Women?s Golf Enters Final Round Tied For First

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.? After heading into the second round down by 10 strokes, top-ranked Duke erased the deficit on Saturday by carding a three-under-par, 285, and enters the final day of action tied with 23rd-ranked Virginia with a 36-hole ledger of 579 at the 6,315-Yard, Par 72 LPGA International Legends Course in Daytona Beach, Fla.

“That was a lot better,” said Duke Head Coach Dan Brooks on the Blue Devils' second round. “This is a team that is capable of playing a hard golf course under par on a regular basis. So we feel a little bit more at home doing what we did today. Everybody sounds good and they sound like we should be able to get a little something going tomorrow to.”

Virginia held a 10-shot advantage entering Saturday's play but the Cavaliers turned in a 295 on the second day to move into a share of the lead along with the Blue Devils at three-over-par. Duke is looking for its 13th straight ACC Championship, while Virginia is going for its first in women's golf.

“I am going to ask them to go do the same thing,” said Brooks on the final round Sunday. “They are doing the right things now and that is what you do. I am happy that this ACC [Championship] is a close race and we are enjoying this. This is what competition is all about. They are doing things right, thinking right, keeping their chins up and being patient. That is all we can ask of them.”

Rounding out the field was Florida State (589), Wake Forest (596), North Carolina (606), Maryland (613), North Carolina State (614), Miami (615) and Boston College (643).

“I have been very impressed with Virginia and Florida State,” said Brooks. “They are not going away and playing some good golf. It will be the same three teams paired together tomorrow and I am looking forward to it.”

Once again leading Duke's charge on Saturday was two-time ACC Champion Amanda Blumenherst, who carded a tournament-best four-under-par, 68, and is in second place, individually. The Scottsdale, Ariz., product fired six birdies on the day, while hitting 14 greens, 11 fairways and posted 30 putts.

Blumenherst, who is looking to become the first three-time ACC Champion, will enter the final round one stroke off the lead behind Virginia freshman Callie Nielson, after she turned in her second straight two-under-par, 70, and owns two-day total of 140.

“I played really well,” said Blumenherst. “The putts were falling on the front side and I was real consistent on the back. So it kind of evened out and I made a nice birdie on the last hole.”

By starting off her day with a 40-foot birdie putt on the first hole, Blumenherst birdied four out of the first five holes to go along with a bogey on the 370-yard, par four fourth hole, after hitting her approach shot just long. She had a par on the next two holes before nailing a birdie on the 480-yard, par five eighth hole. Blumenherst had a great drive down the right side of the fairway and then hit a four-iron from 205 yards away that placed approximately 20 feet from the cup. She missed the eagle putt but had a tap-in for birdie.

On the back nine, Blumenherst had seven straight pars until a three-putt bogey on No. 17 and a birdie on the 18th. The birdie on the final hole was sweet redemption after suffering a double-bogey the day before. Her nine birdies in two days of play leads the championship.

“When I was over the putt, I said this would be great redemption for the day,” said Blumenherst on her birdie at No. 18. “It was great as yesterday I hit two beautiful shots; I guess the wind got a hold of it and kind of hit it a little to hard. It almost went into the junk so today I hit it a little easier and stuck it close.”

Besides a double-bogey on the 140-yard, par three third hole, sophomore Alison Whitaker had a stellar round of golf on Saturday as the Melbourne, Australia native totaled a one-under-par, 71. She enters the final round with a 36-hole total of 147, which is tied for eighth. In the second round, Whitaker played the final 15 holes at three-under par as she notched birdies on the fourth, eighth and 18th holes. On the 150-yard, par three 12th, Whitaker had a little luck go her way as she hit her chip a little hard up near the green, but the ball nailed the pin and sat right next to the cup for a easy tap-in for par.

“She had a really good head today,” said Brooks on Whitaker's play. “It seemed like she was together and very poised. When you are patient, good things are going to happen if you are a good player.”

Continuing to play some of her best golf of the season, senior Jennifer Pandolfi is only three shots off the individual lead and tied for third with a two-day total of one-under-par, 143. On Saturday, Pandolfi totaled an even-par, 72, which marked the first time all season she has collected two consecutive even or under par rounds. A product of Navarre, Fla., Pandolfi is tied for the championship lead with 29 pars.

In the second round, Pandolfi made 11 straight pars before registering a birdie on the 150-yard, par three 12th hole. She made five more pars before suffering her only bogey of the day on the 18th, after hitting her approach shot short of the green and not getting it up and down.

Junior Jennie Lee battled hard on Saturday as she turned in a two-over-par, 72, and is tied for 11th overall with a 148. Lee, who is from Henderson, Nev., registered 13 pars on the day to go along with a birdie on the 495-yard, par five 16th, but had a wild ride during holes five through eight. She bogied No. 5 and No. 7, while hitting her drive in the water on the 380-yard, par four sixth hole. Lee was able to hit her tee shot out of the water and onto the sand, but two-putted on the green to give her a double-bogey. She responded well from the tough three-hole stretch by notching a birdie on the 480-yard, par five No. 8.

Freshman Kim Donovan turned in her second straight round of 79 and is tied for 35th with a total of 158. A product of Hopkinton, Mass., Donovan had five bogeys and one double-bogey on day two.

“Coach [Brooks] told us to be patient and that it was just going to come,” said Blumenherst going into the final day of play. “We are a great team and just had a rough day yesterday where things were not falling. Golf is definitely a game of averages and we knew that we would come back today. Coach said today was moving day and tomorrow we would just finish it. So we will be patient and consistent.”

For the second straight round, Duke registered 12 birdies, but dropped its double-bogeys from five to three. All three double-bogeys came during the first seven holes on Saturday. Blumenherst, Whitaker, Pandolfi and Lee played the final nine holes at two-under-par as the foursome registered four birdies, two bogeys and the rest pars.

Sunday's final round will kick off for the Blue Devils at 9:10 a.m., along with Virginia and Florida State. Play will be aired with on-demand video streams live by ACC Select beginning at 1:30 p.m. ACC Select is a broadband network that gives fans exclusive video access to the sports they love, the teams they care about and the games not available anywhere else. With full-screen video delivered right to the computer, ACC Select provides front row access to events whenever fans want?live or on-demand replay. Fans can go to www.accselect.com for complete details and see their sports in a whole new way.

Duke Golfers
Amanda Blumenherst   73-68=141 (-3, 2nd)
Jennifer Pandolfi     71-72=143 (-1, t3rd)
Alison Whitaker     76-71=147 (+3, T8)
Jennie Lee            74-74=148 (+4, T11)
Kim Donovan         79-79=158 (+14, T35)

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