Upcoming Event: Women's Golf versus ANNIKA Intercollegiate on September 8, 2025
Women's Golf
vs ANNIKA Intercollegiate
Tuesday, May 9
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Duke University
vs
NCAA Regional Championship
Photo by: Kelsey Groff / Duke Athletics
Blue Devils in Third Heading into Final Day of Regionals
5/9/2023 4:49:00 PM | Women's Golf
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – The Duke women's golf team sits in third-place at the NCAA Women's Golf Palm Beach Gardens Regional, after carding rounds of 298 and 290 for a 36-hole ledger of 588 at the 6,318-yard, par-72 PGA National Champion course.
On Tuesday, senior Erica Shepherd and junior Phoebe Brinker paced the Blue Devils with a 1-under-par, 71. Shepherd and freshman Andie Smith enter the final round in a tie for eighth, individually, with a 2-over, 146.
The top-5 teams following Wednesday's action will advance to the NCAA Championship, which will be contested May 19-24 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
How It Happened
• The Blue Devils opened action at 8 a.m., on Tuesday off hole No. 1.
• Duke featured a 5-under-par score on the front nine to vault into sole possession of second place on the leaderboard. Four Blue Devils posted 10 birdies.
• On the back nine, Duke totaled only two birdies and shot 7-over-par. The 2-over-par, 290, was the second-best 18-hole score of the day, behind Northwestern (284).
• For the Blue Devils' four counting scores on Tuesday, on hole nine Duke featured three birdies and only three putts.
• Erica Shepherd turned in a solid start to her round as she parred the first eight holes. She hit 8-of-9 greens on the front nine and registered a solid up-and-down par on No. 5 to remain even. On the ninth, she hit her 54-degree wedge from 106 yards to five feet for birdie to move into the red numbers. Shepherd turned in one of only two birdies on the day at the 378-yard, par-4 12th as she used her 48-degree wedge from 122 yards and hit it to three feet for birdie to move to 2-under. She found the fairway bunker on No. 14 and ended up with her lone bogey of the day, before playing the final four holes of the "Bear Trap" at even par to finish with a 71.
• After struggling in round one, Phoebe Brinker was dialed in from the beginning on Tuesday. She got up-and-down for par on No. 1 and then just missed a birdie on No. 2. She 2-putted for birdie on the third hole and then drained a 15-foot birdie on No. 5 to move to 2-under. She used her 60-degree wedge from 65 yards on No. 6 and stuck it to four feet for birdie to get to 3-under. After hitting the greenside trap on No. 8, she suffered her first bogey of the day. Brinker came back and hit her 54-degree wedge from 85 yards to three feet for birdie on No. 9 and made the turn at 3-under, 33. She had bogeys on No. 10 and No. 14, but had one of only eight birdies on the challenging 146-yard, par-3 15th. Brinker 3-putted on No. 16 and parred the final two holes to finish with a 71.
• Local product Andie Smith carded her second straight round of 1-over, 73, on Tuesday. She had her putter working early on the front nine as she drained a 14-foot birdie on No. 2 and 35-foot birdie on No. 5. Smith, who is from Hobe Sound, Fla., then sank an 8-footer for birdie on the par-5 sixth hole to get to 3-under. She played the final 12 holes at 4-over-par to finish with a 73.
• Senior Megan Furtney opened the day with bogeys on No. 1 and No. 5, but came back to stick her 54-degree wedge from 87 yards to three feet and rolled in the birdie. After a bogey on No. 8, Furtney hit her pitching wedge from 127 yards to 10 feet for birdie to make the turn at 1-over, 37. She registered key up-and-downs on the back nine on No. 10, No. 13 and No. 14 during that stretch. Furtney closed with a bogey on No. 16, par on 17 and bogey on No. 18 to finish with a 75.
• Junior Anne Chen struggled in the second round and finished with a 79, while being held without a birdie for the first time this season.
Notes
• Phoebe Brinker and Erica Shepherd turned in 1-under, 71, on Tuesday carding their team-best 17th and 11th rounds, respectively, of even or under par on the season. The duo has combined for 67 rounds of even or under par over their career at Duke.
• Shepherd posted her sixth career even or under par round at a NCAA Regional (3 appearances).
• Brinker and Shepherd hit a team-best 15 greens in the second round.
• Megan Furtney enters the final round in a tie for 12th with a 147, after signing for rounds of 72 and 75.
• Duke leads the field with a 4.18 scoring average on par-4 holes and is third on par-5 holes with a 4.88 score.
• The Blue Devils have registered 27 birdies over 36 holes to rank third. Brinker's seven birdies is tied for fifth.
• Duke had three of the 10 birdies on hole nine on Tuesday.
• Only four golfers enter the final round under par with Miami's Sara Byrne leading the charge at 4-under, 140.
• The Blue Devils are looking to advance to the NCAA Championship for the 31st time under the direction of head coach Dan Brooks out of his 39 years in Durham. It would be the 23rd time out of the last 26 years Duke has advanced.
• Duke missed out on nationals a year ago and is looking to avoid missing the NCAA Championship in back-to-back seasons for just the second time under Brooks (1989, 1990).
Quotes
"The way the course lays out allows me to see a lot of golf. Everyone is staying patient. We had a good day." -- Duke head coach Dan Brooks
What is Next
Duke will tee off on Wednesday in the final round beginning at 9:06 a.m., off hole No. 1 with Michigan State and Northwestern.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's golf, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWGOLF".
#GoDuke
On Tuesday, senior Erica Shepherd and junior Phoebe Brinker paced the Blue Devils with a 1-under-par, 71. Shepherd and freshman Andie Smith enter the final round in a tie for eighth, individually, with a 2-over, 146.
The top-5 teams following Wednesday's action will advance to the NCAA Championship, which will be contested May 19-24 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
How It Happened
• The Blue Devils opened action at 8 a.m., on Tuesday off hole No. 1.
• Duke featured a 5-under-par score on the front nine to vault into sole possession of second place on the leaderboard. Four Blue Devils posted 10 birdies.
• On the back nine, Duke totaled only two birdies and shot 7-over-par. The 2-over-par, 290, was the second-best 18-hole score of the day, behind Northwestern (284).
• For the Blue Devils' four counting scores on Tuesday, on hole nine Duke featured three birdies and only three putts.
• Erica Shepherd turned in a solid start to her round as she parred the first eight holes. She hit 8-of-9 greens on the front nine and registered a solid up-and-down par on No. 5 to remain even. On the ninth, she hit her 54-degree wedge from 106 yards to five feet for birdie to move into the red numbers. Shepherd turned in one of only two birdies on the day at the 378-yard, par-4 12th as she used her 48-degree wedge from 122 yards and hit it to three feet for birdie to move to 2-under. She found the fairway bunker on No. 14 and ended up with her lone bogey of the day, before playing the final four holes of the "Bear Trap" at even par to finish with a 71.
• After struggling in round one, Phoebe Brinker was dialed in from the beginning on Tuesday. She got up-and-down for par on No. 1 and then just missed a birdie on No. 2. She 2-putted for birdie on the third hole and then drained a 15-foot birdie on No. 5 to move to 2-under. She used her 60-degree wedge from 65 yards on No. 6 and stuck it to four feet for birdie to get to 3-under. After hitting the greenside trap on No. 8, she suffered her first bogey of the day. Brinker came back and hit her 54-degree wedge from 85 yards to three feet for birdie on No. 9 and made the turn at 3-under, 33. She had bogeys on No. 10 and No. 14, but had one of only eight birdies on the challenging 146-yard, par-3 15th. Brinker 3-putted on No. 16 and parred the final two holes to finish with a 71.
• Local product Andie Smith carded her second straight round of 1-over, 73, on Tuesday. She had her putter working early on the front nine as she drained a 14-foot birdie on No. 2 and 35-foot birdie on No. 5. Smith, who is from Hobe Sound, Fla., then sank an 8-footer for birdie on the par-5 sixth hole to get to 3-under. She played the final 12 holes at 4-over-par to finish with a 73.
• Senior Megan Furtney opened the day with bogeys on No. 1 and No. 5, but came back to stick her 54-degree wedge from 87 yards to three feet and rolled in the birdie. After a bogey on No. 8, Furtney hit her pitching wedge from 127 yards to 10 feet for birdie to make the turn at 1-over, 37. She registered key up-and-downs on the back nine on No. 10, No. 13 and No. 14 during that stretch. Furtney closed with a bogey on No. 16, par on 17 and bogey on No. 18 to finish with a 75.
• Junior Anne Chen struggled in the second round and finished with a 79, while being held without a birdie for the first time this season.
Notes
• Phoebe Brinker and Erica Shepherd turned in 1-under, 71, on Tuesday carding their team-best 17th and 11th rounds, respectively, of even or under par on the season. The duo has combined for 67 rounds of even or under par over their career at Duke.
• Shepherd posted her sixth career even or under par round at a NCAA Regional (3 appearances).
• Brinker and Shepherd hit a team-best 15 greens in the second round.
• Megan Furtney enters the final round in a tie for 12th with a 147, after signing for rounds of 72 and 75.
• Duke leads the field with a 4.18 scoring average on par-4 holes and is third on par-5 holes with a 4.88 score.
• The Blue Devils have registered 27 birdies over 36 holes to rank third. Brinker's seven birdies is tied for fifth.
• Duke had three of the 10 birdies on hole nine on Tuesday.
• Only four golfers enter the final round under par with Miami's Sara Byrne leading the charge at 4-under, 140.
• The Blue Devils are looking to advance to the NCAA Championship for the 31st time under the direction of head coach Dan Brooks out of his 39 years in Durham. It would be the 23rd time out of the last 26 years Duke has advanced.
• Duke missed out on nationals a year ago and is looking to avoid missing the NCAA Championship in back-to-back seasons for just the second time under Brooks (1989, 1990).
Quotes
"The way the course lays out allows me to see a lot of golf. Everyone is staying patient. We had a good day." -- Duke head coach Dan Brooks
What is Next
Duke will tee off on Wednesday in the final round beginning at 9:06 a.m., off hole No. 1 with Michigan State and Northwestern.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's golf, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWGOLF".
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Golf
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/ Women's Golf
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