Duke Opens Bryan Park National With Four-Stroke Lead

BROWNS SUMMITT, N.C. ? After never getting in a rhythm last weekend in Athens, Ga., the top-ranked Duke women's golf team returned to form on Friday in the first round of the Bryan Park National Collegiate as the Blue Devils turned in a 294 and is in first place. Duke leads by four strokes over Florida at the 6,319-Par 72 Players Course.

In the top 10 team standings, the Blue Devils are followed by Florida (298), North Carolina (300), Auburn (301), Virginia (302), Furman (302), N.C. State (302), Michigan State (304), Arkansas (305) and Wake Forest (306). As a team, Duke turned in 15 birdies.

“I would say that the reason we played well the first day of this tournament is because we had a better practice round than at Georgia [last weekend],” said Duke Head Coach Dan Brooks. “I think the team really learned a lot in the practice round, which was key. We were on a new course as we were on the Players Course rather than the Champions, which is a little different. I thought they studied it well.”

Junior Amanda Blumenherst had a remarkable final nine holes on Friday, after making the turn at three-over-par. A product of Scottsdale, Ariz., Blumenherst opened her morning with four bogies over her first six holes as she started her round on hole 10. She went on to birdie six of her first seven holes and finished with a two-under-par, 70.

“That is just determination,” said Brooks on Blumenherst's six birdies on her final nine holes. “It was kind of windy out there today and you had to think. She is not going to take no for an answer. That is a good example of who Amanda is to shoot a 39 on the front and then turn that around.”

In the individual action, Blumenherst is tied for second behind Steffi Kirchmayr of College of Charleston, who totaled a three-under-par, 69. Blumenherst is tied along with Lauren Doughtie of N.C. State and Stacy Lewis of Arkansas. On the day, Blumenherst led the field with seven birdies.

Jennie Lee, who is a junior from Henderson, Nev., also began her day on the 10th hole and had an eventful first seven holes. She posted two pars, three birdies, one bogey and one double-bogey before registering pars on her final two holes to make the turn at even-par, 36. Lee had one birdie, two bogeys and six pars over the final nine holes to finish one-over-par, 37. Her round of 73 is tied for seventh, individually.

Also posting a one-over-par, 73, on Friday was Blue Devil sophomore Alison Whitaker. A native of Melbourne, Australia, Whitaker kicked off her round on hole 12 and registered two birdies, three bogeys and 13 pars on the day. She notched birdies on the sixth and 15th holes. She is also tied for seventh.

Senior Jennifer Pandolfi and freshman Kim Donovan totaled rounds of 78 and 79, respectively. Pandolfi is tied for 42nd and Donovan is tied for 55th.

“We talked before the practice round about getting the most of what we could in the practice round,” said Brooks. “Georgia was a course that you needed to study. It had recently rebuilt greens, which are always very firm. It probably needed a second practice round and I don't think we got down to it. Some practice rounds are better than others. Today we really imagined playing in the tournament, imagined where the ball would end up and what types of shots you might end up needing.”

Duke will tee off on Saturday beginning at 10:00 a.m., along with Florida and North Carolina in a shotgun start.

Duke's Results
Amanda Blumenherst 70 (T2nd)
Jennie Lee 73 (T7th)
Alison Whitaker 73 (T7th)
Jennifer Pandolfi 78 (T42nd)
Kim Donovan 79 (T55th)

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