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WGolf NCAA Regional History: Two Championships
5/12/2020 7:53:00 AM | Women's Golf
DURHAM, N.C.— The Duke women's golf program has won 10 NCAA Regional titles and five individual regional championships in program history. Head coach Dan Brooks has guided the Blue Devils to all 15 titles. From May 7 through May 13, Duke looked back at each championship.
May 12, 2007
For the seventh time in school history, second-ranked and top-seeded Duke won the NCAA East Regional Champions as the Blue Devils carded a school-record 16-under-par, 271, to win by two strokes and advance to their 10th straight NCAA Championship. Duke was led by sophomore Amanda Blumenherst, who matched a NCAA record with a nine-under-par, 63, while the team finished the regional with a 54-hole total of 844 at the 6,403-Yard, Par 72 University Club.
The Blue Devils came back from being in tied for 10th place and 10 strokes off the lead after round one and trailed by eight strokes heading into the final round, but made up ground early and often. The 20-under-par score of 844 was a new school record in relation to par.
"The great thing about it [the win] is I don't think anything changed for the team," said Duke head coach Dan Brooks. "After 13 or 14 holes in the second round we were still in eighth place, which was on some of the boards that we saw. I think my team was smart enough not to look at the boards and stayed with their game. By the end of the day we were in third place. By staying the same and not letting it affect them, I think that is why we were able to get in a good position."
The Blue Devils posted 22 birdies on the final day after totaling 33 birdies the first two rounds, while all five Duke golfers were under par.
"We just felt like there was plastic wrap over the cup the first two days," said Brooks. "We were playing some great golf, and the balls weren't going in the hole, but today they finally started to drop."
Blumenherst, who is a native of Scottsdale, Ariz., opened her day with birdies on the first two holes and ended up with five birdies on the front nine as she made the turn with a 31. On the back nine, she collected another five birdies, but had her lone bogey on the 12th hole. Of the four par five holes, Blumenherst only had one birdie, which came on the 16th hole as she lipped out an eagle putt and made the next attempt. On the round, she hit 16 greens and nine within 15 feet, hit 11 of 14 fairways and had 26 putts.
"I knew that I was hitting it really well and knew when the putts started falling I could go really low," said Blumenherst. "This morning I did my normal routine, kept my normal tempo on it and I played more inside the hole [on putts] as I played to much break the first two days."
In the individual medalist competition, Blumenherst finished second with a 10-under-par, 206, with rounds of 73, 70, 63.
"She [Amanda] and her dad both agreed that she could have had this type of round yesterday," said Brooks. "She has been striking the ball really, really well. I think even the first day could have been really low, but the ball wasn't falling in. That is where I am proud of her that she stayed patient until the ball started to fall into the hole."
Blue Devil junior Jennifer Pandolfi produced her second straight round of 69 on sunny and warm Saturday morning as she got the Blue Devils going early as she went off first. A product of Navarre, Fla., Pandolfi concluded the tournament with a total of 215, which was tied for 18th. Her two consecutive rounds in the 60s is a first over her three-year career.
"I started off really well with three birdies on the front nine," said Pandolfi. "On the back nine, which is the tougher of the sides, I stuck with it making pars and started playing well again at the end. My putting and short game were solid today."
With her parents in town from Melbourne, Australia, freshman Alison Whitaker continued her excellent week with her second straight under par round and a career-low, 70. Whitaker matched a career best with a 54-hole total of 215 and tied for 18th. Duke's lone senior, Anna Grzebien collected her fourth top-10 finish of the season and her third straight under par round as she closed with a two-under-par, 70. Over the 54-holes, she finished with a season best total of 212 with rounds of 71, 71 and 70, which was tied for ninth.
"It was pretty exciting as I looked at the boards throughout the week," said Grzebien. "I was never worried about it even though we were pretty far back. Today the way everyone played that really shows that we are true competitors. I am really excited to do it now as we haven't gone real low throughout the spring, but it is coming together at the right time."
Sophomore Jennie Lee continued her solid play with a one-under-par, 71, on the final day to finish with a 217, which was tied for 25th. For the week, she posted rounds of 73, 73 and 71.
May 12, 2001
Duke freshman Virada Nirapathpongporn claimed individual medalist honors with a final round 71 as the top-ranked Blue Devil women's golf team took home the East Regional title with an eight stroke victory over Auburn at the Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, N.C. The win marked the second consecutive year Duke has won the East Regional.
Duke finished the 54-hole tournament with an 871, which was eight strokes better than second place Auburn (879).
Nirapathpongporn, a native of Bangkok, Thailand, claimed individual medalist honors after posting a three-day total of 209 with consecutive rounds of 65, 73, 71. The victory for Nirapathpongporn was her third of the season and the second in a row, after capturing the ACC Tournament crown on April 22. The ACC Rookie of the Year equaled Duke's 54-hole school record of 209 held by three other Blue Devils (Beth Bauer, Stephanie Sparks, and Candy Hannemann).
Hannemann, the 2001 ACC Player of the Year, finished second overall with a three-day total of 212 (72, 68, 72). It marked the first time in school history the Blue Devils have claimed the top two honors in NCAA Regional action. Prior to 2001, Duke had only posted one individual with a top five finish in regional play as Bauer finished tied for first in 1999.
Blue Devil freshman Leigh Anne Hardin (Martinsville, Ind.) turned in a final round 74 to finish tied for 15th with a three-day total of 224 (74-76-74). Senior Kalen Anderson (Edina, Minn.) posted a 77 on Saturday to finish tied for 30th and sophomore Kristina Engstrom (Djursholm, Sweden) was tied for 50th.
May 12, 2007
For the seventh time in school history, second-ranked and top-seeded Duke won the NCAA East Regional Champions as the Blue Devils carded a school-record 16-under-par, 271, to win by two strokes and advance to their 10th straight NCAA Championship. Duke was led by sophomore Amanda Blumenherst, who matched a NCAA record with a nine-under-par, 63, while the team finished the regional with a 54-hole total of 844 at the 6,403-Yard, Par 72 University Club.
The Blue Devils came back from being in tied for 10th place and 10 strokes off the lead after round one and trailed by eight strokes heading into the final round, but made up ground early and often. The 20-under-par score of 844 was a new school record in relation to par.
"The great thing about it [the win] is I don't think anything changed for the team," said Duke head coach Dan Brooks. "After 13 or 14 holes in the second round we were still in eighth place, which was on some of the boards that we saw. I think my team was smart enough not to look at the boards and stayed with their game. By the end of the day we were in third place. By staying the same and not letting it affect them, I think that is why we were able to get in a good position."
The Blue Devils posted 22 birdies on the final day after totaling 33 birdies the first two rounds, while all five Duke golfers were under par.
"We just felt like there was plastic wrap over the cup the first two days," said Brooks. "We were playing some great golf, and the balls weren't going in the hole, but today they finally started to drop."
Blumenherst, who is a native of Scottsdale, Ariz., opened her day with birdies on the first two holes and ended up with five birdies on the front nine as she made the turn with a 31. On the back nine, she collected another five birdies, but had her lone bogey on the 12th hole. Of the four par five holes, Blumenherst only had one birdie, which came on the 16th hole as she lipped out an eagle putt and made the next attempt. On the round, she hit 16 greens and nine within 15 feet, hit 11 of 14 fairways and had 26 putts.
"I knew that I was hitting it really well and knew when the putts started falling I could go really low," said Blumenherst. "This morning I did my normal routine, kept my normal tempo on it and I played more inside the hole [on putts] as I played to much break the first two days."
In the individual medalist competition, Blumenherst finished second with a 10-under-par, 206, with rounds of 73, 70, 63.
"She [Amanda] and her dad both agreed that she could have had this type of round yesterday," said Brooks. "She has been striking the ball really, really well. I think even the first day could have been really low, but the ball wasn't falling in. That is where I am proud of her that she stayed patient until the ball started to fall into the hole."
Blue Devil junior Jennifer Pandolfi produced her second straight round of 69 on sunny and warm Saturday morning as she got the Blue Devils going early as she went off first. A product of Navarre, Fla., Pandolfi concluded the tournament with a total of 215, which was tied for 18th. Her two consecutive rounds in the 60s is a first over her three-year career.
"I started off really well with three birdies on the front nine," said Pandolfi. "On the back nine, which is the tougher of the sides, I stuck with it making pars and started playing well again at the end. My putting and short game were solid today."
With her parents in town from Melbourne, Australia, freshman Alison Whitaker continued her excellent week with her second straight under par round and a career-low, 70. Whitaker matched a career best with a 54-hole total of 215 and tied for 18th. Duke's lone senior, Anna Grzebien collected her fourth top-10 finish of the season and her third straight under par round as she closed with a two-under-par, 70. Over the 54-holes, she finished with a season best total of 212 with rounds of 71, 71 and 70, which was tied for ninth.
"It was pretty exciting as I looked at the boards throughout the week," said Grzebien. "I was never worried about it even though we were pretty far back. Today the way everyone played that really shows that we are true competitors. I am really excited to do it now as we haven't gone real low throughout the spring, but it is coming together at the right time."
Sophomore Jennie Lee continued her solid play with a one-under-par, 71, on the final day to finish with a 217, which was tied for 25th. For the week, she posted rounds of 73, 73 and 71.
May 12, 2001
Duke freshman Virada Nirapathpongporn claimed individual medalist honors with a final round 71 as the top-ranked Blue Devil women's golf team took home the East Regional title with an eight stroke victory over Auburn at the Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, N.C. The win marked the second consecutive year Duke has won the East Regional.
Duke finished the 54-hole tournament with an 871, which was eight strokes better than second place Auburn (879).
Nirapathpongporn, a native of Bangkok, Thailand, claimed individual medalist honors after posting a three-day total of 209 with consecutive rounds of 65, 73, 71. The victory for Nirapathpongporn was her third of the season and the second in a row, after capturing the ACC Tournament crown on April 22. The ACC Rookie of the Year equaled Duke's 54-hole school record of 209 held by three other Blue Devils (Beth Bauer, Stephanie Sparks, and Candy Hannemann).
Hannemann, the 2001 ACC Player of the Year, finished second overall with a three-day total of 212 (72, 68, 72). It marked the first time in school history the Blue Devils have claimed the top two honors in NCAA Regional action. Prior to 2001, Duke had only posted one individual with a top five finish in regional play as Bauer finished tied for first in 1999.
Blue Devil freshman Leigh Anne Hardin (Martinsville, Ind.) turned in a final round 74 to finish tied for 15th with a three-day total of 224 (74-76-74). Senior Kalen Anderson (Edina, Minn.) posted a 77 on Saturday to finish tied for 30th and sophomore Kristina Engstrom (Djursholm, Sweden) was tied for 50th.
Andie Smith, Duke | Interview | CGN
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