess Purdue 89 +17
- T93 Christina Thomas * Kent State 89 +17
- T93 Amber Lundskog * Vanderbilt 89 +17
- 96 Paige Lausier Kentucky, U. of 91 +19