Duke Finishes Strong in First Day at Wake Forest Invitational

Monday, March 4

Pinehurst, N.C.

Duke University

Rounds 1 & 2 at Wake Forest Invitational

Duke Finishes Strong in First Day at Wake Forest Invitational

3/4/2024 7:42:00 PM | Men's Golf

Day 1 Results (PDF)Final Round Live Scoring

PINEHURST, N.C. – A strong second round by the Duke men's golf team moved the Blue Devils up the leaderboard on Monday at the Wake Forest Invitational, played at Pinehurst No. 2. Following an 18-over, 298, in the first round, Duke was one of just two teams to go even-par or better in the second round, carding an even-par, 270.

William Love was the low Blue Devil on Monday, spurred on by a bogey-free, 66, in the second round. The 66 was the best individual score in either round, and Love was the only golfer in the second round to finish bogey-free.

HOW IT HAPPENED: ROUND ONE

All 12 teams finished over-par in the first round, with Duke shooting an 18-over, 298. The Blue Devils stood in 11th place through the first 18 holes of play.
Bryan Kim paced Duke with a 1-over, 71, in the first round. After starting his day with a par on No. 6, three consecutive bogeys placed Kim at 3-over heading to the back-nine, where he rolled in three birdies en route to a 1-under stretch. After returning to the front-nine, the Brookeville, Md., native rolled in an eagle on his final hole of the first round, the par-5 fifth.
Luke Sample signed for a 4-over, 74, in the morning round. Sample began his day on No. 5 and got into red numbers with a birdie on the par-5, before making the turn to the back-nine at 3-over. The junior steadied the ship with eight pars and just one bogey, before adding his second birdie of the round on the par-4 second hole.
Ethan Evans scattered five bogeys across his round for a 5-over, 75, to open his tournament. The sophomore started with four dropped shots across his first eight holes, but leveled out with nine pars and just one additional bogey in the opening round.
William Love rolled in three birdies through the first 18 holes but eventually finished at 7-over, with a first-round 77.
Kelly Chinn rounded out Duke's lineup with a 9-over, 79, to start the day.
Ian Siebers, playing individually, shot a 6-over, 76, in the first round.

HOW IT HAPPENED: ROUND TWO

Duke put together one of the best second rounds on the course as one of just two teams to shoot even-par or better in the afternoon. The Blue Devils ended the first day with an even-par, 280, to stand in seventh place heading into the third and final round.
William Love caught fire in the second round, shooting a bogey-free 4-under, 66. The sophomore moved into red figures on his third hole, the par-5 10th, and added another birdie on the par-4 16th, to play his first nine holes at 2-under. Back-to-back birdies during the closing stretch – the par-5 fifth and par-3 sixth – capped off his mistake-free second round.
Kelly Chinn also bounced back in his second round, signing for an even-par, 70. After starting with a bogey and eight pars through his first nine holes, Chinn dropped shots on No. 17 and No. 2 to move to 3-over with five holes remaining. The junior then went birdie-eagle on holes No. 4 and 5, to complete the even-par round.
Luke Sample carded a 1-over, 71, during the afternoon round. The New York, N.Y., native made birdies on both his par-5's in the round and added additional birdies on No. 18 and No. 2, for a total of four birdies in the round. Sample scattered three bogeys and one double-bogey across the 18 holes to finish at 1-over.
Ethan Evans finished at 3-over, 73, in his second round. He made bogey on three of his first six holes, but switched the momentum with a birdie on the par-3 15th. The sophomore rolled in one more birdie, sandwiched between two additional bogeys, for his 1-over afternoon.
Bryan Kim started with a birdie, but stumbled on the back-nine, going six-over through those holes. The freshman closed strong however, pouring in a birdie on the par-5 fifth, his last hole of the day.
Playing individually, Ian Siebers also went under-par with a 1-under, 69. The senior built momentum heading into the final round with three birdies across a five-hole span, including going back-to-back on holes No. 8 and 9.

NOTES

As a team, Duke led the field on Monday in par-5 scoring, going 7-under on those holes.
With his second-round eagle, Kelly Chinn was one of just five individuals to make an eagle on Monday.
William Love finished bogey-free in the second round, the only golfer to do so in the afternoon and just the second golfer to do it on Monday.
Love's second-round 66 was the lowest score by any golfer through both rounds on Monday.
Luke Sample was one of five individuals with a field-best, 3-under, on par-5's.

QUOTES

"I might have gotten off to one of the worst starts of my college career today, but I was able to turn it around on the 11th hole by playing as free and confident as I could for the rest of the day. I hit high-quality shots that set up easy pars and pretty easy birdies, which definitely helps out there. It was great to see our team rally, after a tough start, to play one of the best rounds in terms of team scores, so we'll take that momentum into tomorrow!" – Duke sophomore William Love

UP NEXT

Duke tees off of the 10th tee in the third and final round, playing alongside SMU and the Wake Forest B team. The Blue Devils' day starts at 8:30 a.m., ET on Tuesday morning.
Live scoring is available on Golfstat.

7. Duke – 298+280 = 578, +18
T15. William Love – 77+66 = 143, +3
T23. Luke Sample – 74+71 = 145, +5
T23. Ian Siebers* – 76+69 = 145, +5
T33. Bryan Kim – 72+75 = 147, +7
T38. Ethan Evans – 75+73 = 148, +8
T46. Kelly Chinn – 79+70 = 149, +9
* playing individually

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

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

#GoDuke