Blue Devils Head to Pawley's Island for ACC Championship

2022 ACC Championship
April 14-17, 2022 • Pawley's Island, S.C.
The Reserve Golf Course
54 Holes Stroke Play; Top 4 to Match Play

Live Scoring l Semifinals – ACCNX l Finals - ACCNX

DUKE HEADS TO ACC CHAMPIONSHIP LOOKING FOR 23rd TITLE
   The Duke women's golf team will head to the ACC Championship this week in search of its 23rd title in school history. The championship will take place from April 14-17 and will be contested at the 6,212-yard, par 72 The Reserve Golf Course in Pawley's Island, S.C.
   The format of the championship will feature 36 holes of stroke play on April 14 followed by 18 holes of stroke play on April 15 to decide an individual champion. The top four teams in stroke play following 54 holes will advance to match play on April 16 and April 17 to decide a team champion.
   The 2022 event will mark the 33rd ACC Championship in league history and the second appearance at The Reserve Golf Course. It returns to The Reserve Golf Course for the second time with the other appearance coming in 2017. Duke won the event with a 54-hole score of 859, which was nine shots better than Florida State (868). Leona Maguire won the individual title with a 6-under, 210.
   The Blue Devils have had a history of success at the ACC Championship, claiming 22 titles in program history, including six out of the last nine years (2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2021). Duke has also collected ACC Individual Champions in 15 of the past 22 events. Head coach Dan Brooks has led the squad to 21 of the 22 championships over his 38 seasons at Duke.

COVERAGE
   Fans will be able to follow the action with live scoring at www.GolfStat.com while ACC Network Extra will provide coverage for the semifinals and finals of match play on Saturday and Sunday.   A championship recap show will air April 25 at 7 p.m. on ACC Network. Everyone can also follow along on Twitter (@DukeWGOLF), Instagram (DukeWGolf) and Facebook.

THE SEEDINGS/PAIRINGS
   The seedings for the 2022 ACC Championship were done by GolfStat ranking -- Wake Forest (1), Virginia (2), Florida State (3), Duke (4), Virginia Tech (5), Clemson (6), Louisville (7), North Carolina (8), Miami (9), NC State (10), Notre Dame (11) and Boston College (12).
   Duke will tee off on Thursday, April 14 in the first round beginning at 8:00 a.m., through 8:50 a.m., off hole No. 1. On Friday, April 15, tee times will be from 9-10:30 a.m., off split tees followed by the individual champion awards ceremony and match play lineup announcements. Match play action will go from 9-10:30 a.m., Saturday, April 16 with the championship team match play lineups announced after the matches are concluded. Sunday's championship match will tee off from 9-9:40 a.m.

THE DUKE LINEUP
   Duke will feature a lineup of juniors Erica Shepherd and Megan Furtney, sophomores Phoebe Brinker and Anne Chen and freshman Rylie Heflin.

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 $9,051 so far this season and over the four years of the program, it has raised $77,389.10.
   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. 24 in the latest GolfStat.com, No. 23 in the WGCA Coaches Poll and No. 23 in the Golfweek ledgers.
   Individually, in the Golfweek rankings -- Erica Shepherd (38), Anne Chen (57) and Phoebe Brinker (121) are listed. In the GolfStat.com listing, Shepherd (39), Chen (61) and Brinker (135) are ranked.

TRENDS/NOTES
   •   In the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings, Erica Shepherd (42), Anne Chen (119) and Phoebe Brinker (123) are in the top 150.
   •   In the fall, Erica Shepherd was on the ANNIKA Award Watch list.
   •   With Gina Kim turning professional, Duke features a roster this spring without any seniors for only the second time over the last 23 years. The only other time was in the 2011-12 campaign.

AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR
   Duke featured two golfers competing in the third Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship held in Augusta, Ga., from March 30 through April 2.
   Phoebe Brinker and Erica Shepherd missed the cut, but still were able to play a practice round at Augusta National Golf Club on Friday, April 1. Brinker turned in rounds of 73 and 80 for a 153, while Shepherd signed for rounds of 79 and 77. Shepherd had made the cut in the first two appearances.

AVERAGES
   Go in depth with the Blue Devils to see how many birdies, greens, fairways and putts they average during rounds in 2021-22.

          Birdies   Greens   Fairways   Putts
Phoebe Brinker           2.4      12.6         9.7          32.9
Anne Chen                 3.1        12.7        10.8        30.6
Megan Furtney           1.8        10.0          7.2        32.1
Rylie Heflin                 2.5        12.4          9.7        32.0
Erica Shepherd    3.0       12.4          10.5        30.8

ACC CHAMPIONS
   A total of 14 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; Gina Kim, 2021.
   As a team, Duke has won 22 ACC titles -- 1984, 1985, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2021. The Blue Devils won 13 in a row from 1996-2008.

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE
   Duke will travel a team that features very little experience playing in the ACC Championship. Erica Shepherd, Phoebe Brinker and Anne Chen will all see action in their second ACC Championship since the league did not compete for a title in 2020.
   All three were members of the 2021 squad that won the ACC Championship at Sedgefield Country Club last year. Megan Furtney and Rylie Heflin will be seeing action in their first postseason.
   Shepherd placed tied for eighth last year with rounds of 76, 67 and 73 for an even-par, 216. Chen turned in a fourth place ledger with rounds of 71, 71 and 71 for a 3-under, 213. Brinker was tied for 32nd with scores of 74, 74 and 78 for a 226.

LAST TIME IN PAWLEY'S ISLAND
   For the 20th time in school history, Duke won an ACC Championship as the Blue Devils turned in a five-under-par 54-hole ledger of 859 to win by nine strokes at the 6,192-yard, par 72 The Reserve Golf Club in Pawleys Island, S.C. Duke junior Leona Maguire claimed individual medalist honors for the second time over the last three years as she carded a six-under-par, 210, to win by two strokes.
   As a team, Duke registered rounds of 284, 286 and 289 over three days for an 859 ledger, which was nine strokes better than Florida State (868). Miami (874), North Carolina (876) and Clemson (877) rounded out the top-five teams.
   The Blue Devils won the ACC Championship for the 19th time under head coach Dan Brooks and the 20th time overall. It also marked the 16th time Duke swept both the team and individual titles. The championship was the first for the Blue Devils since the 2014 campaign and the second for lone senior Sandy Choi.
   Duke featured a nine-stroke advantage heading into the final round, but the Blue Devils struggled during holes four through nine on the front nine to drop back into a tie for first at one-over-par with Florida State. The Blue Devils responded in a big way with collecting 11 back nine birdies on their way to closing out the victory.
   All five Blue Devils finished in the top 17 of the individual listing – Choi (T4), Ana Belac (T14), Virginia Elena Carta (T17) and Gurbani Singh (T17).

LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR
   Duke hoisted its 22nd ACC Championship trophy at Sedgefield Country Club as the top-seeded Blue Devils defeated third-seeded Florida State, 5-0, in match play to claim the title in Greensboro, N.C.
   Duke received match play victories from freshman Phoebe Brinker, senior Jaravee Boonchant, junior Gina Kim, freshman Anne Chen and sophomore Erica Shepherd to claim the sixth ACC title over the last nine years and its fourth at Sedgefield. It marked Blue Devil head coach Dan Brooks' 21st ACC Championship over his 37 years at Duke.
   The Blue Devils registered a 3-2 victory over Virginia in the semifinals to advance to the championship. Duke received wins from Kim, Brinker and Chen.
   In stroke play action, Kim won the individual title with rounds of 68, 69 and 69 for a 10-under, 206. The Blue Devils earned the top seed in match play with rounds of 286, 281 and 286 for an 11-under, 853.

ANNE CHEN NETS VICTORY
   Sophomore Anne Chen carded a career-low 6-under-par, 66, to close the Chattanooga Classic on her way to finishing the 54 holes with a career-best 9-under-par, 207, to claim the individual title at the 6,234-yard, par-72 Council Fire Golf Club in Chattanooga, Tenn.
   The win for Chen was her first as a Blue Devil and the first individual title for the Duke team in 2021-22. Her bogey-free round of 66 and her 54-hole score of 9-under, 207, were both tournament records.
   Trailing by two strokes heading into the final round, Chen had things dialed in from the beginning as she parred the first two holes and then rolled in an 8-footer for birdie on No. 3. After two more pars, she took control of the leaderboard as she drained a 6-foot birdie on the sixth hole, parred No. 7 and then collected back-to-back birdies. On No. 8, she sank an 18-footer for birdie and then hit her pitching wedge from 106 yards on No. 9 to three feet for birdie.
   Chen, who is from Sugar Land, Texas, made the turn at 4-under, 32, and had the individual lead. She was solid on the back nine with seven pars and two birdies. On the 521-yard, par-5 11th, Chen hit her 3-hybrid from 223 yards to the side of the green. She putted from off the fringe to two feet for birdie and finished it off to move to 5-under. Chen closed the day with her sixth birdie as she hit her 3-wood from 237 yards to the front of the green, putted from the fringe to three feet for birdie. She tied a career best with 17 greens, 12 fairways and rolled 29 putts on the final day.
   It marked her first bogey-free round of Chen's collegiate career.
   Chen won the tournament by five strokes ahead of East Carolina's Kathryn Carson and UTSA's Ana Gonzalez (212).

KIM TURNS PROFESSIONAL
   Duke senior Gina Kim announced on Jan. 12 she would turn professional and forgo her remaining eligibility with the Blue Devils. She was set to make her LPGA debut this spring, after earning her LPGA Tour card in December at Q Series.
   Kim, a native of Durham, N.C., made an immediate impact for Duke since arriving in 2018-19 as she played a pivotal role in helping lead the Blue Devils to the NCAA Championship in 2019 in Fayetteville, Ark. She went on to earn All-America honors on two occasions, All-ACC in 2019 and 2021 and Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Scholar All-American accolades all three years.
   This past year, Kim shot 10-under-par at the ACC Championship on her way to winning the ACC Individual title, while also going 2-0 in match play to help lead the Blue Devils to their 21st ACC Championship in school history. Kim went on to finish tied for fifth at the NCAA Championship to become the fourth Duke golfer to place in the top-10 at the NCAA Championship in her first two appearances.
   In 24 tournaments over her Duke career, Kim turned in a 72.92 stroke average to go along with two victories, five top-five finishes, eight top-10 placements and 12 top-20 finishes. She collected 35 rounds of even or under par and eight scores in the 60s.
   Kim represented the United States at the 2021 Arnold Palmer Cup and the Curtis Cup, helping the squads to victories in both events.
   At LPGA Q Series in the fall, Kim carded rounds of 70, 72, 71 and 73 for an even-par, 286, which was tied for 52nd. She opened the second week on fire with a 66 and 70, before closing with rounds of 71 and 76 to finish with a 5-under, 569. In stage one of LPGA Qualifying School, Kim collected rounds of 71, 69, 66 and 67 for a 15-under, 273, to place first.

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 38 seasons. He has guided Duke to at least one victory in 37 of his 38 years. Brooks is still looking for a win in the 2021-22 campaign.

THE HEAD COACH
   Dan Brooks is in his 38th 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 34 times, while 23 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), 2019 (1st), 2021 (semis).
   In 38 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, 2018 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).

BROOKS TO BE INDUCTED INTO NC SPORTS HALL OF FAME IN APRIL
   The North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame announced in January that Duke head coach Dan Brooks was one of 10 that will be part of its 2022 induction class. Brooks and the rest of the inductees will be enshrined during the 58th annual induction banquet on the evening of Friday, April 22 at the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh, N.C.
   A news conference will occur earlier in the day at 12 p.m., at the North Carolina Museum of History.
   Along with Brooks, Luke Appling, Missouri Arledge, Ronnie Barnes, Henry Bibby, Torry Holt, Sam Mills, Timmy Newsome, Dave Robbins and Tom Suiter will be inducted. In addition to the 2022 inductees, Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues also will officially join the NCSHOF. He was elected previously but could not attend the 2021 banquet, so he will be formally inducted with the 2022 class.
   In his 38th season at Duke, Brooks has captured a remarkable seven national titles in the last 23 years, in addition to 21 career ACC championships and 140 team wins – the most of any women's golf coach in NCAA Division I history.
   Brooks, a native of Baker City, Ore., is a seven-time National Coach of the Year and 16-time ACC Coach of the Year selection. His seven national championships are the most by any Division I head coach in history. Brooks has led Duke to 14 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championship since 2004 and 18 total top five placements in school history. He has guided 20 individuals to ACC crowns, 38 to All-ACC selections and 26 All-Americans.
   An Oregon State graduate, Brooks is also a member of the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA), Duke Hall of Fame and the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA).

BRINKER TO HOST IMPACT CUP
   Duke sophomore Phoebe Brinker, along with her good friend Taylor Roberts of Florida, will host the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Impact Cup July 25-26, 2022 at the Bobby Jones Golf Club and East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga.
   The Impact Cup is a unique college golf event providing competitive golfers the opportunity to showcase their golf talents and develop important life skills such as community outreach, leadership and teamwork. Participants will gain a greater understanding and knowledge of charitable giving while being celebrated for their accomplishments.
   The goal for the 2022 Impact Cup is to raise $100,000 for the Generation Next Project and the AJGA's ACE Grant Program. For more information on tournament partnership, contact bdockter@ajga.org.
   On Monday, July 25, golfers will tee off beginning at Bobby Jones Golf Club. On Tuesday, there will be a mental health walk at 8:30 a.m., followed by tee times starting at 10:30 a.m., at the East Lake Golf Club.
   Each golfer that accepts an invitation to play in the Impact Cup will agree to raise at least $1,000 for Generation Next Project and the AJGA's ACE Grant Program.
   In 2020, both Brinker and Roberts hosted the Senior Cup with the help of the AJGA. The Senior Cup was held for high school golfers whose senior seasons were cut short due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The event benefited the Emergency Golf Relief Fund and the American Junior Golf Association's Achieving Competitive Excellence Grant. It was played as a Ryder-Cup style tournament and was hosted at the Parkland Golf & Country Club in July of 2020.
   The Senior Cup was a great success as it raised $40,000.

BRINKER WINS TOM COUSINS AWARD AT EAST LAKE CUP
   At the East Lake Cup in the fall in Atlanta, Ga., sophomore Phoebe Brinker was presented with the seventh annual Tom Cousins Award. The honor recognizes a collegiate golfer(s) best representing the values of the award: excelling in academics and engagement in the community.
   Brinker, a product of Wilmington, Del., organized the 2020 Senior Cup along with fellow golfer Taylor Roberts when they were seniors in high school. With the help of the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Leadership Links, the duo hosted high school seniors who would shortly make the transition to collegiate golf in a Ryder Cup style match play tournament. The event was a final "send-off" for high school seniors after the cancellation of their final spring and summer junior golf season. More importantly Roberts and Brinker raised over $40,000 for the Emergency Golf Relief Fund and the AJGA's Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant.
   The Emergency Golf Relief Fund focuses on providing grants to industry professionals, inclusive of golf association members, employees of local/state associations, caddies and certain professionals playing on developmental tours to help offset financial hardships due to COVID-19, such as living and medical expenses. This foundation supports a wide range of people in the golf industry, allowing them to continue working in golf and spreading the sport to their communities.
   The AJGA ACE Grant benefits junior golfers who aspire to play collegiate golf by providing financial support. By helping players and their families afford the price that comes with playing golf, the AJGA ACE Grant has opened doors for countless junior golfers to earn college scholarships. Proceeds from the Senior Cup went directly to supporting juniors who may have never had the opportunity to play college golf.
   It marked the second time Duke has won the Tom Cousins Award as the entire Blue Devil squad received the honor in 2019 for creating the Birdies for Babies program that raises money for the Duke Children's Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units.

SIX BLUE DEVILS ON LPGA
   The Duke women's golf program once again have a heavy influence on the LPGA as the tour opened the 2022 season in January in Florida. The Blue Devils have six former golfers on the tour with Ana Belac, Celine Boutier, Gina Kim, Brittany Lang, Yu Liu and Leona Maguire competing.
   Duke also features Virginia Elena Carta, Laetitia Beck, Jaravee Boonchant, Lindy Duncan and Miranda Wang competing in LPGA Monday qualifiers, Epson Tour, Cactus Tour and Ladies European Tour events.

BLUE DEVILS ADD SMITH FOR 2022-23
   Duke head coach Dan Brooks added another top recruit to the Blue Devil program in November, signing Andie Smith for the 2022-23 campaign.
   Smith, a six-time winner on the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), has collected victories at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational Junior honoring Jim Bell, 2019 AJGA Junior at Naples, 2019 South Florida Junior PGA Championship, 2019 Qualifier for AJGA Junior at Victoria Hills and the 2018 AJGA Preview at The Seagate.
   A 5-4 native of Hobe Sound, Fla., Smith attends The Benjamin School located in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Smith is coming off winning the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) 4-1A State Championship this week, where she carded back-to-back rounds of 69. She also recently fired a 6-under, 66, to win the FHSAA Region 4-1A Championship at Crandon Park.
   Smith has finished in the top-13 of the FHSAA 4-1A State Championship each of the last five years – earning first (senior year), third (junior year), fifth (sophomore year), 13th (freshman year) and 10th (eighth grade). She is a three-time TC Palm All-Area First Team selection and a three-time District Champion (2018, 2019, 2021). Smith was also the 2020 TC Palm Golfer of the Decade and the Pine School MVP from 2017-20.
   At the Sea Island Women's Amateur in 2021, Smith carded rounds of 69, 72 and 69 as she finished tied for seventh. She owns 21 top-10 finishes, 15 top-5 placements and 22 top-20 finishes on the AJGA since 2018.

SHEPHERD ENJOYS PRACTICE SESSION WITH CURTIS CUP SQUAD
   In preparation for the 2022 Curtis Cup, the United States Golf Association (USGA) International Team Selection Working Group invited Duke junior Erica Shepherd, along with 11 other golfers, to attend a practice session Jan. 15-16 at Mountain Lake Golf Club in Lake Wales, Fla.
   The 42nd Curtis Cup Match will take place June 10-12, at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.
   Shepherd was one of three USGA champions among the players invited: Castle (2021 U.S. Women's Amateur), Shepherd (2017 U.S. Girls' Junior, 2019 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball) and Zhang (2020 U.S. Women's Amateur, 2021 U.S. Girls' Junior).
   Duke alumna Sarah LeBrun Ingram, of Nashville, Tenn., will return as captain of the USA Team for the 2022 Curtis Cup Match. A three-time champion of the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur, Ingram was a member of the 1992, 1994 and 1996 USA Curtis Cup Teams, where she held a 2-1 record in singles matches.
   The USA defeated Great Britain & Ireland 12.5-7.5 in August to win overseas for the first time since 2008. The USA leads the overall series, 30-8-3.
   Since 1992, the Blue Devils have had at least one representative in the Curtis Cup, including one in 14 of the last 15 times it has been contested. It is the best streak of any school in the nation.

Blue Devils Head to Pawley's Island for ACC Championship

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Players Mentioned

Jaravee Boonchant

Phoebe Brinker

Anne Chen

Megan Furtney

Rylie Heflin

Gina Kim

Erica Shepherd

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Blue Devils Head to Pawley's Island for ACC Championship

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Players Mentioned

Jaravee Boonchant

Phoebe Brinker

Anne Chen

Megan Furtney

Rylie Heflin

Gina Kim

Erica Shepherd

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