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WGolf NCAA Championship History: Sixth NCAA Title in Tulsa
5/25/2020 7:16:00 PM | Women's Golf
DURHAM, N.C.— The Duke women's golf program has won seven NCAA Championships since 1999 under the direction of head coach Dan Brooks. The seven NCAA titles over the last 21 years are the most by any program in NCAA history. Over the next week, Duke will look back at each NCAA Championship along with the four NCAA individual titles.
Duke won its sixth overall NCAA Championship and second at the Tulsa Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., in 2014 with a four-day ledger of 1,130.
2014 National Champions
Tulsa, Okla. (Tulsa Country Club)
Par 70, 6,174 Yards
Duke 1st of 24 (1,130)
Celine Boutier (70-70-67-69=276, -4, 2)
Sandy Choi (72-71-74-69=286, +6, T23)
Laetitia Beck (76-72-72-68=288, +8, T28)
Alejandra Cangrejo (79-72-71-68=290, +10, T38)
Yu Liu (75-76-68-72=291, +11, T43)
Team (293-285-278-274=1,130, +10, 1st)
Taking the Blue Devils back to Tulsa, Okla., for the first time since claiming his first NCAA Championship in 1999, head coach Dan Brooks guided Duke to a sixth NCAA title in 2014 at the Tulsa Country Club.
Duke found itself tied for third after the first day of competition, five shots back of the Oklahoma Sooners, two back of UCLA and even with Southern California and Arizona State. After the second round, the Blue Devils were in sole possession of second place, three shots back of Oklahoma.
On day three, Duke made its move, carding a two-under, 278, that gave the Blue Devils a six-shot lead heading into the championship's final round. Duke was led by sophomore Celine Boutier with a three-under, 67, to help the Blue Devils jump into the lead.
Southern California had an impressive start in Friday's final round and was able to grab the team lead by as many as four early on the back nine. The Blue Devils though turned in a six-under-par final nine holes to grab a three stroke lead with two holes remaining. Duke featured three birdies on the 466-yard, par five 16th and totaled seven pars on the final two holes to close the victory. The Blue Devils also had only two bogeys as a team on the back nine to help secure the win.
Duke shot a six-under, 274, in the final round to beat the Trojans, who finished the day with a round of 10-under par, 270. The Blue Devils completed the competition with a NCAA-record low 72-hole team score of 1,130, which was good for 10-over-par.
The Blue Devils featured rounds of 293, 285, 278 and 274 for a four-day ledger of 1,130. Southern California (1,132) was second, while UCLA (1,145), Oklahoma (1,147), Arizona State (1,150), Mississippi State (1,157), Arizona (1,158), Ohio State (1,158), Alabama (1,161), Vanderbilt (1,163), Texas A&M (1,163) and NC State (1,163) rounded out the top 10 teams.
Doris Chen of Southern California carded a final round, 67, to win the individual title by two strokes with a 72-hole total of 274. Boutier totaled rounds of 70, 70, 67 and 69 to finish two strokes behind Chen with a 276. It marked Boutier's second straight top five finish in the NCAA Championship as she placed tied fourth as a freshman.
Seniors Alejandra Cangrejo and Laetitia Beck led Duke in Friday's final round with matching two-under pars, 68, efforts in their final competitive rounds as college golfers. Boutier, the runner-up individually, finished her final round at one-under, 69, as did freshman Sandy Choi. Yu Liu, the ACC Rookie of the Year, registered a two-over-par 72 to end her impressive inaugural campaign.
With its impressive spring season, Duke head coach Dan Brooks was tabbed the WGCA National Coach of the Year and Boutier grabbed WGCA National Player of the Year accolades. In the spring, Duke won four tournaments -- Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, Bryan National Collegiate, ACC Championship and NCAA Championship.
Boutier was the hottest golfer in the nation during the spring, posting three wins and a 70.77 stroke average in seven tournaments and a 616-37 head-to-head record.
Duke Quotes
Dan Brooks, Duke Head Coach
Just talk about your second National Championship in Tulsa and just talk about your team...
"I have a great team. They are just great in every way you want a golf team to be. They work hard, they pull for each other, and they keep things in perspective. We had a six shot lead coming into today and by the time we got started on the backside we were six shots down. About that time, Coach Cho and I decided we needed to start rallying the troops. There were a lot of Duke people out here so we just tried to get some fist pumps going and tried to get everyone to turn it around. Everyone from Duke chimed in and helped. Golf is such a hard game on such a great golf course that you could use all the spirit and good vibes that you can get. We just did everything we could. I don't know how much that helped them, but I know these players did great on the backside. They came back and I think we had 13 birdies on the back. It's just fantastic. I don't know what more I can say. Just very excited about what we just did."
On watching the scores during the round...
"All I ever saw was we were up by three. My reliable sources told me six. To be honest with you, I think they are all aware of it. We didn't talk about 'don't look at the board' or anything like that. These players are just very solid and poised. They kept on playing and I don't think they let it bother them. The only question I got was from Celine because she needed to know how to play number 16. She asked me how we stood. She's a very smart player, so she was thinking about what she needed to do. She pulls out her 3-wood instead of a driver because at that point we were two or three shots up. I wasn't sure exactly how we stood. That's the only awareness."
How special is this National Championship?
"Fortunately we have had other championships. I don't ever want to say one is more special than another because there were all great experiences, but to be able to have this group of people on this team to have fallen behind to a team like USC that has done so much in the last several years is special. They are starting to get there momentum and we are losing strokes. To have this group keep fighting and get those birdies and come back. To have my two seniors shoot 68, and my freshman shoot a 69. Celine's golf was just tremendous out there this entire tournament. I can't imagine one of the other championships being better. This was just a tremendous experience."
Is it safe to say Tulsa has a special place in your heart?
"Absolutely, yes. The last one you know we led for three days and the last day got cancelled due to a hail storm in 1999. I felt great about the fact that we led all three days. I know Arizona State was playing well that last day. We didn't have golf stat back then so there was no way to check scores. There was always that little thing where we didn't get to play that last day. Well we played the last day this time and we got our win in Tulsa. It's great."
Celine Boutier, Duke (70+70+67+69=276)
On her round today...
"I started with a bogie, so that was not great, but I felt that my game was getting better as the round went on. I just managed to keep calm and, although I was nervous, focus on what I can do on the course. I think it got better at the end."
On her feelings about positioning while playing the back nine...
"With the French team, it was more match play, so it was not really stroke play. I also did not really know where we stood on the course, so at the end I asked coach to know if I needed to make birdies. Because we were ahead, I think I played more smoothly."
On her emotions coming out of the scoring tent...
"When I was walking up the green, I looked at the leader board and I saw that we were three shots ahead. I was on the green, so I knew just two putts would be fine, but I also knew I was one shot behind Doris Chen. I tried to make that putt and it did not go in, but then I realized we had just won the national championship and I just started crying. Everyone thought I was crying because of my 3-putt, but I was really emotional because I think this is a very special team. We have a really good team this year, and I am very happy for our seniors. They get to experience this before graduating and I am really happy for them, and for us."
Sandy Choi, Duke (72+71+74+69=286)
On her round today...
"I started off the second and third hole with two birdies, so I was two under through three. Then I went in the water on six and made a double, so I was back to even. Then I kind of lost it and had two more bogeys, but on the back nine I told myself to keep calm and keep patient. I made a really long putt on number 10, which was a confidence boost for me for the back nine, and I made two more birdies coming in."
Yu Liu, Duke (75+76+68+72=291)
On her round today and birdie on the last hole...
"Obviously, I was struggling out there a little bit today. I did not play my best golf, but I didn't give up the whole time and I had faith in my teammates. I always know they are going to do an awesome job. Coming to the last hole, because I birdied that hole yesterday, that helped. I was just trying to hit to the fairways and get it close, and that is what I did."
Alejandra Cangrejo, Duke (79+72+71+68=290)
On looking at the scoreboard during the round...
"On 11 when I was looking at the board, they were actually changing the leader from Duke to USC. That was a shocker. After that, I just knew we had to play our best. I just kept on fighting and came up with three birdies. It was really exciting."
On being a senior and going out as National Champions...
"It's hard to describe. I felt like I was dying, because I was the first one that finished and I was really nervous waiting for everyone else to come in. When I finished, we were only two ahead. It was really nerve-racking, but it is a great feeling to have my last college tournament and to finish it like this. It is just amazing and I have amazing people by my side to be happy with."
Laetitia Beck, Duke (76+72+72+68=290)
On looking at the scoreboard during the round...
"I knew we were three behind on hole 11. I think I was watching on number nine and we were still leading by a couple shots, but at 11 I saw that we had fallen behind. I realized that USC was eight under for the day and we were probably one over. So I knew that we were behind and when I got to the scoreboard on the 16th, I decided not to check. I just played my game, because I did not really want to know if we were ahead or behind."
On being a senior and going out as National Champions...
"We had a great year this year. We won two times, finished second many times, so winning this event is not a huge shock to me. It is almost like we expected it to happen, we didn't really talk about it, but I feel like all of us are great players and it is not a surprise, for me, that we won the tournament. We are all great, and it feels great to win. I was really nervous at the end of the round and I was scared that we were going to have to go to a playoff. It is a nice feeling, but it is not a shock."
Duke won its sixth overall NCAA Championship and second at the Tulsa Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., in 2014 with a four-day ledger of 1,130.
2014 National Champions
Tulsa, Okla. (Tulsa Country Club)
Par 70, 6,174 Yards
Duke 1st of 24 (1,130)
Celine Boutier (70-70-67-69=276, -4, 2)
Sandy Choi (72-71-74-69=286, +6, T23)
Laetitia Beck (76-72-72-68=288, +8, T28)
Alejandra Cangrejo (79-72-71-68=290, +10, T38)
Yu Liu (75-76-68-72=291, +11, T43)
Team (293-285-278-274=1,130, +10, 1st)
Taking the Blue Devils back to Tulsa, Okla., for the first time since claiming his first NCAA Championship in 1999, head coach Dan Brooks guided Duke to a sixth NCAA title in 2014 at the Tulsa Country Club.
Duke found itself tied for third after the first day of competition, five shots back of the Oklahoma Sooners, two back of UCLA and even with Southern California and Arizona State. After the second round, the Blue Devils were in sole possession of second place, three shots back of Oklahoma.
On day three, Duke made its move, carding a two-under, 278, that gave the Blue Devils a six-shot lead heading into the championship's final round. Duke was led by sophomore Celine Boutier with a three-under, 67, to help the Blue Devils jump into the lead.
Southern California had an impressive start in Friday's final round and was able to grab the team lead by as many as four early on the back nine. The Blue Devils though turned in a six-under-par final nine holes to grab a three stroke lead with two holes remaining. Duke featured three birdies on the 466-yard, par five 16th and totaled seven pars on the final two holes to close the victory. The Blue Devils also had only two bogeys as a team on the back nine to help secure the win.
Duke shot a six-under, 274, in the final round to beat the Trojans, who finished the day with a round of 10-under par, 270. The Blue Devils completed the competition with a NCAA-record low 72-hole team score of 1,130, which was good for 10-over-par.
The Blue Devils featured rounds of 293, 285, 278 and 274 for a four-day ledger of 1,130. Southern California (1,132) was second, while UCLA (1,145), Oklahoma (1,147), Arizona State (1,150), Mississippi State (1,157), Arizona (1,158), Ohio State (1,158), Alabama (1,161), Vanderbilt (1,163), Texas A&M (1,163) and NC State (1,163) rounded out the top 10 teams.
Doris Chen of Southern California carded a final round, 67, to win the individual title by two strokes with a 72-hole total of 274. Boutier totaled rounds of 70, 70, 67 and 69 to finish two strokes behind Chen with a 276. It marked Boutier's second straight top five finish in the NCAA Championship as she placed tied fourth as a freshman.
Seniors Alejandra Cangrejo and Laetitia Beck led Duke in Friday's final round with matching two-under pars, 68, efforts in their final competitive rounds as college golfers. Boutier, the runner-up individually, finished her final round at one-under, 69, as did freshman Sandy Choi. Yu Liu, the ACC Rookie of the Year, registered a two-over-par 72 to end her impressive inaugural campaign.
With its impressive spring season, Duke head coach Dan Brooks was tabbed the WGCA National Coach of the Year and Boutier grabbed WGCA National Player of the Year accolades. In the spring, Duke won four tournaments -- Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, Bryan National Collegiate, ACC Championship and NCAA Championship.
Boutier was the hottest golfer in the nation during the spring, posting three wins and a 70.77 stroke average in seven tournaments and a 616-37 head-to-head record.
Duke Quotes
Dan Brooks, Duke Head Coach
Just talk about your second National Championship in Tulsa and just talk about your team...
"I have a great team. They are just great in every way you want a golf team to be. They work hard, they pull for each other, and they keep things in perspective. We had a six shot lead coming into today and by the time we got started on the backside we were six shots down. About that time, Coach Cho and I decided we needed to start rallying the troops. There were a lot of Duke people out here so we just tried to get some fist pumps going and tried to get everyone to turn it around. Everyone from Duke chimed in and helped. Golf is such a hard game on such a great golf course that you could use all the spirit and good vibes that you can get. We just did everything we could. I don't know how much that helped them, but I know these players did great on the backside. They came back and I think we had 13 birdies on the back. It's just fantastic. I don't know what more I can say. Just very excited about what we just did."
On watching the scores during the round...
"All I ever saw was we were up by three. My reliable sources told me six. To be honest with you, I think they are all aware of it. We didn't talk about 'don't look at the board' or anything like that. These players are just very solid and poised. They kept on playing and I don't think they let it bother them. The only question I got was from Celine because she needed to know how to play number 16. She asked me how we stood. She's a very smart player, so she was thinking about what she needed to do. She pulls out her 3-wood instead of a driver because at that point we were two or three shots up. I wasn't sure exactly how we stood. That's the only awareness."
How special is this National Championship?
"Fortunately we have had other championships. I don't ever want to say one is more special than another because there were all great experiences, but to be able to have this group of people on this team to have fallen behind to a team like USC that has done so much in the last several years is special. They are starting to get there momentum and we are losing strokes. To have this group keep fighting and get those birdies and come back. To have my two seniors shoot 68, and my freshman shoot a 69. Celine's golf was just tremendous out there this entire tournament. I can't imagine one of the other championships being better. This was just a tremendous experience."
Is it safe to say Tulsa has a special place in your heart?
"Absolutely, yes. The last one you know we led for three days and the last day got cancelled due to a hail storm in 1999. I felt great about the fact that we led all three days. I know Arizona State was playing well that last day. We didn't have golf stat back then so there was no way to check scores. There was always that little thing where we didn't get to play that last day. Well we played the last day this time and we got our win in Tulsa. It's great."
Celine Boutier, Duke (70+70+67+69=276)
On her round today...
"I started with a bogie, so that was not great, but I felt that my game was getting better as the round went on. I just managed to keep calm and, although I was nervous, focus on what I can do on the course. I think it got better at the end."
On her feelings about positioning while playing the back nine...
"With the French team, it was more match play, so it was not really stroke play. I also did not really know where we stood on the course, so at the end I asked coach to know if I needed to make birdies. Because we were ahead, I think I played more smoothly."
On her emotions coming out of the scoring tent...
"When I was walking up the green, I looked at the leader board and I saw that we were three shots ahead. I was on the green, so I knew just two putts would be fine, but I also knew I was one shot behind Doris Chen. I tried to make that putt and it did not go in, but then I realized we had just won the national championship and I just started crying. Everyone thought I was crying because of my 3-putt, but I was really emotional because I think this is a very special team. We have a really good team this year, and I am very happy for our seniors. They get to experience this before graduating and I am really happy for them, and for us."
Sandy Choi, Duke (72+71+74+69=286)
On her round today...
"I started off the second and third hole with two birdies, so I was two under through three. Then I went in the water on six and made a double, so I was back to even. Then I kind of lost it and had two more bogeys, but on the back nine I told myself to keep calm and keep patient. I made a really long putt on number 10, which was a confidence boost for me for the back nine, and I made two more birdies coming in."
Yu Liu, Duke (75+76+68+72=291)
On her round today and birdie on the last hole...
"Obviously, I was struggling out there a little bit today. I did not play my best golf, but I didn't give up the whole time and I had faith in my teammates. I always know they are going to do an awesome job. Coming to the last hole, because I birdied that hole yesterday, that helped. I was just trying to hit to the fairways and get it close, and that is what I did."
Alejandra Cangrejo, Duke (79+72+71+68=290)
On looking at the scoreboard during the round...
"On 11 when I was looking at the board, they were actually changing the leader from Duke to USC. That was a shocker. After that, I just knew we had to play our best. I just kept on fighting and came up with three birdies. It was really exciting."
On being a senior and going out as National Champions...
"It's hard to describe. I felt like I was dying, because I was the first one that finished and I was really nervous waiting for everyone else to come in. When I finished, we were only two ahead. It was really nerve-racking, but it is a great feeling to have my last college tournament and to finish it like this. It is just amazing and I have amazing people by my side to be happy with."
Laetitia Beck, Duke (76+72+72+68=290)
On looking at the scoreboard during the round...
"I knew we were three behind on hole 11. I think I was watching on number nine and we were still leading by a couple shots, but at 11 I saw that we had fallen behind. I realized that USC was eight under for the day and we were probably one over. So I knew that we were behind and when I got to the scoreboard on the 16th, I decided not to check. I just played my game, because I did not really want to know if we were ahead or behind."
On being a senior and going out as National Champions...
"We had a great year this year. We won two times, finished second many times, so winning this event is not a huge shock to me. It is almost like we expected it to happen, we didn't really talk about it, but I feel like all of us are great players and it is not a surprise, for me, that we won the tournament. We are all great, and it feels great to win. I was really nervous at the end of the round and I was scared that we were going to have to go to a playoff. It is a nice feeling, but it is not a shock."
Andie Smith, Duke | Interview | CGN
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