Upcoming Event: Women's Golf versus Windy City Collegiate Classic on September 29, 2025
Women's Golf
vs Windy City Collegiate Classic
Thursday, April 15
Greensboro, N.C. (Sedgefield Country Club)
Duke University
vs
ACC Championship
Photo by: Clyde Click
Top-Seeded Blue Devils Head to ACC Championship in Greensboro
4/14/2021 3:33:00 PM | Women's Golf
2021 ACC Championship
April 15-18, 2021 • Greensboro, N.C.
Sedgefield Country Club
54 Holes Stroke Play; Top 4 to Match Play
DUKE HEADS TO ACC CHAMPIONSHIP LOOKING FOR 22nd TITLE
The second-ranked Duke women's golf team will head to the ACC Championship this week in search of its 22nd title in school history. The championship will take place from April 15-18 and will be contested at the 6,132-yard, par 72 Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.
The Blue Devils move to postseason action as winners of two tournaments this season – Gamecock Intercollegiate and Cavalier Match Play. The format of the championship will feature 36 holes of stroke play on April 15 followed by 18 holes of stroke play on April 16 to decide an individual champion. The top four teams in stroke play following 54 holes will advance to match play on April 17 and April 18 to decide a team champion.
The 2021 event will mark the 32nd ACC Championship in league history and the 10th appearance at Sedgefield Country Club. It returns to Sedgefield for the second time since 2016. Virginia had won in both 2015 and 2016 followed by Wake Forest in 2019. Duke has won the title in three of nine appearances in the championship located at Sedgefield (2014, 2013, 2012).
The Blue Devils have had a history of success at the ACC Championship, claiming 21 titles in program history, including five out of the last eight years (2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018). Duke has also collected ACC Individual Champions in 14 of the past 21 events. Head coach Dan Brooks has led the squad to 20 of the 21 championships over his 37 seasons at Duke.
COVERAGE
Fans will be able to follow the action with live scoring at www.GolfStat.com as well as ACC Network Extra coverage from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 18 for the championship match. Everyone can also follow along on Twitter (@DukeWGOLF & @ACCWGolf), Instagram (DukeWGolf) and Facebook.
THE SEEDINGS/PAIRINGS
The seedings for the 2021 ACC Championship were done by GolfStat ranking -- Duke (1), Wake Forest (2), Florida State (3), Virginia (4), Virginia Tech (5), Clemson (6), Miami (7), Louisville (8), North Carolina (9), NC State (10), Notre Dame (11) and Boston College (12).
Duke will tee off on Thursday, April 15 in the first round beginning at 8:50 a.m., through 9:30 a.m., off hole No. 10. On Friday, April 16, tee times will be from 9-10:30 a.m., off split tees followed by individual champion awards ceremony and match play lineup announcements. Match play action will go from 9-10:30 a.m., Saturday, April 17 and after the matches are concluded the championship team match play lineups will be announced. Sunday's championship match will tee off from 9-9:40 a.m.
THE DUKE LINEUP
Duke will feature a lineup of senior Jaravee Boonchant, junior Gina Kim, sophomore Erica Shepherd, freshman Phoebe Brinker and freshman Anne Chen. The Blue Devils will feature this lineup for the first time this season.
The Blue Devils will feature two freshmen in a lineup for the ACC Championship for the ninth time since 2000 -- 2015 (Leona & Lisa Maguire - finished 2nd), 2014 (Sandy Choi, Yu Liu - finished 1st), 2011 (Laetitia Beck, Alejandra Cangrejo - finished 2nd), 2010 (Lindy Duncan, Stacey Kim - finished 3rd), 2006 (Amanda Blumenherst, Jennie Lee - finished 1st), 2004 (Anna Grzebien, Brittany Lang - finished 1st), 2001 (Leigh Anne Hardin, Virada Nirapathpongporn - finished 1st) and 2000 (Kristina Engstrom, Maria Garcia-Estrada - finished 1st).
BIRDIES FOR BABIES
Spearheaded by 2019 Blue Devil graduate Virginia Elena Carta, the Duke men's and women's golf programs have continued their fundraising program benefitting the Duke Children's Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units called Birdies for Babies. Duke has raised $11,023.00 so far this season and over the four years of the program, it has raised $58,325.
Those looking to support the 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.
For more information, head to https://giving.dukechildrens.org/ways-to-give/duke-athletics-partnerships
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Duke is currently ranked No. 2 in the latest GolfStat.com, No. 2 in the WGCA Coaches Poll and No. 3 in the Golfweek ledgers.
Individually, in the Golfweek rankings -- Erica Shepherd (12), Phoebe Brinker (29) and Gina Kim (58) are in the top 60. In the GolfStat.com listing, Shepherd (13), Brinker (15) and Kim (77) are ranked.
BOONCHANT ARRIVES
Senior Jaravee Boonchant made her return from Thailand in March and was impressive at the Valspar Augusta Invitational with a tied for sixth finish. She collected rounds of 71, 67 and 70 for an 8-under, 208.
Boonchant is a three-time All-American and currently ranks sixth on Duke's all-time charts with 52 rounds of even or under par. Her 71.85 career stroke average is the third-best in Duke history, while her 15 rounds in the 60s is tied for seventh.
A product of Bangkok, Thailand, Boonchant had remained at home in the fall and took classes online, before deciding to return to campus in March.
TRENDS/NOTES
• In the latest ACC stats, Erica Shepherd ranks fifth in stroke average (71.80), while Phoebe Brinker is 13th (72.80).
• Duke is the reigning NCAA Champions as the Blue Devils won the 2019 title in Fayetteville, Ark., with a 3-2 victory over Wake Forest. The 2020 championship was canceled due to COVID-19.
• Over the last two tournaments, Phoebe Brinker has collected a 70.0 stroke average and shot 12-under-par. She finished tied for third and tied for second in those two events.
• After turning in four even or under par rounds as a freshman, Erica Shepherd has notched six in three tournaments so far in 2021.
• In the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings, Jaravee Boonchant (55), Gina Kim (54), Erica Shepherd (80) and Phoebe Brinker (145) are in the top 150.
• In two match play events this spring, Jaravee Boonchant is 5-0, while Erica Shepherd is 4-1.
• Erica Shepherd is currently on the ANNIKA Award watch list, which was released March 12.
• Phoebe Brinker turned in a record-breaking Valspar Augusta Invitational. She collected a Duke freshman record lowest 18-hole score with a 64, tied the freshman record for lowest 36-hole ledger with a 135 along with Leona Maguire and tied for freshman record fifth-lowest 54-hole score (10-under, 206).
• The Blue Devils featured three golfers in the top six of Valspar Augusta Invitational - Phoebe Brinker (T2,-10), Jaravee Boonchant (T6, -8), Gina Kim (T6, -8). The trio combined to shoot 26-under-par!
• Duke's 27-under-par, 837, is the third-lowest 54-hole score in NCAA Division I this season.
• Phoebe Brinker's round of 64 is tied for the third-lowest 18-hole score this spring. It is also the lowest score by a freshman in 2021.
AGAINST THE ACC
Duke currently features a 12-2 head-to-head ledger against teams from the ACC -- Clemson (1-0), Florida State (1-0), Louisville (1-0), North Carolina (2-0), NC State (1-0), Notre Dame (1-0), Virginia (1-1), Virginia Tech (2-0) and Wake Forest (2-1) - stroke play only.
In match play, the Blue Devils defeated NC State (4-1) and lost to Wake Forest (3-2) in the Big Four Challenge, while defeating Virginia Tech (3-2) in the Cavalier Match Play.
AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR
Duke featured three golfers competing in the second annual Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship held in Augusta, Ga., from March 31 through April 3.
Gina Kim and Erica Shepherd made the cut to play the final round at the Augusta National Golf Club on Saturday, April 3. Kim turned in rounds of 74, 71 and 77 to finish tied for 13th with a 222. Shepherd placed tied for 16th with scores of 73, 77 and 74 for a 224. Jaravee Boonchant had rounds of 79 and 75 on her way to missing the cut, after finishing tied for 12th in 2019.
AVERAGES
Go in depth with the Blue Devils to see how many birdies, greens, fairways and putts they average during rounds in 2020-21.
Birdies Greens Fairways Putts
Gina Kim 2.7 11.8 8.1 30.0
Jaravee Boonchant 3.7 17.0 12.3 32.3
Phoebe Brinker 3.3 12.4 10.3 30.4
Anne Chen 2.3 12.2 10.2 31.8
Megan Furtney 2.2 11.9 8.7 31.7
Erica Shepherd 3.4 12.9 10.6 29.7
BLUE DEVILS WIN GAMECOCK & CAVALIER MATCH PLAY TITLES
Gamecock Intercollegiate
In a very impressive display of golf over three days in Columbia, S.C., Duke came away with some new hardware at the Gamecock Intercollegiate, which was played at the 6,297-yard, par 72 Columbia Country Club.
Against a stacked field that included eight ranked in the top 15 of the Golfweek national ledger, the 22nd-ranked Blue Devils shot even-par, 864, over 54 holes to win the team title by three strokes. It marked the first team victory for Duke in 2021 in just two tournaments played.
Duke fired the second-lowest 54-hole score in school history on a par-72 course (-27, 837), marked the second time Duke has shot 25-under-par or better, shot 14-under, 274, in round one, which was the fifth-lowest score in Duke history, fired 11-under, 277, in round two, which was the sixth-lowest score in Duke history and set a school-record 36-hole score of 551.
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.
Duke (864) won the team title by three strokes over Wake Forest (867).
Phoebe Brinker was solid posting rounds of 69, 73 and 72 for a career-best two-under-par, 214, to finish in tied for third place. Megan Furtney closed the week with rounds of 74, 74 and 75 for a seven-over, 223, which placed her tied for 40th.
In her second college tournament, freshman Anne Chen signed for rounds of 76, 74 and 74 for a 224, which tied for 45th. Gina Kim turned in rounds of 70, 79 and 76 for a 225 to finish T51st.
Cavalier Match Play
In a tight match from the start, Duke claimed the title at the Cavalier Match Play with a 3-2 victory over third-seeded Virginia Tech at the 6,118-yard, par-71 Birdwood Golf Course in Charlottesville, Va.
After seeing a lot of Hokie colors on the scoreboard over the first nine holes, the Blue Devils came back on the back nine to collect the victory.
Duke collected early wins from Erica Shepherd, Megan Furtney and Jaravee Boonchant to get the victory. Gina Kim and Anne Chen dropped their matches for the final score of 3-2.
ACC CHAMPIONS
A total of 13 different Blue Devils have won ACC individual titles -- Mary Anne Widman, 1984; Evelyn Orley, 1985; Kathi Poppmeier, 1994; Jenny Chuasiriporn, 1996 and 1997; Beth Bauer, 1999; Maria Garcia-Estrada, 2000; Virada Nirapathpongporn, 2001; Candy Hannemann, 2002; Brittany Lang, 2004 and 2005; Amanda Blumenherst, 2006, 2007 & 2008 Lindy Duncan, 2012; Celine Boutier, 2014; Leona Maguire, 2015, 2017 and 2018.
As a team, Duke has won 21 ACC titles -- 1984, 1985, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018. The Blue Devils won 13 in a row from 1996-2008.
ACC CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE
Jaravee Boonchant will see action in her third ACC Championship. As a freshman in 2018, she tied for first individually, before falling in a playoff to teammate Leona Maguire. Boonchant was fourth in 2019 at Sedgefield with rounds of 72, 74 and 67 for a 3-under, 213.
As a freshman, Gina Kim tied for 47th with rounds of 79, 77 and 74 for a 230.
SHEPHERD NETS HONORS AFTER WIN
Sophomore Erica Shepherd was selected Duke's PNC Achiever's Student-Athlete of the Week and Golfweek Player of the Week after winning the individual title and helping lead the Blue Devils to the team crown at the Gamecock Intercollegiate.
The Greenwood, Ind., native secured her first collegiate title in turning in rounds of 69, 70, and 70 for a career-best finish with a seven-under-par, 209 at the Columbia Country Club.
The ANNIKA Award candidate led the field with 14 birdies and a four-under-par (3.86) scoring average on par-4 holes on the week.
Shepherd's final round performance in Columbia featured five birdies, while hitting 14 fairways, 15 greens and rolling 31 putts. She secured the individual hardware by three strokes over Lois Kaye Go of South Carolina.
As a team, the Blue Devils collected rounds of 282, 291 and 291 for a 54-hole ledger of 864 to register the team title against a stellar field that featured eight teams ranked in the top 15.
ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACH
Blue Devil head coach Dan Brooks became the all-time winningest women's golf coach in NCAA Division I history in the fall of 2005 as he won his 92nd career tournament title at the Stanford Pepsi Intercollegiate Oct. 23, 2005. Brooks passed Mark Gale of San Jose State who won 91 career tournaments from 1978-96.
Brooks now has 139 career tournament wins over his 37 seasons. He has guided Duke to at least one victory in 36 of his 37 years.
THE HEAD COACH
Dan Brooks is in his 37th season as the head coach of the Blue Devils. The 1981 graduate of Oregon State has led Duke to 20 ACC Championships over the years. Brooks owns the school's seven National Championships in 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2014 and 2019.
Brooks' teams have finished with a top-20 ranking 33 times (looking for the 34th this season), while 22 of his squads have earned a top-10 finish in a NCAA Tournament-- 1987 (T7th), 1988 (5th), 1994 (4th), 1996 (7th), 1998 (4th), 1999 (1st), 2001 (2nd), 2002 (1st), 2003 (10th), 2004 (3rd), 2005 (1st), 2006 (1st), 2007 (1st), 2008 (3rd), 2009 (6th), 2010 (T8th), 2013 (2nd), 2014 (1st), 2015 (semis), 2016 (semis), 2018 (6th) and 2019 (1st).
In 37 years, his teams have won 139 tournaments, which is a NCAA record for women's golf. He was named the 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013 and 2014 ACC Coach of the Year for his efforts and 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2014 and 2019 National Coach of the Year.
Brooks' seven NCAA titles is the most in women's golf -- 5, Linda Vollstedt (Arizona State), 3, Mark Gale (San Jose State) and Andrea Gaston (Southern California).
WHITHAUS SELECTED ASSISTANT COACH WITH ARNOLD PALMER CUP
Duke associate head coach Jon Whithaus has been tabbed an assistant coach for the United States at the 2021 Arnold Palmer Cup at Rich Harvest Farms June 11-13.
The announcement came March 17 from the Golf Coaches Association of America as Jean-Paul Hebert of Texas was also named an assistant coach for the U.S., while Mikkel Bjerch-Andresen of Baylor and Norway and Diana Cantú of Maryland and Mexico were selected assistant coaches for the International squad.
Whithaus, who boasts 21 years of coaching experience, is in his sixth season with the Blue Devil women's golf program. Since joining the Blue Devils, Duke won its seventh NCAA Championship in 2019, ACC Championships in two of four seasons and advanced to the match play portion of the NCAA Championship three times.
Prior to coaching the Blue Devil women, he was associate head coach for the Duke men's golf program from 2009-12 and the head coach of the Ohio Wesleyan men's golf program from 1997-2009.
Whithaus is the only coach in NCAA Division I to lead both a women's (2016) and men's (2011) program into the match play semifinals of the NCAA Championship. He has also coached both a women's and men's individual to an NCAA Individual Championship. A seven-time North Coast Athletic Conference and five-time Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year, Whithaus guided Ohio Wesleyan to 11 NCAA Division III Championship appearances and seven top eight finishes at the national tournament.
He was a two-time All-America Scholar at Ohio Wesleyan and earned three letters. He helped the Bishops to a string of four straight North Coast Athletic Conference titles and three straight top-three finishes in the NCAA Division III championship.
It marks the second straight year a Blue Devil coach will help guide the United States squad as Duke head coach Dan Brooks was the head coach in 2020.
BLUE DEVILS ADD BAE, HEFLIN FOR 2021-22
Duke head coach Dan Brooks has announced the signing of two standout golfers in the signing period as Norwood, N.J., product Sophia Bae and Avondale, Pa., native Rylie Heflin will join the Blue Devils for the 2021-22 campaign.
The duo has combined to collect 22 top five finishes, 33 top 10 placements and 46 top 20 finishes since 2016 on the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA).
A 2019 Honorable Mention Rolex Junior All-American and 2018 AJGA Junior All-Star Team selection, Bae has collected 13 top five, 20 top 10 and 25 top 20 placements since 2016 on the AJGA.
In four events in 2020, Bae collected a tied for second placement along with two tied for seventh finishes on the AJGA. Her best finish came at the Vaughn Taylor Championship with a tied for second ledger. Bae has collected 10 rounds in the 60s on the AJGA.
Bae broke out in December of 2018 by winning the second annual Faldo Series U.S. Grand Final at Bella Collina Golf Club. She carded rounds of 67, 69 and 67 for a 13-under-par, 203. Bae was the first female winner in the U.S. Grand Final history.
On the IMG Junior Golf Tour, Bae won three different times – twice in 2018-19 at the NE Series – Flanders Valley (71-68=139) and Eagle Creek Golf Club (66-71=137) and once in 2016-17 at the NE Kickoff – Flanders Valley (74-72=146).
Winner of the 2018 AJGA Philadelphia Junior, Heflin has collected nine top five finishes, 13 top 10 and 21 top 20 placements on the AJGA since 2016. With rounds of 67, 70 and 73 for a 210, Heflin won the AJGA Philadelphia Junior for her first AJGA win of her career.
Heflin is a three-time First Team All-State selection and has helped her Tower High School to three consecutive DIAA Co-Ed State Championships from 2017-19. She finished second individually in the 2019 Co-Ed State Championship. Heflin was the Pennsylvania State Junior Champion in 2018, IJGT Champion in 2017, WGPA Match Play Champion in 2016 and is a five-time Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) Champion.
Other top finishes over her career include a top five placement at the AJGA Junior Girls Championship in 2019 with rounds of 74, 72 and 69 for a 215, AJGA Imperial Headwear Junior Championship Runner-Up in 2019 with rounds of 72, 68 and 71 for a 211 and the AJGA Junior All-Star at Irish Creek runner up with rounds of 71, 70 and 73.
KIM ENJOYS PRACTICE SESSION WITH U.S. CURTIS CUP
Duke junior Gina Kim concluded a Curtis Cup practice session in January with the USGA at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Fla. Kim was one of 12 golfers selected to compete as the squad is practicing ahead of the Curtis Cup in August.
Kim and the other invitees participated in a two-day practice session.
"The Curtis Cup practice session was an amazing experience with some amazing girls and I'm truly thankful to the USGA for putting this event together during these difficult times," said Kim. "I hope to make the team in the future and play for my country!"
The 41st Curtis Cup Match was originally scheduled for June 12-14, 2020, at Conwy Golf Club in Caernarvonshire, Wales, before being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The match will now be held at Conwy Golf Club on Aug. 26-28, 2021.
Along with Kim invited included Allisen Corpuz (USC), Lauren Hartlage (Louisville), Auston Kim (Vanderbilt), Rachel Kuehn (Wake Forest), Brooke Matthews (Arkansas), Emilia Migliaccio (Wake Forest), Kaitlyn Papp (Texas), Megan Schofill (Auburn), Aneka Seumanutafa (Ohio State), Kennedy Swann (Mississippi) and Rose Zhang.
A native of Chapel Hill, N.C., Kim also attended a practice session in December of 2019 with Curtis Cup hopefuls.
Serving as captain of the USA squad will be 1988 Duke graduate Sarah Ingram. Ingram is a three-time U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur champion (1991, 1993, 1994) and a member of three USA Curtis Cup Teams (1992, 1994 and 1996). She was a two-time All-American and four-year letterwinner for the Blue Devils from 1985-88. Ingram, who was the low amateur in the 1995 U.S. Women's Open, is a member of the Duke University Sports Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame.
During the two-day practice session, the group was greeted with a Duke alumna and Curtis Cup veteran Lindy Duncan. A 2013 Blue Devil graduate, Duncan participated in the 2008 Curtis Cup in St. Andrews, Scotland.
Invitation to the Curtis Cup practice session does not guarantee selection to the eight-player USA Team that will compete in August. Players not invited will also be considered for inclusion on the team.
The Curtis Cup is contested by two teams of eight female amateur players, one from the United States of America and one from Great Britain and Ireland, which is composed of England, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The USGA's International Team Selection Committee selects the USA Team, while The R&A selects the GB&I Team.
Elaine Ratcliffe will serve as GB&I captain. Ratcliffe, a native of Cheshire, England, was a member of the victorious GB&I Team in the 1996 Curtis Cup Match.
The USA defeated Great Britain & Ireland by a record-setting 17-3 margin in the 40th Curtis Cup Match in June 2018 at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale, N.Y. The USA leads the overall series, 29-8-3.
SEVEN-TIME NCAA CHAMPIONS
The Duke women's golf team are seven-time NCAA Champions. The Blue Devils won their first title in 1999, a second in 2002, third in 2005, fourth in 2006, fifth in 2007, sixth in 2014 and seventh in 2019. Duke became only the second team along with Arizona State to win three straight national titles (1995-97).
Virada Nirapathpongporn (2002), Candy Hannemann (2003), Anna Grzebien (2005) and Virginia Elena Carta (2016) each have won individual titles. The Blue Devils became only the third squad in NCAA history to post the individual champion in two straight years in 2001 and 2002.
April 15-18, 2021 • Greensboro, N.C.
Sedgefield Country Club
54 Holes Stroke Play; Top 4 to Match Play
DUKE HEADS TO ACC CHAMPIONSHIP LOOKING FOR 22nd TITLE
The second-ranked Duke women's golf team will head to the ACC Championship this week in search of its 22nd title in school history. The championship will take place from April 15-18 and will be contested at the 6,132-yard, par 72 Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.
The Blue Devils move to postseason action as winners of two tournaments this season – Gamecock Intercollegiate and Cavalier Match Play. The format of the championship will feature 36 holes of stroke play on April 15 followed by 18 holes of stroke play on April 16 to decide an individual champion. The top four teams in stroke play following 54 holes will advance to match play on April 17 and April 18 to decide a team champion.
The 2021 event will mark the 32nd ACC Championship in league history and the 10th appearance at Sedgefield Country Club. It returns to Sedgefield for the second time since 2016. Virginia had won in both 2015 and 2016 followed by Wake Forest in 2019. Duke has won the title in three of nine appearances in the championship located at Sedgefield (2014, 2013, 2012).
The Blue Devils have had a history of success at the ACC Championship, claiming 21 titles in program history, including five out of the last eight years (2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018). Duke has also collected ACC Individual Champions in 14 of the past 21 events. Head coach Dan Brooks has led the squad to 20 of the 21 championships over his 37 seasons at Duke.
COVERAGE
Fans will be able to follow the action with live scoring at www.GolfStat.com as well as ACC Network Extra coverage from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 18 for the championship match. Everyone can also follow along on Twitter (@DukeWGOLF & @ACCWGolf), Instagram (DukeWGolf) and Facebook.
THE SEEDINGS/PAIRINGS
The seedings for the 2021 ACC Championship were done by GolfStat ranking -- Duke (1), Wake Forest (2), Florida State (3), Virginia (4), Virginia Tech (5), Clemson (6), Miami (7), Louisville (8), North Carolina (9), NC State (10), Notre Dame (11) and Boston College (12).
Duke will tee off on Thursday, April 15 in the first round beginning at 8:50 a.m., through 9:30 a.m., off hole No. 10. On Friday, April 16, tee times will be from 9-10:30 a.m., off split tees followed by individual champion awards ceremony and match play lineup announcements. Match play action will go from 9-10:30 a.m., Saturday, April 17 and after the matches are concluded the championship team match play lineups will be announced. Sunday's championship match will tee off from 9-9:40 a.m.
THE DUKE LINEUP
Duke will feature a lineup of senior Jaravee Boonchant, junior Gina Kim, sophomore Erica Shepherd, freshman Phoebe Brinker and freshman Anne Chen. The Blue Devils will feature this lineup for the first time this season.
The Blue Devils will feature two freshmen in a lineup for the ACC Championship for the ninth time since 2000 -- 2015 (Leona & Lisa Maguire - finished 2nd), 2014 (Sandy Choi, Yu Liu - finished 1st), 2011 (Laetitia Beck, Alejandra Cangrejo - finished 2nd), 2010 (Lindy Duncan, Stacey Kim - finished 3rd), 2006 (Amanda Blumenherst, Jennie Lee - finished 1st), 2004 (Anna Grzebien, Brittany Lang - finished 1st), 2001 (Leigh Anne Hardin, Virada Nirapathpongporn - finished 1st) and 2000 (Kristina Engstrom, Maria Garcia-Estrada - finished 1st).
BIRDIES FOR BABIES
Spearheaded by 2019 Blue Devil graduate Virginia Elena Carta, the Duke men's and women's golf programs have continued their fundraising program benefitting the Duke Children's Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units called Birdies for Babies. Duke has raised $11,023.00 so far this season and over the four years of the program, it has raised $58,325.
Those looking to support the 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.
For more information, head to https://giving.dukechildrens.org/ways-to-give/duke-athletics-partnerships
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Duke is currently ranked No. 2 in the latest GolfStat.com, No. 2 in the WGCA Coaches Poll and No. 3 in the Golfweek ledgers.
Individually, in the Golfweek rankings -- Erica Shepherd (12), Phoebe Brinker (29) and Gina Kim (58) are in the top 60. In the GolfStat.com listing, Shepherd (13), Brinker (15) and Kim (77) are ranked.
BOONCHANT ARRIVES
Senior Jaravee Boonchant made her return from Thailand in March and was impressive at the Valspar Augusta Invitational with a tied for sixth finish. She collected rounds of 71, 67 and 70 for an 8-under, 208.
Boonchant is a three-time All-American and currently ranks sixth on Duke's all-time charts with 52 rounds of even or under par. Her 71.85 career stroke average is the third-best in Duke history, while her 15 rounds in the 60s is tied for seventh.
A product of Bangkok, Thailand, Boonchant had remained at home in the fall and took classes online, before deciding to return to campus in March.
TRENDS/NOTES
• In the latest ACC stats, Erica Shepherd ranks fifth in stroke average (71.80), while Phoebe Brinker is 13th (72.80).
• Duke is the reigning NCAA Champions as the Blue Devils won the 2019 title in Fayetteville, Ark., with a 3-2 victory over Wake Forest. The 2020 championship was canceled due to COVID-19.
• Over the last two tournaments, Phoebe Brinker has collected a 70.0 stroke average and shot 12-under-par. She finished tied for third and tied for second in those two events.
• After turning in four even or under par rounds as a freshman, Erica Shepherd has notched six in three tournaments so far in 2021.
• In the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings, Jaravee Boonchant (55), Gina Kim (54), Erica Shepherd (80) and Phoebe Brinker (145) are in the top 150.
• In two match play events this spring, Jaravee Boonchant is 5-0, while Erica Shepherd is 4-1.
• Erica Shepherd is currently on the ANNIKA Award watch list, which was released March 12.
• Phoebe Brinker turned in a record-breaking Valspar Augusta Invitational. She collected a Duke freshman record lowest 18-hole score with a 64, tied the freshman record for lowest 36-hole ledger with a 135 along with Leona Maguire and tied for freshman record fifth-lowest 54-hole score (10-under, 206).
• The Blue Devils featured three golfers in the top six of Valspar Augusta Invitational - Phoebe Brinker (T2,-10), Jaravee Boonchant (T6, -8), Gina Kim (T6, -8). The trio combined to shoot 26-under-par!
• Duke's 27-under-par, 837, is the third-lowest 54-hole score in NCAA Division I this season.
• Phoebe Brinker's round of 64 is tied for the third-lowest 18-hole score this spring. It is also the lowest score by a freshman in 2021.
AGAINST THE ACC
Duke currently features a 12-2 head-to-head ledger against teams from the ACC -- Clemson (1-0), Florida State (1-0), Louisville (1-0), North Carolina (2-0), NC State (1-0), Notre Dame (1-0), Virginia (1-1), Virginia Tech (2-0) and Wake Forest (2-1) - stroke play only.
In match play, the Blue Devils defeated NC State (4-1) and lost to Wake Forest (3-2) in the Big Four Challenge, while defeating Virginia Tech (3-2) in the Cavalier Match Play.
AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR
Duke featured three golfers competing in the second annual Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship held in Augusta, Ga., from March 31 through April 3.
Gina Kim and Erica Shepherd made the cut to play the final round at the Augusta National Golf Club on Saturday, April 3. Kim turned in rounds of 74, 71 and 77 to finish tied for 13th with a 222. Shepherd placed tied for 16th with scores of 73, 77 and 74 for a 224. Jaravee Boonchant had rounds of 79 and 75 on her way to missing the cut, after finishing tied for 12th in 2019.
AVERAGES
Go in depth with the Blue Devils to see how many birdies, greens, fairways and putts they average during rounds in 2020-21.
Birdies Greens Fairways Putts
Gina Kim 2.7 11.8 8.1 30.0
Jaravee Boonchant 3.7 17.0 12.3 32.3
Phoebe Brinker 3.3 12.4 10.3 30.4
Anne Chen 2.3 12.2 10.2 31.8
Megan Furtney 2.2 11.9 8.7 31.7
Erica Shepherd 3.4 12.9 10.6 29.7
BLUE DEVILS WIN GAMECOCK & CAVALIER MATCH PLAY TITLES
Gamecock Intercollegiate
In a very impressive display of golf over three days in Columbia, S.C., Duke came away with some new hardware at the Gamecock Intercollegiate, which was played at the 6,297-yard, par 72 Columbia Country Club.
Against a stacked field that included eight ranked in the top 15 of the Golfweek national ledger, the 22nd-ranked Blue Devils shot even-par, 864, over 54 holes to win the team title by three strokes. It marked the first team victory for Duke in 2021 in just two tournaments played.
Duke fired the second-lowest 54-hole score in school history on a par-72 course (-27, 837), marked the second time Duke has shot 25-under-par or better, shot 14-under, 274, in round one, which was the fifth-lowest score in Duke history, fired 11-under, 277, in round two, which was the sixth-lowest score in Duke history and set a school-record 36-hole score of 551.
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.
Duke (864) won the team title by three strokes over Wake Forest (867).
Phoebe Brinker was solid posting rounds of 69, 73 and 72 for a career-best two-under-par, 214, to finish in tied for third place. Megan Furtney closed the week with rounds of 74, 74 and 75 for a seven-over, 223, which placed her tied for 40th.
In her second college tournament, freshman Anne Chen signed for rounds of 76, 74 and 74 for a 224, which tied for 45th. Gina Kim turned in rounds of 70, 79 and 76 for a 225 to finish T51st.
Cavalier Match Play
In a tight match from the start, Duke claimed the title at the Cavalier Match Play with a 3-2 victory over third-seeded Virginia Tech at the 6,118-yard, par-71 Birdwood Golf Course in Charlottesville, Va.
After seeing a lot of Hokie colors on the scoreboard over the first nine holes, the Blue Devils came back on the back nine to collect the victory.
Duke collected early wins from Erica Shepherd, Megan Furtney and Jaravee Boonchant to get the victory. Gina Kim and Anne Chen dropped their matches for the final score of 3-2.
ACC CHAMPIONS
A total of 13 different Blue Devils have won ACC individual titles -- Mary Anne Widman, 1984; Evelyn Orley, 1985; Kathi Poppmeier, 1994; Jenny Chuasiriporn, 1996 and 1997; Beth Bauer, 1999; Maria Garcia-Estrada, 2000; Virada Nirapathpongporn, 2001; Candy Hannemann, 2002; Brittany Lang, 2004 and 2005; Amanda Blumenherst, 2006, 2007 & 2008 Lindy Duncan, 2012; Celine Boutier, 2014; Leona Maguire, 2015, 2017 and 2018.
As a team, Duke has won 21 ACC titles -- 1984, 1985, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018. The Blue Devils won 13 in a row from 1996-2008.
ACC CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE
Jaravee Boonchant will see action in her third ACC Championship. As a freshman in 2018, she tied for first individually, before falling in a playoff to teammate Leona Maguire. Boonchant was fourth in 2019 at Sedgefield with rounds of 72, 74 and 67 for a 3-under, 213.
As a freshman, Gina Kim tied for 47th with rounds of 79, 77 and 74 for a 230.
SHEPHERD NETS HONORS AFTER WIN
Sophomore Erica Shepherd was selected Duke's PNC Achiever's Student-Athlete of the Week and Golfweek Player of the Week after winning the individual title and helping lead the Blue Devils to the team crown at the Gamecock Intercollegiate.
The Greenwood, Ind., native secured her first collegiate title in turning in rounds of 69, 70, and 70 for a career-best finish with a seven-under-par, 209 at the Columbia Country Club.
The ANNIKA Award candidate led the field with 14 birdies and a four-under-par (3.86) scoring average on par-4 holes on the week.
Shepherd's final round performance in Columbia featured five birdies, while hitting 14 fairways, 15 greens and rolling 31 putts. She secured the individual hardware by three strokes over Lois Kaye Go of South Carolina.
As a team, the Blue Devils collected rounds of 282, 291 and 291 for a 54-hole ledger of 864 to register the team title against a stellar field that featured eight teams ranked in the top 15.
ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACH
Blue Devil head coach Dan Brooks became the all-time winningest women's golf coach in NCAA Division I history in the fall of 2005 as he won his 92nd career tournament title at the Stanford Pepsi Intercollegiate Oct. 23, 2005. Brooks passed Mark Gale of San Jose State who won 91 career tournaments from 1978-96.
Brooks now has 139 career tournament wins over his 37 seasons. He has guided Duke to at least one victory in 36 of his 37 years.
THE HEAD COACH
Dan Brooks is in his 37th season as the head coach of the Blue Devils. The 1981 graduate of Oregon State has led Duke to 20 ACC Championships over the years. Brooks owns the school's seven National Championships in 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2014 and 2019.
Brooks' teams have finished with a top-20 ranking 33 times (looking for the 34th this season), while 22 of his squads have earned a top-10 finish in a NCAA Tournament-- 1987 (T7th), 1988 (5th), 1994 (4th), 1996 (7th), 1998 (4th), 1999 (1st), 2001 (2nd), 2002 (1st), 2003 (10th), 2004 (3rd), 2005 (1st), 2006 (1st), 2007 (1st), 2008 (3rd), 2009 (6th), 2010 (T8th), 2013 (2nd), 2014 (1st), 2015 (semis), 2016 (semis), 2018 (6th) and 2019 (1st).
In 37 years, his teams have won 139 tournaments, which is a NCAA record for women's golf. He was named the 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013 and 2014 ACC Coach of the Year for his efforts and 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2014 and 2019 National Coach of the Year.
Brooks' seven NCAA titles is the most in women's golf -- 5, Linda Vollstedt (Arizona State), 3, Mark Gale (San Jose State) and Andrea Gaston (Southern California).
WHITHAUS SELECTED ASSISTANT COACH WITH ARNOLD PALMER CUP
Duke associate head coach Jon Whithaus has been tabbed an assistant coach for the United States at the 2021 Arnold Palmer Cup at Rich Harvest Farms June 11-13.
The announcement came March 17 from the Golf Coaches Association of America as Jean-Paul Hebert of Texas was also named an assistant coach for the U.S., while Mikkel Bjerch-Andresen of Baylor and Norway and Diana Cantú of Maryland and Mexico were selected assistant coaches for the International squad.
Whithaus, who boasts 21 years of coaching experience, is in his sixth season with the Blue Devil women's golf program. Since joining the Blue Devils, Duke won its seventh NCAA Championship in 2019, ACC Championships in two of four seasons and advanced to the match play portion of the NCAA Championship three times.
Prior to coaching the Blue Devil women, he was associate head coach for the Duke men's golf program from 2009-12 and the head coach of the Ohio Wesleyan men's golf program from 1997-2009.
Whithaus is the only coach in NCAA Division I to lead both a women's (2016) and men's (2011) program into the match play semifinals of the NCAA Championship. He has also coached both a women's and men's individual to an NCAA Individual Championship. A seven-time North Coast Athletic Conference and five-time Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year, Whithaus guided Ohio Wesleyan to 11 NCAA Division III Championship appearances and seven top eight finishes at the national tournament.
He was a two-time All-America Scholar at Ohio Wesleyan and earned three letters. He helped the Bishops to a string of four straight North Coast Athletic Conference titles and three straight top-three finishes in the NCAA Division III championship.
It marks the second straight year a Blue Devil coach will help guide the United States squad as Duke head coach Dan Brooks was the head coach in 2020.
BLUE DEVILS ADD BAE, HEFLIN FOR 2021-22
Duke head coach Dan Brooks has announced the signing of two standout golfers in the signing period as Norwood, N.J., product Sophia Bae and Avondale, Pa., native Rylie Heflin will join the Blue Devils for the 2021-22 campaign.
The duo has combined to collect 22 top five finishes, 33 top 10 placements and 46 top 20 finishes since 2016 on the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA).
A 2019 Honorable Mention Rolex Junior All-American and 2018 AJGA Junior All-Star Team selection, Bae has collected 13 top five, 20 top 10 and 25 top 20 placements since 2016 on the AJGA.
In four events in 2020, Bae collected a tied for second placement along with two tied for seventh finishes on the AJGA. Her best finish came at the Vaughn Taylor Championship with a tied for second ledger. Bae has collected 10 rounds in the 60s on the AJGA.
Bae broke out in December of 2018 by winning the second annual Faldo Series U.S. Grand Final at Bella Collina Golf Club. She carded rounds of 67, 69 and 67 for a 13-under-par, 203. Bae was the first female winner in the U.S. Grand Final history.
On the IMG Junior Golf Tour, Bae won three different times – twice in 2018-19 at the NE Series – Flanders Valley (71-68=139) and Eagle Creek Golf Club (66-71=137) and once in 2016-17 at the NE Kickoff – Flanders Valley (74-72=146).
Winner of the 2018 AJGA Philadelphia Junior, Heflin has collected nine top five finishes, 13 top 10 and 21 top 20 placements on the AJGA since 2016. With rounds of 67, 70 and 73 for a 210, Heflin won the AJGA Philadelphia Junior for her first AJGA win of her career.
Heflin is a three-time First Team All-State selection and has helped her Tower High School to three consecutive DIAA Co-Ed State Championships from 2017-19. She finished second individually in the 2019 Co-Ed State Championship. Heflin was the Pennsylvania State Junior Champion in 2018, IJGT Champion in 2017, WGPA Match Play Champion in 2016 and is a five-time Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) Champion.
Other top finishes over her career include a top five placement at the AJGA Junior Girls Championship in 2019 with rounds of 74, 72 and 69 for a 215, AJGA Imperial Headwear Junior Championship Runner-Up in 2019 with rounds of 72, 68 and 71 for a 211 and the AJGA Junior All-Star at Irish Creek runner up with rounds of 71, 70 and 73.
KIM ENJOYS PRACTICE SESSION WITH U.S. CURTIS CUP
Duke junior Gina Kim concluded a Curtis Cup practice session in January with the USGA at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Fla. Kim was one of 12 golfers selected to compete as the squad is practicing ahead of the Curtis Cup in August.
Kim and the other invitees participated in a two-day practice session.
"The Curtis Cup practice session was an amazing experience with some amazing girls and I'm truly thankful to the USGA for putting this event together during these difficult times," said Kim. "I hope to make the team in the future and play for my country!"
The 41st Curtis Cup Match was originally scheduled for June 12-14, 2020, at Conwy Golf Club in Caernarvonshire, Wales, before being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The match will now be held at Conwy Golf Club on Aug. 26-28, 2021.
Along with Kim invited included Allisen Corpuz (USC), Lauren Hartlage (Louisville), Auston Kim (Vanderbilt), Rachel Kuehn (Wake Forest), Brooke Matthews (Arkansas), Emilia Migliaccio (Wake Forest), Kaitlyn Papp (Texas), Megan Schofill (Auburn), Aneka Seumanutafa (Ohio State), Kennedy Swann (Mississippi) and Rose Zhang.
A native of Chapel Hill, N.C., Kim also attended a practice session in December of 2019 with Curtis Cup hopefuls.
Serving as captain of the USA squad will be 1988 Duke graduate Sarah Ingram. Ingram is a three-time U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur champion (1991, 1993, 1994) and a member of three USA Curtis Cup Teams (1992, 1994 and 1996). She was a two-time All-American and four-year letterwinner for the Blue Devils from 1985-88. Ingram, who was the low amateur in the 1995 U.S. Women's Open, is a member of the Duke University Sports Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame.
During the two-day practice session, the group was greeted with a Duke alumna and Curtis Cup veteran Lindy Duncan. A 2013 Blue Devil graduate, Duncan participated in the 2008 Curtis Cup in St. Andrews, Scotland.
Invitation to the Curtis Cup practice session does not guarantee selection to the eight-player USA Team that will compete in August. Players not invited will also be considered for inclusion on the team.
The Curtis Cup is contested by two teams of eight female amateur players, one from the United States of America and one from Great Britain and Ireland, which is composed of England, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The USGA's International Team Selection Committee selects the USA Team, while The R&A selects the GB&I Team.
Elaine Ratcliffe will serve as GB&I captain. Ratcliffe, a native of Cheshire, England, was a member of the victorious GB&I Team in the 1996 Curtis Cup Match.
The USA defeated Great Britain & Ireland by a record-setting 17-3 margin in the 40th Curtis Cup Match in June 2018 at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale, N.Y. The USA leads the overall series, 29-8-3.
SEVEN-TIME NCAA CHAMPIONS
The Duke women's golf team are seven-time NCAA Champions. The Blue Devils won their first title in 1999, a second in 2002, third in 2005, fourth in 2006, fifth in 2007, sixth in 2014 and seventh in 2019. Duke became only the second team along with Arizona State to win three straight national titles (1995-97).
Virada Nirapathpongporn (2002), Candy Hannemann (2003), Anna Grzebien (2005) and Virginia Elena Carta (2016) each have won individual titles. The Blue Devils became only the third squad in NCAA history to post the individual champion in two straight years in 2001 and 2002.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's GolfAnna Grzebien Hall of Fame Feature
Saturday, November 02
Duke Athletics: A Tour of Campus
Saturday, October 19
Welcome to Duke
Saturday, October 19
2019 Duke Women's Golf National Championship Feature
Friday, October 11
