Kim Finishes Strong on Day One of Windy City Classic

Monday, October 4

Wilmette, Ill. (Westmoreland Country Club)

Duke University

Windy City Collegiate Classic

Photo by: Clyde Click

Kim Finishes Strong on Day One of Windy City Classic

10/4/2021 9:00:00 PM | Women's Golf

SCORING

WILMETTE, Ill. – Needing a spark to end a long day of golf in Wilmette, Ill., the second-ranked Duke women's golf team received it from senior Gina Kim as she closed with two birdies and an eagle over her final three holes to move the Blue Devils up the leaderboard at the Windy City Classic.

A product of Durham, N.C., Kim closed the 36-hole day with seven birdies and an eagle at the Westmoreland Country Club. She posted rounds of 78 and 71 to position herself in a tie for 12th overall with a 5-over, 149, when play was stopped due to darkness. Kim collected her seventh career eagle and 35th round of even or under par as a Blue Devil in the afternoon. Her seven eagles now rank in a tie for fifth all-time on Duke's career charts.

Monday's opening day greeted the teams with challenging conditions, which moved the scores higher than normal. As a team, Duke featured a hot start to the day as the Blue Devils were 5-under-par early to lead the tournament, but would eventually fall back. Duke closed strong though with six birdies and one eagle over the final three holes to elevate the squad.

With nine teams still needing to finish their second rounds, Duke sits in a tie for 10th with scores of 303 and 306 for 36-hole ledger of 609. Stanford (583) was able to finish both rounds and leads the tournament.

Kim opened the morning with back-to-back birdies on No 11 and No. 12 to move to 2-under through three holes. She would struggle over a span of seven holes to fall to 6-over for the day, but finished her first round with five straight pars. In the second round, Kim notched three straight birdies from holes 13-15 and made the turn at even par. She was 3-over in the second round heading into the final three holes, but things changed.

On the 349-yard, par-4 seventh, Kim pitched from 34 yards out to 15 feet and sank the birdie putt to start the run. She then hit her 6-iron from 177 yards to 25 feet and drained the eagle on the par-5 eighth. Kim continued the impressive run as she hit her 5-iron from 165 yards to three inches and tapped in the birdie on the par-4 ninth.

Sophomore Anne Chen turned in rounds of 75 and 78 on Monday and is tied for 39th with a 9-over, 153. After opening with a birdie on her first hole in the morning, Chen remained 1-under through the first five holes, but was 4-over during a stretch of seven holes midway through her round. She collected six consecutive pars to close the morning. Over her final 18 holes, Chen was 6-over on the front nine, but notched back-to-back birdies on No. 7 and No. 8 to finish even on the back. A native of Sugar Land, Texas, Chen chipped to four feet on No. 7 for birdie and then hit the green in two from 215 yards and two-putted for birdie.

With a birdie on hole No. 10 to open the day, sophomore Phoebe Brinker was also in the red early and remained that way over her first eight holes. She would end up finishing with a 76 in round one. In the afternoon, Brinker rolled in three birdies, but a pair of double-bogeys dropped her score on her way to finishing with a 78. The Wilmington, Del., product is tied for 45th with a 154.

Sophomore Erica Shepherd had a solid start to her day with birdies on No. 11 and No. 16 and made the turn at even-par, 36. She suffered a bogey and double-bogey over a span of three holes on the back, but birdied No. 8 to finish strong with a 74 in round one. Shepherd, who is from Greenwood, Ind., was held without a birdie in the afternoon on her way to finishing with an 81. She is tied for 48th with a 155.

In a return to her home state of Illinois, junior Megan Furtney turned in two rounds of 79 on Monday and is tied for 65th with a 158. She had a tough start to the day, but finished strong with a 1-under, 35, on her final nine holes of the first round. The finish included three birdies, including back-to-back on holes No. 7 and No. 8. On the seventh, she hit her wedge to five feet and rolled in the birdie putt and then she drained a 15-foot birdie on No. 8. Furtney, who is from St. Charles, Ill., was limited to one birdie in the second round on her way to finishing with a 79. She went for the green in two on No. 8 and was able to get up-and-down for her lone birdie in the afternoon.

Freshman Rylie Heflin was scheduled to play as an individual, but was held out due to medical reasons.

Duke will close the tournament beginning at 8:39 a.m., Tuesday off hole No. 10 along with South Carolina and Oregon.

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Duke Results
Gina Kim 78-71=149 (T12)
Anne Chen 75-78=153 (T39)
Phoebe Brinker 76-78=154 (T45)
Erica Shepherd 74-81=155 (T48)
Megan Furtney 79-79=158 (T65)