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Women's Golf
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Monday, May 10
Columbus, Ohio
Duke University
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NCAA Regional Championship
Photo by: Duke Athletics
No. 2 Blue Devils Prepped for NCAA Regional
5/8/2021 8:43:00 AM | Women's Golf
BLUE DEVILS SEEDED NO. 1 IN COLUMBUS REGIONAL
After being tabbed a No. 1 seed for the 13th time out of the last 20 years, the second-ranked Duke women's golf team will head to Columbus, Ohio, May 10-12 for the NCAA Columbus Regional at the 6,335-yard, par 72 The Ohio State Golf Course - Scarlet Course.
The Blue Devils have been seeded No. 1 a total of 14 times -- 2021, 2019, 2014, 2013, 2010, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1993.
The Blue Devils, who are currently listed at No. 2 in the most recent GolfStat rankings, will be joined in the regional along with Arizona State (7), Virginia (11), Kent State (15), Georgia (18), Vanderbilt (24), Michigan (26), Clemson (30), Oklahoma (33), Kentucky (37), Illinois (42), New Mexico (46), Nebraska (49), Washington (54), Coastal Carolina (67), Campbell (82), Youngstown State and Evansville. The teams are listed in seed order and the rankings in parentheses are from the GolfStat team rankings.
The top four seeds in the regions were – South Carolina (Louisville), Duke (Columbus), Louisiana State (Baton Rouge), Wake Forest (Stanford).
Duke will tee off Monday, May 10 at 8:03 a.m. (ET) off hole No. 1 along with Arizona State and Virginia. Tee times for Tuesday and Wednesday will be determined by standings beginning at 8 a.m. (ET).
The regional will be a three-day, 54-hole tournament with 18 holes played each day. The top six teams and top three individuals (not on one of those six teams) advance to the NCAA Championship to be played May 21-26 at Raptur Course at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
COVERAGE
Fans will be able to follow the action with live scoring at www.GolfStat.com each of the three days.
Golf Channel will deliver expanded coverage of the final day of the NCAA regional championship, Wednesday, May 12. Coverage will feature updates throughout the day that will be published to Golf Channel Digital and through Golf Channel social media handles, concluding with live news segments announcing the teams and individuals who qualified for the national championship.
Coverage can also be found on Duke accounts via Twitter (@DukeWGOLF), Instagram (DukeWGolf) and Facebook (DukeWGolf) for all three days of the regional.
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 second time this season and second straight event.
The Blue Devils will feature two freshmen in a lineup for the NCAA Regional 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 $13,365.25 so far this season and over the four years of the program, it has raised $60,667.25.
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 (10), Gina Kim (15), Anne Chen (43), Phoebe Brinker (59) are in the top 60. In the GolfStat.com listing, Shepherd (11), Brinker (34), Kim (37) and Chen (61) are ranked.
BLUE DEVILS IN THE NCAA'S
This marks the 28th consecutive year there has been a regional system for women's golf. Duke has advanced 24 of the last 26 times, finishing in the top four of the regional in 22 of the 24 years the squad has advanced.
Duke has posted five individual medalists at the regionals as Beth Bauer won the East Regional in 1999 after shooting 74-70-71=215, Virada Nirapathpongporn won in 2001 with a 65-73-71=209, Leigh Anne Hardin won in 2002 with rounds of 71-67-72=210, Anna Grzebien won in 2005 with rounds of 73-69-67=209 and Leona Maguire won in 2015 with rounds of 72-78-72=212.
NCAA REGIONAL EXPERIENCE
Jaravee Boonchant will see action in her third NCAA Regional. As a freshman in 2018, she tied for 23rd with rounds of 72, 72 and 73 for a 217. She also tied for third in 2019 as a sophomore with rounds of 72, 71, 70 and 213. As a freshman, Gina Kim tied for sixth with rounds of 73, 70 and 71 for a 2-under, 214.
Due to COVID-19 shutting down the 2020 postseason, no other Blue Devils have regional experience.
KIM HEADS TO REGIONAL ON FIRE
Duke junior Gina Kim heads into NCAA Regional action as one of the hottest golfers in the nation. Over the last two stroke play events, Kim has shot 18-under-par with four rounds in the 60s.
This includes a 10-under-par, 206, at the ACC Championship as she claimed the ACC individual title and an 8-under, 208, at the Valspar Augusta Invitational.
Kim then went on to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open on May 5.
NCAA REGIONAL TITLES
Duke owns 10 NCAA Regional titles over school history, which ranks second all-time in NCAA action. Southern California owns 13 titles, while Duke (10), UCLA (8), Arizona (5), Arizona State (50 and South Carolina (5) have won five or more regional championships.
The Blue Devils have won regional titles in 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 and 2018.
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 tied for 20th at the ACC Championship marking the third straight top-20 finish in the event.
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 71.90 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.
HEADING BACK TO COLUMBUS
It will mark the first time since 2006 that the Blue Devils have traveled to Columbus, Ohio to play on the Scarlet Course at the Ohio State Golf Club. That 2006 season was very special as Duke won its fourth NCAA Championship, including its second straight crown. The Blue Devils were also a No. 1 seed in Columbus, Ohio in 2000 for the regional and won the event.
TRENDS/NOTES
• Duke is one of four teams at the Columbus Regional, which features two golfers who have won individual events -- Duke (Erica Shepherd, Gina Kim), Arizona State (Linn Grant, Alexandra Forsterling), Kent State (Emily Price, Caley McGinty) and Michigan (Ashley Lau, Hailey Borja).
• Former Duke assistant coach Jan Dowling will be at the Columbus Regional as she is the head coach at Michigan. Dowling was an assistant coach with the Blue Devils for the 2008-09 campaign.
• Gina Kim currently features four eagles on the season, which currently ranks tied for fourth on Duke's record charts. The record is five by Jaravee Boonchant (2017-18), Lindy Duncan (2011-12) and Candy Hannemann (2000-01).
• In the latest ACC stats, Erica Shepherd ranks fifth in stroke average (71.80), while Gina Kim is eighth (72.20).
• 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 a span of two tournaments at the Gamecock Intercollegiate and Valspar Augusta Invitational, Phoebe Brinker 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 seven in three tournaments so far in 2021.
• In the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings, Jaravee Boonchant (63), Gina Kim (39), Erica Shepherd (77) and Phoebe Brinker (152) are in the top 152.
• In three match play events this spring, Jaravee Boonchant is 6-1, while Erica Shepherd is 5-2.
• Erica Shepherd was on the midseason 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 REGIONAL TEAMS
Duke currently features a 9-1 head-to-head ledger against teams attending the Columbus Regional -- Virginia (2-1), Kent State (1-0), Georgia (1-0), Vanderbilt (1-0), Clemson (2-0), Kentucky (1-0) and Coastal Carolina (1-0).
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 2.9 12.7 8.8 30.3
Jaravee Boonchant 2.8 15.8 10.8 33.3
Phoebe Brinker 3.1 12.1 9.5 30.9
Anne Chen 2.9 12.3 11.2 31.4
Megan Furtney 2.2 11.9 8.7 31.7
Erica Shepherd 3.7 13.4 10.5 29.9
BLUE DEVILS WIN ACC, GAMECOCK & CAVALIER MATCH PLAY TITLES
ACC Championship
Duke junior Gina Kim carded her third straight round in the 60s on her way to claiming individual medalist honors at the ACC Championship with a 10-under-par, 206, at the 6,132-yard, par-72 Sedgefield Country Club.
Kim became the 14th Blue Devil to win an ACC crown and marked the 20th ACC individual championship in school history. She matched the lowest 54-hole score in Blue Devil ACC Championship history at 10-under-par along with three-time ACC champion Leona Maguire.
As a team, Duke turned in a two-under, 286, in the third round that included five late birdies to move past Wake Forest and finish with a team-best 11-under-par, 853. By finishing first, the Blue Devils earned the No. 1 seed in match play.
Duke (853) closed action three shots ahead of Wake Forest (856), while Florida State (871), Virginia (876) and Virginia Tech (878) rounded out the top five teams.
The Blue Devils closed action with three golfers in the top eight individually with Kim in first, freshman Anne Chen in fourth and sophomore Erica Shepherd in tied for eighth.
Duke went on to defeat fourth-seeded Virginia, 3-2, in match play to advance to the finals where the Blue Devils downed Florida State, 5-0, to win its 22nd title in school history.
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.
FOUR BLUE DEVILS EARN ALL-ACC; BROOKS COACH OF THE YEAR
The league office released the 15-member All-ACC Women's Golf Team with four Blue Devils earning accolades, while Duke head coach Dan Brooks was tabbed ACC Coach of the Year for the 16th time by a vote of the head coaches.
Receiving All-ACC recognition for the Blue Devils were senior Jaravee Boonchant, junior Gina Kim, sophomore Erica Shepherd and freshman Phoebe Brinker. The four selections by Duke led all schools.
It marked the 14th time in school history and the fifth straight year the Blue Devils have registered four or more All-ACC selections in a single season – 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2013, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999.
Boonchant received All-ACC honors for the third time in her career, after collecting a team-best 71.33 stroke average in two stroke play events this spring. The three-time All-American missed the first two events of 2021, after being delayed from returning from Bangkok, Thailand due to COVID-19 considerations. Boonchant posted a tied for sixth finish at the Valspar Augusta Invitational with rounds of 71, 67 and 60 for an 8-under, 208, in her first tournament back. She also went undefeated in match play at the Big Four Challenge and Cavalier Match Play tournaments, while earning a key, 6&5, victory over Taylor Roberts in the ACC Championship to help lead Duke to the team title over Florida State.
The 2021 ACC Individual Champion, Kim collected All-ACC honors for the second time as a Blue Devil. The junior from Chapel Hill, N.C., turned in an impressive week at the ACC Championship with a 10-under-par, 206, on her way to earning medalist honors. She notched three straight rounds in the 60s, becoming just the second golfer to do so in the championship. Kim went on to clinch both match play wins against Virginia and Florida State to help lead Duke to its 22nd ACC Championship. She has collected a 72.17 stroke average on the season and has shot 18-under over her last two stroke play events.
Receiving All-ACC recognition for the first time in her career, Shepherd has posted a career-best 71.83 stroke average on the year to go along with two top-five and three top-10 finishes for the Blue Devils. She broke through at the Gamecock Intercollegiate with rounds of 79, 70 and 70 for a 7-under, 209, on her way to collecting her first collegiate victory against a solid field. Shepherd, who hails from Greenwood, Ind., turned in a tied for eighth finish in her first ACC Championship, including a 2UP win in match play to help lead Duke to the ACC team title over FSU.
Brinker was one of only three freshmen on the All-ACC team, after collecting a 73.42 stroke average and two top-three finishes. In the Valspar Augusta Invitational, Brinker posted rounds of 64, 71 and 71 for a 10-under, 206, on her way to finishing tied for second. The 10-under score tied a Duke freshman record, while her 8-under, 64, in the first round set a Blue Devil freshman record. She also carded a tied for third finish at the Gamecock Intercollegiate with a 2-under, 214. Brinker, a native of Wilmington, Del., turned in an impressive 2-0 record in match play at the ACC Championship to help lead the Blue Devils to the ACC title.
Brooks, in his 37th season at Duke, has led the Blue Devils to a No. 2 overall ranking and three victories on the year – Gamecock Intercollegiate, Cavalier Match Play and at the ACC Championship. He has guided Duke to a No. 1 overall seed in the Columbus Regional, which will begin May 10 in Columbus, Ohio. It marked the 14th time out of the last 21 years the Blue Devils have been selected as a No. 1 seed in regional play. Brooks now owns 140 all-time wins as a head coach, which continues to lead all NCAA Division I coaches.
Other years Brooks has been named ACC Coach of the Year has been 2018, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996 and 1993.
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.
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 140 career tournament wins over his 37 seasons. He has guided Duke to at least one victory in 36 of his 37 years.
In the Columbus Regional, two of the top three all-time winningest coaches will be in attendance with Brooks and John Crooks of Campbell.
NCAA All-Time Winningest Coaches
140 - Dan Brooks (1985-present), Duke
91 - Mark Gale (1978-1996), San Jose State
90 - John Crooks (1991-present), Campbell
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 21 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 140 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, 2014 and 2021 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).
KIM QUALIFIES FOR U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN
Duke junior Gina Kim continued her stellar play as she earned a spot in the 2021 U.S. Women's Open, which took place at Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C.
Kim, a product of Chapel Hill, N.C., carded back-to-back rounds of 71 on March 4 to finish tied for second with a 2-under, 142, along with three other golfers – Blue Devil senior Jaravee Boonchant, Natalie Srinivasan and Haylee Hartford. Boonchant will be listed as second alternate from the qualifying site for the U.S. Women's Open.
All four golfers had to return to the course May 5 for a playoff for the chance to earn two open spots in the U.S. Women's Open. Starting on hole No. 1, the golfers parred the hole and then went to No. 18 where Hartford and Kim rolled in birdies to receive the two invitations to the open.
Boonchant, a three-time All-American with the Blue Devils, posted rounds of 72 and 70 Wednesday, before falling in a playoff. Lauren Stephenson earned the other qualifying spot with a 7-under, 137, to lead the field.
It will mark the third appearance in the U.S. Women's Open for Kim as she competed in the 2018 and 2019 events. In 2019, she finished as low amateur with rounds of 66, 72, 73 and 72 for a 1-under, 283, which was tied for 12th overall. Kim's first round score of 66 was the lowest 18-hole score in U.S. Women's Open history by an amateur.
SHEPHERD, KIM NAMED TO 2021 U.S. ARNOLD PALMER CUP SQUAD
Duke standouts Erica Shepherd and Gina Kim have been named to the United States 2021 Arnold Palmer Cup team.
A total of 36 golfers were named for the event that will take place at Rich Harvest Farms June 11-13.
Kim returns for a second straight year, while Shepherd will make her first appearance in the Arnold Palmer Cup. The Blue Devil duo will be joined by Duke associate head coach Jon Whithaus, who will be an assistant coach on the U.S. squad.
The United States team will be led by a group of returners from the 2020 Palmer Cup in Julia Johnson (Ole Miss), Kim (Duke), Emilia Migliaccio (Wake Forest), and Latanna Stone (LSU). They will be joined by Allisen Corpuz (Southern California), Rachel Kuehn (Wake Forest), Brooke Matthews (Arkansas), Hanna Harrison (Dallas Baptist), Lauren Hartlage (Louisville), Irene Kim (Northwestern) and Shepherd (Duke).
The International team will be represented by Ingrid Lindblad (LSU/Sweden), Paulne Roussin-Bouchard (South Carolina/France), Emma Spitz (UCLA/Austria), Agathe Laisne (Texas/France), Isabella Fierro (Oklahoma State/Mexico), Karen Fredgaard (Houston/Sweden), Ana Pelaez Trivino (South Carolina/Spain), Virunpat Olankitkunchai (Maryland/Thailand), Emily Price (Kent State/England), Beatrice Wallin (Florida State/Sweden), and Lauren Walsh (Wake Forest/Ireland).
It will mark the fourth straight year Duke has featured a golfer in the annual event as Jaravee Boonchant (2018), Ana Belac (2019) and Kim (2020) participated. Blue Devil head coach Dan Brooks was the United States coach in 2020 as well.
WHITHAUS SELECTED U.S. ARNOLD PALMER CUP ASSISTANT COACH
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 PRACTIES WITH CURTIS CUP SQUAD
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.
After being tabbed a No. 1 seed for the 13th time out of the last 20 years, the second-ranked Duke women's golf team will head to Columbus, Ohio, May 10-12 for the NCAA Columbus Regional at the 6,335-yard, par 72 The Ohio State Golf Course - Scarlet Course.
The Blue Devils have been seeded No. 1 a total of 14 times -- 2021, 2019, 2014, 2013, 2010, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1993.
The Blue Devils, who are currently listed at No. 2 in the most recent GolfStat rankings, will be joined in the regional along with Arizona State (7), Virginia (11), Kent State (15), Georgia (18), Vanderbilt (24), Michigan (26), Clemson (30), Oklahoma (33), Kentucky (37), Illinois (42), New Mexico (46), Nebraska (49), Washington (54), Coastal Carolina (67), Campbell (82), Youngstown State and Evansville. The teams are listed in seed order and the rankings in parentheses are from the GolfStat team rankings.
The top four seeds in the regions were – South Carolina (Louisville), Duke (Columbus), Louisiana State (Baton Rouge), Wake Forest (Stanford).
Duke will tee off Monday, May 10 at 8:03 a.m. (ET) off hole No. 1 along with Arizona State and Virginia. Tee times for Tuesday and Wednesday will be determined by standings beginning at 8 a.m. (ET).
The regional will be a three-day, 54-hole tournament with 18 holes played each day. The top six teams and top three individuals (not on one of those six teams) advance to the NCAA Championship to be played May 21-26 at Raptur Course at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
COVERAGE
Fans will be able to follow the action with live scoring at www.GolfStat.com each of the three days.
Golf Channel will deliver expanded coverage of the final day of the NCAA regional championship, Wednesday, May 12. Coverage will feature updates throughout the day that will be published to Golf Channel Digital and through Golf Channel social media handles, concluding with live news segments announcing the teams and individuals who qualified for the national championship.
Coverage can also be found on Duke accounts via Twitter (@DukeWGOLF), Instagram (DukeWGolf) and Facebook (DukeWGolf) for all three days of the regional.
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 second time this season and second straight event.
The Blue Devils will feature two freshmen in a lineup for the NCAA Regional 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 $13,365.25 so far this season and over the four years of the program, it has raised $60,667.25.
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 (10), Gina Kim (15), Anne Chen (43), Phoebe Brinker (59) are in the top 60. In the GolfStat.com listing, Shepherd (11), Brinker (34), Kim (37) and Chen (61) are ranked.
BLUE DEVILS IN THE NCAA'S
This marks the 28th consecutive year there has been a regional system for women's golf. Duke has advanced 24 of the last 26 times, finishing in the top four of the regional in 22 of the 24 years the squad has advanced.
Duke has posted five individual medalists at the regionals as Beth Bauer won the East Regional in 1999 after shooting 74-70-71=215, Virada Nirapathpongporn won in 2001 with a 65-73-71=209, Leigh Anne Hardin won in 2002 with rounds of 71-67-72=210, Anna Grzebien won in 2005 with rounds of 73-69-67=209 and Leona Maguire won in 2015 with rounds of 72-78-72=212.
NCAA REGIONAL EXPERIENCE
Jaravee Boonchant will see action in her third NCAA Regional. As a freshman in 2018, she tied for 23rd with rounds of 72, 72 and 73 for a 217. She also tied for third in 2019 as a sophomore with rounds of 72, 71, 70 and 213. As a freshman, Gina Kim tied for sixth with rounds of 73, 70 and 71 for a 2-under, 214.
Due to COVID-19 shutting down the 2020 postseason, no other Blue Devils have regional experience.
KIM HEADS TO REGIONAL ON FIRE
Duke junior Gina Kim heads into NCAA Regional action as one of the hottest golfers in the nation. Over the last two stroke play events, Kim has shot 18-under-par with four rounds in the 60s.
This includes a 10-under-par, 206, at the ACC Championship as she claimed the ACC individual title and an 8-under, 208, at the Valspar Augusta Invitational.
Kim then went on to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open on May 5.
NCAA REGIONAL TITLES
Duke owns 10 NCAA Regional titles over school history, which ranks second all-time in NCAA action. Southern California owns 13 titles, while Duke (10), UCLA (8), Arizona (5), Arizona State (50 and South Carolina (5) have won five or more regional championships.
The Blue Devils have won regional titles in 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 and 2018.
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 tied for 20th at the ACC Championship marking the third straight top-20 finish in the event.
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 71.90 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.
HEADING BACK TO COLUMBUS
It will mark the first time since 2006 that the Blue Devils have traveled to Columbus, Ohio to play on the Scarlet Course at the Ohio State Golf Club. That 2006 season was very special as Duke won its fourth NCAA Championship, including its second straight crown. The Blue Devils were also a No. 1 seed in Columbus, Ohio in 2000 for the regional and won the event.
TRENDS/NOTES
• Duke is one of four teams at the Columbus Regional, which features two golfers who have won individual events -- Duke (Erica Shepherd, Gina Kim), Arizona State (Linn Grant, Alexandra Forsterling), Kent State (Emily Price, Caley McGinty) and Michigan (Ashley Lau, Hailey Borja).
• Former Duke assistant coach Jan Dowling will be at the Columbus Regional as she is the head coach at Michigan. Dowling was an assistant coach with the Blue Devils for the 2008-09 campaign.
• Gina Kim currently features four eagles on the season, which currently ranks tied for fourth on Duke's record charts. The record is five by Jaravee Boonchant (2017-18), Lindy Duncan (2011-12) and Candy Hannemann (2000-01).
• In the latest ACC stats, Erica Shepherd ranks fifth in stroke average (71.80), while Gina Kim is eighth (72.20).
• 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 a span of two tournaments at the Gamecock Intercollegiate and Valspar Augusta Invitational, Phoebe Brinker 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 seven in three tournaments so far in 2021.
• In the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings, Jaravee Boonchant (63), Gina Kim (39), Erica Shepherd (77) and Phoebe Brinker (152) are in the top 152.
• In three match play events this spring, Jaravee Boonchant is 6-1, while Erica Shepherd is 5-2.
• Erica Shepherd was on the midseason 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 REGIONAL TEAMS
Duke currently features a 9-1 head-to-head ledger against teams attending the Columbus Regional -- Virginia (2-1), Kent State (1-0), Georgia (1-0), Vanderbilt (1-0), Clemson (2-0), Kentucky (1-0) and Coastal Carolina (1-0).
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 2.9 12.7 8.8 30.3
Jaravee Boonchant 2.8 15.8 10.8 33.3
Phoebe Brinker 3.1 12.1 9.5 30.9
Anne Chen 2.9 12.3 11.2 31.4
Megan Furtney 2.2 11.9 8.7 31.7
Erica Shepherd 3.7 13.4 10.5 29.9
BLUE DEVILS WIN ACC, GAMECOCK & CAVALIER MATCH PLAY TITLES
ACC Championship
Duke junior Gina Kim carded her third straight round in the 60s on her way to claiming individual medalist honors at the ACC Championship with a 10-under-par, 206, at the 6,132-yard, par-72 Sedgefield Country Club.
Kim became the 14th Blue Devil to win an ACC crown and marked the 20th ACC individual championship in school history. She matched the lowest 54-hole score in Blue Devil ACC Championship history at 10-under-par along with three-time ACC champion Leona Maguire.
As a team, Duke turned in a two-under, 286, in the third round that included five late birdies to move past Wake Forest and finish with a team-best 11-under-par, 853. By finishing first, the Blue Devils earned the No. 1 seed in match play.
Duke (853) closed action three shots ahead of Wake Forest (856), while Florida State (871), Virginia (876) and Virginia Tech (878) rounded out the top five teams.
The Blue Devils closed action with three golfers in the top eight individually with Kim in first, freshman Anne Chen in fourth and sophomore Erica Shepherd in tied for eighth.
Duke went on to defeat fourth-seeded Virginia, 3-2, in match play to advance to the finals where the Blue Devils downed Florida State, 5-0, to win its 22nd title in school history.
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.
FOUR BLUE DEVILS EARN ALL-ACC; BROOKS COACH OF THE YEAR
The league office released the 15-member All-ACC Women's Golf Team with four Blue Devils earning accolades, while Duke head coach Dan Brooks was tabbed ACC Coach of the Year for the 16th time by a vote of the head coaches.
Receiving All-ACC recognition for the Blue Devils were senior Jaravee Boonchant, junior Gina Kim, sophomore Erica Shepherd and freshman Phoebe Brinker. The four selections by Duke led all schools.
It marked the 14th time in school history and the fifth straight year the Blue Devils have registered four or more All-ACC selections in a single season – 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2013, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999.
Boonchant received All-ACC honors for the third time in her career, after collecting a team-best 71.33 stroke average in two stroke play events this spring. The three-time All-American missed the first two events of 2021, after being delayed from returning from Bangkok, Thailand due to COVID-19 considerations. Boonchant posted a tied for sixth finish at the Valspar Augusta Invitational with rounds of 71, 67 and 60 for an 8-under, 208, in her first tournament back. She also went undefeated in match play at the Big Four Challenge and Cavalier Match Play tournaments, while earning a key, 6&5, victory over Taylor Roberts in the ACC Championship to help lead Duke to the team title over Florida State.
The 2021 ACC Individual Champion, Kim collected All-ACC honors for the second time as a Blue Devil. The junior from Chapel Hill, N.C., turned in an impressive week at the ACC Championship with a 10-under-par, 206, on her way to earning medalist honors. She notched three straight rounds in the 60s, becoming just the second golfer to do so in the championship. Kim went on to clinch both match play wins against Virginia and Florida State to help lead Duke to its 22nd ACC Championship. She has collected a 72.17 stroke average on the season and has shot 18-under over her last two stroke play events.
Receiving All-ACC recognition for the first time in her career, Shepherd has posted a career-best 71.83 stroke average on the year to go along with two top-five and three top-10 finishes for the Blue Devils. She broke through at the Gamecock Intercollegiate with rounds of 79, 70 and 70 for a 7-under, 209, on her way to collecting her first collegiate victory against a solid field. Shepherd, who hails from Greenwood, Ind., turned in a tied for eighth finish in her first ACC Championship, including a 2UP win in match play to help lead Duke to the ACC team title over FSU.
Brinker was one of only three freshmen on the All-ACC team, after collecting a 73.42 stroke average and two top-three finishes. In the Valspar Augusta Invitational, Brinker posted rounds of 64, 71 and 71 for a 10-under, 206, on her way to finishing tied for second. The 10-under score tied a Duke freshman record, while her 8-under, 64, in the first round set a Blue Devil freshman record. She also carded a tied for third finish at the Gamecock Intercollegiate with a 2-under, 214. Brinker, a native of Wilmington, Del., turned in an impressive 2-0 record in match play at the ACC Championship to help lead the Blue Devils to the ACC title.
Brooks, in his 37th season at Duke, has led the Blue Devils to a No. 2 overall ranking and three victories on the year – Gamecock Intercollegiate, Cavalier Match Play and at the ACC Championship. He has guided Duke to a No. 1 overall seed in the Columbus Regional, which will begin May 10 in Columbus, Ohio. It marked the 14th time out of the last 21 years the Blue Devils have been selected as a No. 1 seed in regional play. Brooks now owns 140 all-time wins as a head coach, which continues to lead all NCAA Division I coaches.
Other years Brooks has been named ACC Coach of the Year has been 2018, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996 and 1993.
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.
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 140 career tournament wins over his 37 seasons. He has guided Duke to at least one victory in 36 of his 37 years.
In the Columbus Regional, two of the top three all-time winningest coaches will be in attendance with Brooks and John Crooks of Campbell.
NCAA All-Time Winningest Coaches
140 - Dan Brooks (1985-present), Duke
91 - Mark Gale (1978-1996), San Jose State
90 - John Crooks (1991-present), Campbell
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 21 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 140 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, 2014 and 2021 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).
KIM QUALIFIES FOR U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN
Duke junior Gina Kim continued her stellar play as she earned a spot in the 2021 U.S. Women's Open, which took place at Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C.
Kim, a product of Chapel Hill, N.C., carded back-to-back rounds of 71 on March 4 to finish tied for second with a 2-under, 142, along with three other golfers – Blue Devil senior Jaravee Boonchant, Natalie Srinivasan and Haylee Hartford. Boonchant will be listed as second alternate from the qualifying site for the U.S. Women's Open.
All four golfers had to return to the course May 5 for a playoff for the chance to earn two open spots in the U.S. Women's Open. Starting on hole No. 1, the golfers parred the hole and then went to No. 18 where Hartford and Kim rolled in birdies to receive the two invitations to the open.
Boonchant, a three-time All-American with the Blue Devils, posted rounds of 72 and 70 Wednesday, before falling in a playoff. Lauren Stephenson earned the other qualifying spot with a 7-under, 137, to lead the field.
It will mark the third appearance in the U.S. Women's Open for Kim as she competed in the 2018 and 2019 events. In 2019, she finished as low amateur with rounds of 66, 72, 73 and 72 for a 1-under, 283, which was tied for 12th overall. Kim's first round score of 66 was the lowest 18-hole score in U.S. Women's Open history by an amateur.
SHEPHERD, KIM NAMED TO 2021 U.S. ARNOLD PALMER CUP SQUAD
Duke standouts Erica Shepherd and Gina Kim have been named to the United States 2021 Arnold Palmer Cup team.
A total of 36 golfers were named for the event that will take place at Rich Harvest Farms June 11-13.
Kim returns for a second straight year, while Shepherd will make her first appearance in the Arnold Palmer Cup. The Blue Devil duo will be joined by Duke associate head coach Jon Whithaus, who will be an assistant coach on the U.S. squad.
The United States team will be led by a group of returners from the 2020 Palmer Cup in Julia Johnson (Ole Miss), Kim (Duke), Emilia Migliaccio (Wake Forest), and Latanna Stone (LSU). They will be joined by Allisen Corpuz (Southern California), Rachel Kuehn (Wake Forest), Brooke Matthews (Arkansas), Hanna Harrison (Dallas Baptist), Lauren Hartlage (Louisville), Irene Kim (Northwestern) and Shepherd (Duke).
The International team will be represented by Ingrid Lindblad (LSU/Sweden), Paulne Roussin-Bouchard (South Carolina/France), Emma Spitz (UCLA/Austria), Agathe Laisne (Texas/France), Isabella Fierro (Oklahoma State/Mexico), Karen Fredgaard (Houston/Sweden), Ana Pelaez Trivino (South Carolina/Spain), Virunpat Olankitkunchai (Maryland/Thailand), Emily Price (Kent State/England), Beatrice Wallin (Florida State/Sweden), and Lauren Walsh (Wake Forest/Ireland).
It will mark the fourth straight year Duke has featured a golfer in the annual event as Jaravee Boonchant (2018), Ana Belac (2019) and Kim (2020) participated. Blue Devil head coach Dan Brooks was the United States coach in 2020 as well.
WHITHAUS SELECTED U.S. ARNOLD PALMER CUP ASSISTANT COACH
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 PRACTIES WITH CURTIS CUP SQUAD
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
