2023 NCAA Regional Championship
May 8-10, 2023 • Palm Beach Gardens Regional
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. • PGA National Resort - Champion Course
54 Holes Stroke Play; Top 5 to NCAA Championship
BLUE DEVILS HEAD TO FLORIDA FOR NCAA REGIONAL
For the 30th straight season, the Duke women's golf program will participate in NCAA Regional action as the Blue Devils will travel to Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to compete in the Palm Beach Gardens Regional May 8-10 at the 6,312-yard, par-72 PGA National Resort Champion Course.
The Blue Devils, who are currently listed at No. 25 in the most recent Golfweek rankings, will be joined in the regional along with LSU (3), Texas (14), Northwestern (10), UCF (23), Michigan State (39), California (40), Arkansas (38), Alabama (48), South Florida (55), Penn and Quinnipiac. The teams are listed in seed order and the rankings in parentheses are from the Golfweek team rankings.
Duke will tee off Monday, May 8 at 8:00 a.m. (ET) off hole No. 10 along with UCF and Michigan State. Tee times for Tuesday and Wednesday will be determined by standings beginning at 8 a.m., or 9:06 a.m. (ET).
The regional will be a three-day, 54-hole tournament with 18 holes played each day. The top five teams and top two individuals (not on one of those four teams) advance to the NCAA Championship to be played May 19-24 at Raptor 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 10. 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 seniors
Erica Shepherd and
Megan Furtney, juniors
Phoebe Brinker and
Anne Chen and freshman
Andie Smith. Sophomore
Rylie Heflin will be a substitute.
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 $17,789.50 so far this season and over the six years of the program, it has raised over $100,000.
In November, the Duke Children's Hospital dedicated a room for the program since the Blue Devils reached the $100,000 mark in earnings.
Those looking to support the partnership with 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. 28 in the latest GolfStat.com and No. 25 in the Golfweek ledgers.
Individually, in the Golfweek rankings
Phoebe Brinker (30) and
Erica Shepherd (85) are listed. In the GolfStat.com individual rankings, Brinker (48) and Shepherd (84) are listed in the top-100.
TRENDS/NOTES
• The Blue Devils head to the NCAA Regionals with a little momentum, after winning the Wolfpack Match Play Invitational and placing second at the ACC Championship in stroke play.
• In the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings,
Phoebe Brinker (50),
Erica Shepherd (91) and
Anne Chen (137) are in the top 150.
•
Andie Smith had a solid week at the ACC Championship. Her score of 68 was tied for the second-lowest opening round of the ACC Championship by a Blue Devil freshman in school history. She ranked up there with Leona Maguire (67) & Brittany Lang (68). Smith also moved to 4-1 this season in match play.
•
Phoebe Brinker has shot 22-under-par in her last two ACC Championships, which includes an 8-under, 64, and 7-under, 65. Duke has featured a golfer shoot 10-under or lower in each of the last three ACC Championships (-12 by Brinker in 2023, -10 by Brinker in 2022 and -10 by Gina Kim in 2021).
• In the ACC Championship, only six golfers have shot -10 or better and Duke features four of those –
Phoebe Brinker (2), Gina Kim, Leona Maguire and Brittany Lang.
•
Phoebe Brinker is now one of only three Blue Devils to post three rounds of 65 or better over their career joining Liz Janangelo (3) and Leona Maguire (4).
•
Anne Chen collected her second career top-10 finish at the ACC Championship, which included a season-best final round of 4-under, 68. She now owns seven career rounds in the 60s.
•
Megan Furtney turned in her third career top-20 finish at the ACC Championship with rounds of 72, 70 and 77 for a 219, which was tied for 15th. She totaled her sixth and seventh career rounds of even or under par. Furtney's round of 2-under, 70, was the lowest 18-hole score since her 69 as a sophomore at the Valspar Augusta Invitational. Her 13 birdies in the ACCs were ranked tied for fourth-most in the field.
• Duke has turned in eight eagles as a team in 2022-23, which is tied for the third-most in a season under head coach
Dan Brooks -- 11 (2017-18), 10 (2020-21) and 8 (2022-23, 2016-17, 2011-12, 2003-04, 2000-01, 1999-00).
AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR
Duke featured three golfers competing in the fourth Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship held in Augusta, Ga., from March 29 through April 1.
Erica Shepherd made the cut for the third time in four appearances, while
Anne Chen and
Phoebe Brinker just missed the cut. Shepherd turned in rounds of 74, 71 and 76 for a 54-hole score of 221 to place tied for 22nd. In her first appearance, Chen signed for rounds of 77 and 71 for a 148. Brinker made her second appearance and had rounds of 79 and 73 for a 152.
BLUE DEVILS SHOOT LOW AT ACC CHAMPIONSHIP
Duke continued its solid play at the ACC Championship by shooting rounds of 283, 283 and 287 for an 11-under, 853. The 54-hole score of 853 tied for a season-best for the Blue Devils. The rounds of 283 were also tied for the second-best scores for Duke this season.
The Blue Devils went on to fall, 3-1-1, to Clemson in the semifinals of match play.
Phoebe Brinker carded rounds of 71, 69 and 64 to shoot 12-under, 204, to finish second.
Anne Chen posted a final round of 68 to move up to ninth, individually, with a 214.
Megan Furtney (T15) and
Andie Smith (T15) also finished in the top-20.
BRINKER TIES EAGLE RECORD
With her three eagles at the ACC Championship,
Phoebe Brinker now owns nine career eagles to equal the Duke record. She moved into a tie with Lindy Duncan with nine.
Brinker has four eagles this season, which ranks tied for fourth on the Blue Devil season charts. The record is five held by Jaravee Boonchant, Duncan and Candy Hannemann.
Duke Career Record - Eagles
1. 9
Phoebe Brinker (2021-23)
9 Lindy Duncan (2010-13)
3. 8 Kalen Anderson (1998-01)
8 Amanda Blumenherst (2006-09)
8 Ana Belac (2017-20)
6. 7 Candy Hannemann (1999-02)
7 Leona Maguire (2015-18)
7 Gina Kim (2019-21)
FLORIDA SUCCESS IN THE NCAAS
Duke has been sent to the state of Florida for the NCAA Regionals a total four times -- 2004 (1st, Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.), 2005 (2nd, Gainesville, Fla.), 2009 (T6th, Gainesville, Fla.), 2014 (3rd, Tallahassee, Fla.). The Blue Devils advanced to the NCAA Championship all four times it has been sent to the sunshine state.
The Blue Devils won the 2004 regional in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., while Anna Grzebien won the individual title in 2005 with rounds of 73, 69 and 67 for a 1-under, 209.
BLUE DEVILS IN THE NCAA'S
This marks the 30th consecutive year there has been a regional system for women's golf. Duke has advanced to nationals 25 of the last 28 times, finishing in the top four of the regional in 23 of the 25 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 TITLES
Duke owns 10 NCAA Regional titles over school history, which ranks second all-time in NCAA action. Southern California owns 14 titles, while Duke (10), UCLA (8), Arizona (5), Arizona State (5), Georgia (5), Stanford (5) 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.
NCAA REGIONAL EXPERIENCE
Duke will travel a team that features four golfers that have experience playing in the NCAA Regionals.
Erica Shepherd,
Phoebe Brinker and
Anne Chen will all see action in their third NCAA Regional since the NCAAs were canceled in 2020.
Megan Furtney will play in her second straight.
Shepherd placed tied for 13th in 2021 with rounds of 71, 77 and 72 for a 4-over, 220, and then placed tied for 11th a season ago with rounds of 71, 72 and 71 for a 2-under, 214. Chen turned in a tied for 29th ledger with rounds of 73, 75 and 76 for a 224 in 2021 and then tied for 11th in 2022 with rounds of 71, 70 and 73 for a 2-under, 214. Brinker was tied for 33rd with scores of 74, 75 and 76 for a 225 in 2021 and then tied for 21st in 2022 with rounds of 73, 74 and 72 for a 219.
Furtney tied for 45th last year with rounds of 74, 76 and 77 for a 227.
BLUE DEVILS WIN WOLFPACK MATCH PLAY
Fourth-seeded Duke closed the Wolfpack Match Play Invitational last week by defeating sixth-seeded North Carolina, 3-1-1, and capturing the championship at the Lonnie Poole Golf Course in Raleigh, N.C.
The Blue Devils totaled wins against fifth-seeded NC State (3-2), top-seeded South Carolina (3-2) and North Carolina (3-1-1) to register their first tournament win of the 2022-23 campaign. It also marked Duke head coach
Dan Brooks' 141st career victory with the Blue Devils, which continues to lead all NCAA Division I head coaches.
Blue Devil senior
Megan Furtney capped the two days of play with a perfect, 3-0, record in match play.
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 141 career tournament wins over his 39 seasons. He has guided Duke to at least one victory in 37 of his 39 years.
THE HEAD COACH
Dan Brooks is in his 39th 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) and 2021 (semis).
In 39 years, his teams have won 141 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).
EIGHT BLUE DEVILS ON LPGA
The Duke women's golf program once again has a heavy influence on the LPGA as the tour opened the 2023 season in January. The Blue Devils have eight former golfers on the tour with Ana Belac, Jaravee Boonchant, Celine Boutier, Lindy Duncan, Gina Kim, Brittany Lang, Yu Liu and Leona Maguire competing.
Duke also features Virginia Elena Carta on the Ladies European Tour along with Laetitia Beck and Miranda Wang competing on the Epson Tour.