Blue Devils Sit In Second Through Day One At ACC Championships

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA.? If the top-ranked Duke women's golf team wins its 13th straight ACC Championship on Sunday, the Blue Devils will have to come from behind as Duke opened the weekend at the 6,315-yard, Par 72 LPGA International Legends Course with a six-over-par, 294, and is 10 strokes off the lead behind Virginia.

The Cavaliers totaled a season-best four-under-par, 284, on Friday and leads by 10, followed by Duke (294), Florida State (296), N.C. State (299), Wake Forest (299), Miami (300), North Carolina (304), Maryland (307) and Boston College (321). Duke has claimed every ACC title since 1996 but trail after day one for the first time since 1998.

“Anytime you are playing a windy Legends Golf Course down here at LPGA International, you have to hand it to Virginia as that is a really good round of golf,” said Duke Head Coach Dan Brooks. “So first I would like to say is I applaud them on a good round. I don't feel like we were playing real bad golf, but it was just a few things that were not going our way. It looks like we are going to have to play some golf the next couple of days.”

In 1998, Wake Forest posted an opening-round of 300 and led by five strokes over the Blue Devils, but Duke came back to fire a 301 in the second round, while the Demon Deacons turned in a 313 as the Blue Devils built a seven stroke lead. Duke went on to win by 14 strokes.

Leading the Blue Devils on day one was their lone senior, Jennifer Pandolfi. A native of Navarre, Fla., and playing in her final collegiate tournament in her home state, Pandolfi carded a one-under-par, 71. She enters day two tied for third along with two other golfers. Pandolfi opened her round with four pars before suffering bogies on No. 5 and No. 7. The three-time All-ACC selection rebounded with consecutive birdies on the ninth and 10th holes before firing seven pars and one birdie on the 16th to close out the day.

“I stuck with it,” said Pandolfi. “I didn't start out to well and yesterday I worked a lot on short game so I was determined to get up and down if I missed the green. On the front nine, I wasn't getting up and down, but I made a couple of birdies at the turn. I just went after it more because I knew if I missed the green I was determined to get it up and down.”

By playing the final 10 holes at three-under-par, Pandolfi registered her best collegiate round in an ACC Championship. She also posted her seventh even or under par round of the year.

“Jennifer has really grown and developed as a golfer,” said Brooks. “Her ability to use her short game to keep her score in tact. When things are not easy and you have the guts to use your short game and hold that round together no matter what is going on -- with the wind and the long game. That is what golf is all about and that is what maturing is all about. It shows she has grown a lot.”

Two-time National Player of the Year Amanda Blumenherst had another solid round as she shot a one-under-par, 73, and is tied for eighth. Blumenherst, who is from Scottsdale, Ariz., pared the first hole before three-putting the par-five second hole to open Friday's action. She settled down to collect three consecutive pars before reeling off birdies on No. 6, No. 8 and No. 10 with long birdie putts. Blumenherst had another three-putt on the 150-yard, par three 12th hole and then notched five straight pars. On the 18th, the reigning two-time ACC Champion hit her approach shot long and struggled getting the ball up and down as she had a double-bogey.

Junior Jennie Lee is tied for 11th, after carding a 74 on day one of play. She also started off slow with a double-bogey on the 537-yard, par five second hole, after hitting her tee shot in the trees. The All-America selection didn't let the hiccup get her down Lee came back to stick an iron shot tight for her first of three birdies on the day on the 140-yard, par three third hole. A product of Henderson, Nev., Lee also birdied the fifth and 10th holes to move to one-under-par, but three straight bogies on the 12th, 13th and 14th holes dropped her back to where she finished at two-over-par.

After opening the morning with five consecutive pars, sophomore Alison Whitaker hit her tee shot on the 380-yard, par three sixth hole in the water. She went on to suffer a double-bogey and then backed it up with a bogey on No. 7. Whitaker, who traveled to the United States from Melbourne, Australia, went on to make the turn at three-over-par, 39. On the back nine, Whitaker had a bogey on the 11th hole, but came back to drain a 10-foot birdie putt on the 150-yard, par three 12th. She kept the momentum going with three consecutive pars and a birdie on par-five 16th. Whitaker closed the day with a bogey on the 17th and a three-putt bogey on No. 18 to finish with a 76, which is tied for 22nd.

Freshman Kim Donovan struggled in her first round at the ACC Championship with a seven-over-par, 79. She is tied for 37th overall.

“I don't mind the fact that we are in this position,” said Brooks of being down by 10 strokes. “We are coming into the end of the season and the more you can be in these positions the better. It is good develop and training for us.”

Leading the individual action after day one was Virginia's Joy Kim, who totaled a three-under-par, 69. Her teammate, Calle Nielson, is second at two-under-par, 70.

On the day, Duke posted 12 birdies and five double-bogeys. Each of the Blue Devil golfers had at least one double-bogey, except for Pandolfi. The Blue Devils will open Saturday's second round action at 9:40 a.m., along with Virginia and Florida State. Tee times for Sunday's final round will kick off at 7:30 a.m., depending on where the teams are placed.

Pandolfi on what the team needs to do going into round two, “nothing different. Just play our own games like we always do and that will be fine.”

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