Blue Devils Open Spring In Fourth At Central District Invite

Monday, February 16

Parrish, Fla.

All Day

Duke University

Day One

Blue Devils Open Spring In Fourth At Central District Invite

2/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf

By: Duke Sports Information

PARRISH, Fla. ? The 2009 spring slate is officially underway for the eighth-ranked Duke women's golf team as the Blue Devils opened in fourth place at the Central District Invitational, which is being played at the 6,099-Yard, Par 72 River Wilderness Country Club in Parrish, Fla.

Auburn opened the invitational in first place with rounds of 284 and 295 for a total of 579, while LSU (589), Purdue (591), Duke (592) and Michigan State (601) rounded out the top five teams. The Blue Devils carded rounds of 294 and 298 on Monday, but were without the services of junior Alison Whitaker for the final 18 holes due to a sore back.

Leading the individual action is Auburn's Candace Schepperle with a total of 139, after turning in rounds of 70 and 69. Duke senior Amanda Blumenherst is in second place, just one shot off the lead, with a 140, while Blue Devil senior Jennie Lee is third (142) and Auburn's Patricia Sanz is tied for third (142).

Blumenherst, who is a product of Scottsdale, Ariz., opened with five birdies and three bogies for a two-under-par, 70, in round one followed by three birdies and one bogey for a second straight two-under-par, 70 in the afternoon.

A product of Henderson, Nev., Lee registered rounds of 70 and 72 on the day as she collected a total of seven birdies.

Blue Devil sophomore Kim Donovan is tied for 36th with rounds of 76 and 78 for a total of 154. Donovan, who is from Hopkinton, Mass., turned in three birdies in her 36 holes. Junior Yu Young Lee, a native of Orlando, Fla., is tied or 45th with a 156. Lee had back-to-back rounds of 78.

Whitaker, who is from Melbourne, Australia, struggled in the first round and finished with a 14-over-par, 86. After playing 18 holes with her back hurting while swining, Whitaker decided to withdraw and not risk further injury in the rest of the tournament.

Duke will tee off on Tuesday morning at 8:00 a.m., in a shotgun start. Live scoring will be available at www.golfstat.com.

-d-u-k-e-