Li Wins Two Matches; Blue Devils Defeat Ole Miss on Day One of Old Barnwell

AIKEN, S.C. – Duke women's golf sophomore Katie Li won a pair of matches Monday to open the Old Barnwell Derby Match Play, while the Blue Devils registered a 3-2-0 victory over Ole Miss in the afternoon to conclude day one of action in Aiken at The Course at Old Barnwell.

HOW IT HAPPENED – Duke vs. South Carolina

In the opening match of the contest, Duke's Carla De Troia went up against Maylis Lamoure.The duo were tied through two holes, but Lamoure won the next three holes to take a 3UP lead.De Troia got one back on No. 7 with a birdie, but dropped the next hole.She won No. 10 and No. 12 to cut the deficit to two, but eventually dropped the match 4&3.
After Eila Galitsky won the first three holes Monday morning to take the early lead, Duke's Andie Smith mounted an impressive comeback.Smith, who is from Hobe Sound, Fla., birdied No. 8, parred No. 10 and birdied No. 12 to tie the score with six holes remaining.The ledger remained tied until Galitsky birdied No. 16 to take a 1UP lead and that is where it finished.
Blue Devil sophomore Katie Li never trailed in her match with Sophia Burnett.Li birdied the first hole to take a 1UP lead and moved it to 2UP with another birdie on No. 3.Burnett came back to win holes No. 4 and No. 5 to tie the score.Li turned in another birdie on No. 7 as she hit her hybrid from 188 yards to three feet to regain a 1UP lead and never relinquished the lead the rest of the way.Li, who hails from Basking Ridge, N.J., stuck it to a foot with her 54-degree wedge on No. 8 for birdie to tie the hole and then rolled in an 18-footer for birdie on No. 9 to also tie the hole.Li birdied No. 12 by draining a 15-footer and made a clutch par save on No. 14 to go ahead 3UP and ended up winning by a 3UP ledger.
The fourth match had senior Rylie Heflin going up against Hannah Darling of the Gamecocks.Heflin dropped the first hole to fall behind and then lost the fourth to go down by two holes.She got one back on no. 6, but Darling was too strong winning the match 5&4.
Freshman Anna Cañado Espinal faced Louise Rydqvist in the final match in which Rydqvist posted a 5&4 win.
South Carolina totaled a 4-1-0 victory to move on.

HOW IT HAPPENED – Duke vs. Ole Miss

The match started on hole No. 10.
Duke rookies Anna Cañado Espinal and Carla De Troia went out first in the afternoon.
Espinal faced Nicole Gal and the contest was tied through four holes, before Gal took the lead. The Duke freshman cut the Gal lead to 1UP as she won No. 2, but couldn't get it closer than 2UP the rest of the way falling 2&1.
De Troia trailed the entire match to Kajsalotta Svarvar, but gave herself chances.By winning her 10th hole, De Troia cut Svarvar's lead to 1UP and birdied her 14th hole to once again cut the lead to 1UP.De Troia couldn't get it closer falling 2&1.
Katie Li continued her solid play facing 30th-ranked Caitlyn Macnab. Li won the first two holes to take a 2UP lead early, but Macnab went on to win No. 15 and No. 16 to tie the score. After winning No. 18, Li took a 1UP lead, but Macnab birdied No. 2 and No. 3 to flip the score to a 1UP lead of her own. Li won the next hole with a par to tie the score and regained the lead by winning No. 6. She extended her lead with a par on No. 8 to win 2&1.
Andie Smith never trailed in her match against Filippa Sundquist en route to carding a 2&1 win. Smith won the first hole by sinking a 15-footer for birdie and then Sundquist evened the ledger. Smith won No. 12 with a par to take a 1UP lead and never relinquished the lead the rest of the way. Smith led by as many as 4UP on the first nine holes. She stuck her approach on No. 3 to two feet for birdie to pick up a key tie and registered four impressive up-and-downs on the afternoon to help register the victory.
With the match tied, 2-2-0, it came down to Duke's lone senior.
Rylie Heflin dropped the first hole against Larissa Carrillo and trailed for the first three holes. Heflin, who is from Avondale, Pa., parred No. 13 and No. 14 to flip the score to 1UP in her favor. On No. 17, Heflin hit her 8-iron from 120 yards into the wind to 15 feet for par to go 2UP. Then Heflin sank a 25-foot birdie on No. 18 to go 3UP at the turn. Heflin closed the match after 2-putting for par on No. 4 and rolling in a 6-footer for birdie on No. 5 to win 5&4.
Heflin's win gave Duke a 3-2-0 victory over Ole Miss.

NOTES

In her match against Sophia Burnett of South Carolina, Katie Li shot 5-under-par for her round.
Andie Smith moved to 6-3-1 in match play over her Duke career, while Katie Li is now 3-1-1. Rylie Heflin improved to 7-5-2.

WHAT IS NEXT

Duke faces Mississippi State at 8:30 a.m., Tuesday to close action.

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

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Quarterfinals
#1 South Carolina 4, #8 Duke 1
Maylis Lamoure (SC) def. Carla De Troia (DU) 4&3
Eila Galitsky (SC) def. Andie Smith (DU) 1UP
Katie Li (DU) def. Sophia Burnett (SC) 3UP
Hannah Darling (SC) def. Rylie Heflin (DU) 5&4
Louise Rydqvist (SC) def. Anna Cañado Espinal (DU) 5&4

Consolation Semifinals
#5 Ole Miss vs. #8 Duke
Nicole Gal (Ole Miss) def. Anna Cañado Espinal (DU) 2&1
Kajsalotta Svarvar (Ole Miss) def. Carla De Troia (DU) 2&1
Katie Li (DU) def. Caitlyn Macnab (Ole Miss) 2&1
Andie Smith (DU) def. Filippa Sundquist (Ole Miss) 2&1
Rylie Heflin (DU) def. Larissa Carrillo (Ole Miss) 5&4