Blue Devils Hold Clubhouse Lead at NCAAs

Friday, May 22

Bradenton, Fla.

All Day

Duke University

Day One at NCAA Championship (Team Stroke Play)

Blue Devils Hold Clubhouse Lead at NCAAs

5/22/2015 8:23:00 PM | Women's Golf

By: Duke Sports Information

BRADENTON, Fla. – Coming off notching its sixth NCAA Championship a year ago in Tulsa, Okla., the fourth-ranked Duke women's golf team jumped out to a four-stroke lead in the clubhouse at the 2015 NCAA Championship Friday by carding a five-over-par, 293, at the 6,468-yard, par 72 Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla.

Play was suspended due to lightning in the afternoon on two different occasions and at 7:15 p.m., it was suspended for the day with some teams having as many as nine holes remaining.

Stanford leads play with a three-over-par ledger on holes 11-14, while Duke (+5, 293), Baylor (+7 on holes 11-14), Southern California (+9, 297), Arizona (+12, 300), Northwestern (+13 on holes 11-14), Washington (+13, 301), Tennessee (+13, 301) and Alabama (+13 on holes 15-18) round out the top nine teams.

“They were really up against it today,” said Duke head coach Dan Brooks. “I am real proud of my team. They handled those greens very well. We are playing a really challenging golf course. The best players and the best thinkers will be the ones to come out on top. We were really patient [today].”

Duke freshman Leona Maguire continued her solid play Friday by firing a one-under-par, 71, and is tied sixth overall. A product of Cavan, Ireland, Maguire is only one shot behind individual leaders in the clubhouse – Gaby Lopez of Arkansas (70), Katelyn Dambaugh of South Carolina (70) and Annie Park of Southern California (70).

Stanford's Maria Stackhouse is four-under-par through 12 holes to lead the action and Alabama's Emma Talley is three-under through 15 holes.

“It is tough,” commented Maguire on the course. “You have to drive the ball well. I drove the ball well and kept it in play, except for one hole. My irons were pretty solid today – 15 greens – so it helps.”

Opening with seven pars and five-foot birdies on No. 6 and No. 9, Maguire made the turn at two-under-par, 34, to kick off her morning. After hitting her ball in the hazard on the 374-yard, par four 10th hole, she made her first bogey to drop back to one-under. Maguire rolled in an eight-footer for birdie on the 503-yard, par five 13th to get back to two-under. A bogey on No. 17 led to her finishing with a one-under-par, 71. She hit a team-best 15 greens, 11 fairways and had 31 putts on the day.

“I didn't really make a lot of bogeys and didn't make a lot of birdies,” said Maguire on her round. “It was pretty steady, solid all day. I only missed two greens on the front nine so it was pretty stress-free there. I didn't do a lot wrong. I didn't give myself a whole lot of chances and didn't get into a lot of trouble.”

After starting her day with a four-over-par, 40, on the front nine junior Celine Boutier played some of the best golf of the first day over her final nine holes. Boutier, who hails from Montrouge, France, turned in her first birdie of the day as she drained a 15-footer on No. 10, but couldn't get up-and-down on the 175-yard, par three 11th to notch a bogey. Over her final seven holes, she was three-under as she collected a six-foot birdie on No. 13, 24-foot birdie on No. 16 and a three-foot birdie on the 17th.

“It is a really nice course, I like it,” commented Boutier. “I had a rough front nine. I shot four-over and had a double on No. 9. But then I had a really good back nine with four birdies so I am really happy with the way I finished.”

Boutier closed the day with a one-over-par, 73, and is tied 13th overall. She hit all 14 fairways, 13 greens and rolled 33 putts. She only missed two greens on the back nine (11 and 14) during her strong finish.

Sophomore Sandy Choi registered a two-over-par, 74, on day one and is tied 23rd on the individual leaderboard. Choi, who is from Seoul, South Korea, hit her approach shot on the 511-yard, par five third hole to within two feet and drained her first birdie of the day to get to one-under-par. After back-to-back bogeys on No. 5 and No. 6, Choi sank a 15-foot birdie on the 547-yard, par five seventh to get back to even par.

Choi remained even for the day until she walked to the green of the 410-yard, par four 16th, but suffered a four-putt triple-bogey to drop her to three-over for the day. She came right back and lipped out a short birdie putt on No. 17 and hit her approach on No. 18 tight and drained the short birdie to finish with a 74. She hit all 14 fairways, 11 greens and had 33 putts in round one.

Freshman Gurbani Singh also turned in a great round Friday with a three-over-par, 75, and is tied 32nd overall. Singh, a native of New Delhi, India, suffered bogeys on No. 1 and No. 6 to kick off her first championship. She then connected on a 10-foot birdie on the 386-yard, par four ninth to get back to one-over-par.

Singh had a bogey on No. 10 and rolled in a key par save on the par three 11th. After a four-foot birdie putt dropped on No. 12, Singh moved to one-over. She suffered back-to-back three-putt bogeys on No. 16 and No. 17 and then closed with an excellent up-and-down two-putt on the challenging 18th hole to finish with a 75. Singh hit 14 greens, 12 fairways and had 34 putts.

The first round for Lisa Maguire was a struggle most of the day as she continues to go through a swing change with Brooks. Maguire, who is from Cavan, Ireland, had two birdies on the day, but carded a round of 89 and is tied 131st overall. She hit eight fairways, three greens and had a team-best 29 putts. Maguire dealt with a neck injury for most of the back nine.

“It is a lot easier when you are not trying to play catch up after the first day,” said Leona Maguire about the team start on day one. “I think it was a very strong start. We will see what the scores are like in the afternoon, but it is definitely a good start.”

First round will resume at 8:30 a.m., Saturday morning followed by the start of the second round at 9 a.m. Duke will kick off its second round starting at 1:30 p.m.

Notes:
• Duke shot a 293 in round one for the second straight year.

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