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Blue Devils Push Past 50,000 Mark in Birdies for Babies Program
3/11/2021 10:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
DURHAM – Behind a combined 89 birdies and one eagle in the last tournaments for both the Duke men's and women's golf programs, the Blue Devils have eclipsed the $50,000-mark of earnings over the last four years benefitting the Duke Children's Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units.
The program has now raised $50,687.25, which was started by 2019 Duke women's golf graduate Virginia Elena Carta.
The Duke men's golf team had three players finish in the top 20, including another top-five showing for senior Adrien Pendaries, as the Wake Forest Invitational wrapped Pinehurst No. 2. Pendaries fired a 1-over 71 in the final round and finished the 54-hole tournament at even-par 210, which was good for a tie for fifth place – his second top-five in four events this spring. The senior has been among the top 20 finishers three times in four starts this spring.
As a team, Duke finished fourth overall. The Blue Devils have been in the top five in three of four events this season. The team racked up 45 birdies during the two-day event.
Next week, the men travel to Augusta, Ga., for the Valspar Collegiate Invitational on March 15-16.
Against a stacked field that included eight teams ranked in the top 15 of the Golfweek national ledger, the Duke women's golf team shot even-par, 864, over 54 holes to win the team title by three strokes at the Gamecock Intercollegiate in Columbia, S.C.
Sophomore Erica Shepherd turned in rounds of 69, 70 and 70 for a seven-under-par, 209, to claim her first collegiate title. The sophomore led the field with 14 birdies and a four-under-par (3.86) scoring average on par-4 holes on the week. Freshman Phoebe Brinker posted rounds of 69, 73 and 72 for a career-best two-under-par, 214, to finish tied for third place.
Over the three-day tournament the team sank 44 birdies and one eagle.
Next up, the eighth-ranked women head to Augusta, Ga., for the Valspar Augusta Invitational, March 13-14.
Those looking to support Duke's partnership with the Duke Children's can make pledges per birdie. Pledges will start at $0.50 and high pledge increments are welcome. If the Blue Devils register an eagle (counts as two birdies), albatross (three birdies) and hole-in-one (four birdies) they will count as stated.
The creation of the program was spearheaded by Carta. A native of Udine, Italy, Carta was a four-time All-ACC selection and the 2016 NCAA Individual Champion. The 2016 WGCA All-America and Honda Award winner turned in a NCAA-record 16-under-par ledger of 272 as a rookie to register her first collegiate victory. She became one of only four Blue Devils to win both a NCAA Individual and team NCAA title.
Duke Children's is a 180-bed inpatient hospital within Duke University Hospital. The central outpatient clinic, the McGovern-Davison Children's Health Center, is a 66,000 square-foot facility that is adjacent to the hospital, and that combines medical and surgical specialty services in one colorful, child-focused location. Additionally, there are numerous Duke Children's primary care and specialty care clinics through North Carolina to care for the needs of children throughout the state. Duke Children's is one of the largest health care providers for children in the Southeast, and the only children's hospital in North Carolina to be ranked in all ten specialties by the U.S. News & World Report. Learn more about Duke Children's online at www.dukechildrens.org or at www.facebook.com/dukechildrens.
#GoDuke
The program has now raised $50,687.25, which was started by 2019 Duke women's golf graduate Virginia Elena Carta.
The Duke men's golf team had three players finish in the top 20, including another top-five showing for senior Adrien Pendaries, as the Wake Forest Invitational wrapped Pinehurst No. 2. Pendaries fired a 1-over 71 in the final round and finished the 54-hole tournament at even-par 210, which was good for a tie for fifth place – his second top-five in four events this spring. The senior has been among the top 20 finishers three times in four starts this spring.
As a team, Duke finished fourth overall. The Blue Devils have been in the top five in three of four events this season. The team racked up 45 birdies during the two-day event.
Next week, the men travel to Augusta, Ga., for the Valspar Collegiate Invitational on March 15-16.
Against a stacked field that included eight teams ranked in the top 15 of the Golfweek national ledger, the Duke women's golf team shot even-par, 864, over 54 holes to win the team title by three strokes at the Gamecock Intercollegiate in Columbia, S.C.
Sophomore Erica Shepherd turned in rounds of 69, 70 and 70 for a seven-under-par, 209, to claim her first collegiate title. The sophomore led the field with 14 birdies and a four-under-par (3.86) scoring average on par-4 holes on the week. Freshman Phoebe Brinker posted rounds of 69, 73 and 72 for a career-best two-under-par, 214, to finish tied for third place.
Over the three-day tournament the team sank 44 birdies and one eagle.
Next up, the eighth-ranked women head to Augusta, Ga., for the Valspar Augusta Invitational, March 13-14.
Those looking to support Duke's partnership with the Duke Children's can make pledges per birdie. Pledges will start at $0.50 and high pledge increments are welcome. If the Blue Devils register an eagle (counts as two birdies), albatross (three birdies) and hole-in-one (four birdies) they will count as stated.
The creation of the program was spearheaded by Carta. A native of Udine, Italy, Carta was a four-time All-ACC selection and the 2016 NCAA Individual Champion. The 2016 WGCA All-America and Honda Award winner turned in a NCAA-record 16-under-par ledger of 272 as a rookie to register her first collegiate victory. She became one of only four Blue Devils to win both a NCAA Individual and team NCAA title.
Duke Children's is a 180-bed inpatient hospital within Duke University Hospital. The central outpatient clinic, the McGovern-Davison Children's Health Center, is a 66,000 square-foot facility that is adjacent to the hospital, and that combines medical and surgical specialty services in one colorful, child-focused location. Additionally, there are numerous Duke Children's primary care and specialty care clinics through North Carolina to care for the needs of children throughout the state. Duke Children's is one of the largest health care providers for children in the Southeast, and the only children's hospital in North Carolina to be ranked in all ten specialties by the U.S. News & World Report. Learn more about Duke Children's online at www.dukechildrens.org or at www.facebook.com/dukechildrens.
#GoDuke
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