Blue Devils Jump Out to Hot Start at Landfall Tradition

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Coming off a victory in the last tournament, the Duke women's golf team kept the momentum rolling Friday in the opening round of the Landfall Tradition by firing a season-best 9-under-par, 279, at the 6,178-yard, Par-72 Country Club of Landfall Dye Course in Wilmington.

The Blue Devils are tied with Florida State following day one, while North Carolina is second (280) with 36 holes remaining.

Duke was paced by sophomore Katie Li, who carded a 5-under, 67, and junior Andie Smith with a 3-under, 69. The duo rank tied for second and tied for sixth overall, respectively, through 18 holes. Senior Rylie Heflin totaled her first career hole-in-one and the ninth in Duke history as well.

How It Happened

Katie Li turned in a very eventful and impressive start to her round as she hit her 54-degree wedge from 85 yards for eagle to open the day at 2-under-par. A Basking Ridge, N.J., product, Li then rolled in a 15-footer for birdie on No. 2 and 10-foot birdie on No. 3 to get to 4-under through three holes. She then parred 11 out of the next 12 holes with a bogey on No. 7. On the 145-yard, par-3 No. 16, Li stuck her 8-iron from 147 yards to four feet for birdie and then hit a 24-yard flop shot to seven feet for birdie on No. 18 to finish with a 67. Li hit a career-best 17 greens on the day.
Coming off registering her first collegiate victory in the last event, Andie Smith had another stellar day for the Blue Devils with a 3-under, 69. It marked her fourth straight round in the 60s. Smith kicked off her day with seven consecutive pars, before rolling in a 12-foot birdie on the 157-yard, par-3 eighth hole. She went birdie, bogey, par to open the back nine, before reeling off three straight birdies on holes 13-15. Smith, who is from Hobe Sound, Fla., started it off by draining a 10-footer for birdie on No. 13 and then hit her 54-degree wedge from 100 yards to eight feet for birdie on No. 14. She sank a 15-foot birdie on No. 15 to get to 4-under. Smith suffered a double-bogey on No. 17, but came back to get up-and-down from the greenside rough by hitting a flop shot for birdie on the 451-yard, par-5 18th hole to finish with a 69.
Freshmen Anna Cañado Espinal turned in a career-low 1-under-par, 71, to open action on Friday and is tied for 13th overall. After a birdie to open the day, Espinal had a double-bogey on No. 3. She then connected on back-to-back birdies on No. 5 and No. 6 to get back to 1-under in the morning. Espinal, who hails from Barcelona, Spain, fell back to even with a bogey on No. 7, but played the final 11 holes at 1-under-par with a birdie on the par-5 12th.
Senior Rylie Heflin opened her morning with four pars, but then had a couple of bogeys on No. 5 and No. 7. She then hit her 8-iron from 142 yards, which landed a foot in front of the hole, took one bounce, hit the flag stick and then fell in the cup for her first hole-in-one. That score moved her back to even-par for the day. The Avondale, Pa., native parred the next three holes and then bogeyed No. 12. After a par on No. 13, Heflin hit her pitching wedge from 118 yards to eight feet for birdie on No. 14 and then parred the final four holes to finish at even par, 72. She tied a season best with 15 greens hit on the day and is tied for 22nd on the individual leaderboard.
Duke freshman Carla De Troia started her day with four pars and then dropped four shots over a span of nine holes. She played the final five holes at 1-under-par with birdies on No. 15 and No. 18 to close the round.
Freshman Martina Yu made her Duke debut Friday as an individual and signed for an 82.

Notes

Rylie Heflin totaled the ninth hole-in-one in Duke women's golf history joining teammate Andie Smith (2023), Leona Maguire (2017), Alejandra Cangrejo (2014), Jennie Lee (2008), Kim Donovan (2009), Anna Grzebien (2005), Liz Janangelo (2003) and Michelle Hiskey (1985).
Andie Smith hit 14 greens, 12 fairways and had a team-high 28 putts. Her score marked her 29th career round of even or under par.
Smith now owns 15 career rounds in the 60s and five this season. Her 15 career rounds has already moved her into a tie for seventh on Duke's all-time record charts.
Both Heflin and Smith rank tied for first with a 2-under-par score on par-3 holes.
Duke's 59 pars rank second among the field, while its 17 birdies were fourth. The Blue Devils led the field with two eagles.
Katie Li collected her sixth career round in the 60s on the day and now owns 18 scores of even or under par at Duke.
Duke's 9-under, 279, was the lowest 18-hole score for the Blue Devils this season. The previous low round to par was 2-under, 280 at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate.
Florida State's Lottie Woad holds the individual lead with a 7-under, 65.

What is Next

Duke will tee off on Saturday for the second round beginning at 10:09 a.m., off hole No. 1.

To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's golf, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWGOLF".

Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu

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Duke Results
- T2 Katie Li Duke 67 -5
- T6 Andie Smith Duke 69 -3
- T13 Anna Canado Espinal Duke 71 -1
- T22 Rylie Heflin Duke 72 E
- T52 Carla De Troia Duke 75 +3
- T89 Martina Yu * Duke 82 +10

1 Team Scores
T1 Duke 279 -9
T1 Florida State 279 -9
3 North Carolina 280 -8
4 Ole Miss 282 -6
5 Clemson 287 -1
T6 NC State 291 +3
T6 Michigan State 291 +3
8 Maryland 292 +4
T9 UCF 294 +6
T9 UNCW 294 +6
T9 Virginia Tech 294 +6
T9 Alabama 294 +6
13 Illinois 296 +8
14 Notre Dame 301 +13
15 Furman 302 +14
16 Penn State 310 +22
17 South Florida 314 +26

Start Finish Player Team Scores
- 1 Lottie Woad Florida State 65 -7
- T2 Helen Yeung North Carolina 67 -5
- T2 Katie Li Duke 67 -5
- T4 Sophia Burnett * South Carolina 68 -4
- T4 Megan Streicher North Carolina 68 -4
- T6 Nicole Gal Ole Miss 69 -3
- T6 Lauren Olivares Leon NC State 69 -3
- T6 Andie Smith Duke 69 -3
- T9 Caitlyn Macnab Ole Miss 70 -2
- T9 Christina Surcey Florida State 70 -2
- T9 Sydney Roberts Clemson 70 -2
- T9 Katie Lu Michigan State 70 -2
- T13 Yurang Li Illinois 71 -1
- T13 Chananyu Chowiwattana Maryland 71 -1
- T13 Molly Davidson Alabama 71 -1
- T13 Nicha Kanpai Maryland 71 -1
- T13 Kajsalotta Svarvar Ole Miss 71 -1
- T13 Anna Canado Espinal Duke 71 -1
- T13 One Kashima UCF 71 -1
- T13 Chloe Holder Clemson 71 -1
- T13 Victoria Levy UNCW 71 -1
- T22 Ella Levy * UNCW 72 E
- T22 Bridget Wilkie Notre Dame 72 E
- T22 Leonor Medeiros South Florida 72 E
- T22 Jiratchaya Jiratthitinun Penn State 72 E
- T22 Caitlin Whitehead NC State 72 E
- T22 Reagan Southerland North Carolina 72 E
- T22 Filippa Sundquist Ole Miss 72 E
- T22 Audrey Ryu Furman 72 E
- T22 Paula Balanzategui Michigan State 72 E
- T22 Kaylah Williams Florida State 72 E
- T22 Rylie Heflin Duke 72 E
- T22 Sophia Fullbrook Florida State 72 E
- T34 Brielle Mapanao Illinois 73 +1
- T34 Morgan Ketchum Virginia Tech 73 +1
- T34 Emily Mathews Virginia Tech 73 +1
- T34 Katie Vu * North Carolina 73 +1
- T34 Ing Iadpluem North Carolina 73 +1
- T34 Ryan Flynn Alabama 73 +1
- T34 Marie Madsen NC State 73 +1
- T34 Katherine Schuster Clemson 73 +1
- T34 Malu Brinker UNCW 73 +1
- T34 Katie Poots UCF 73 +1
- T34 Isabella Rawl Clemson 73 +1
- T45 Ginnie Lee Virginia Tech 74 +2
- T45 Valentine Delon Virginia Tech 74 +2
- T45 Victoria Zheng Illinois 74 +2
- T45 Caroline Owens Notre Dame 74 +2
- T45 Ana Sofia Murcia * Michigan State 74 +2
- T45 Valencia Chang UNCW 74 +2
- T45 Taylor Kehoe Michigan State 74 +2
- T52 Camila Burnett * South Carolina 75 +3
- T52 Maddy Bante Notre Dame 75 +3
- T52 Cherry Marley South Florida 75 +3
- T52 Inez Ng North Carolina 75 +3
- T52 Panassaya Somchit Maryland 75 +3
- T52 Liza Lapeyre Furman 75 +3
- T52 Harriet Lockley Alabama 75 +3
- T52 Mattison Frick Alabama 75 +3
- T52 Anna Pillard Maryland 75 +3
- T52 Jamie Camero * UCF 75 +3
- T52 Mila Jurine UCF 75 +3
- T52 Alexandra Gazzoli Florida State 75 +3
- T52 Carla De Troia Duke 75 +3
- T52 Brooke Biermann Michigan State 75 +3
- T52 Pimpisa Sisutham UCF 75 +3
- T67 Jenna Madden Furman 76 +4
- T67 Ivy Schulze * Clemson 76 +4
- T67 Minouche Rooijmans UNCW 76 +4
- T70 Drew Nienhaus Penn State 77 +5
- T70 Vania Simont NC State 77 +5
- T70 Sophie Linder Ole Miss 77 +5
- T70 Molly Smith UCF 77 +5
- T74 Jordan Salisbury * UNCW 78 +6
- T74 Katherine Lemke Virginia Tech 78 +6
- T74 Lexanne Halama Illinois 78 +6
- T74 Isabella van der Biest Alabama 78 +6
- T74 Ellise Rymer NC State 78 +6
- T74 Melena Barrientos Clemson 78 +6
- T74 Hannah Altman UNCW 78 +6
- T81 Jami Morris Penn State 79 +7
- T81 Eva Ringwald Furman 79 +7
- T83 Maya Hunter Notre Dame 80 +8
- T83 Anna Heck Notre Dame 80 +8
- T83 Catalina Monroy Michigan State 80 +8
- T86 Daniela Burgos Ortega Maryland 81 +9
- T86 Alise Knudson Furman 81 +9
- T86 Jonna Hubbs * UNCW 81 +9
- T89 Michelle Cox Penn State 82 +10
- T89 Martina Yu * Duke 82 +10
- 91 Annabel Collis South Florida 83 +11
- 92 Kenzie Heba South Florida 84 +12
- 93 Annika Saidleman * UNCW 85 +13
- T94 Brielle Burns Illinois 89 +17
- T94 Gwen Powell Penn State 89 +17
- - Alice Webb South Florida D -