Women?s Golf Jumps Out To 21-Stroke Lead In ACC Championship

Saturday, April 14

Charlotte, N.C.

All Day

Duke University

Day Two

Follow Anna Grzebien At The Kraft Nabisco Championship

Women?s Golf Jumps Out To 21-Stroke Lead In ACC Championship

4/14/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf

By: Duke Sports Information

CHARLOTTE, N.C. ? The second day of the ACC Championship was moving day for the top-ranked Duke Women's Golf team as the Blue Devils went from leading by one stroke after Friday's action to leading by 21 strokes with 18 holes of golf remaining at the Par 72, 6,293-Yard Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, N.C.

“I think our golfers stayed tough today,” said Duke Head Coach Dan Brooks. “There was a little bit of wind so you had to think a little bit today and you have to be happy with that. Jennie Lee and Amanda Blumenherst actually birdied the last hole and I was excited to have people coming in strong. It is very pleasing to have people tough on the backside.”

Duke carded it second straight under-par round as the Blue Devils fired a four-under-par, 284, and now owns a 36-hole total of 571, which is five-under-par. Florida State maintained second place with a ledger of 592, while Wake Forest (593), Virginia (600), North Carolina (606), North Carolina State (619), Maryland (620), Miami (640) and Boston College (674) rounded out the field.

Florida State's Caroline Westrup continues to lead the individual action with an eight-under-par, 136, after she posted a 70 on Saturday, but Duke's Amanda Blumenherst is right on her heels with a six-under-par, 138. Blumenherst is alone in second, while sophomore Jennie Lee is third with a two-under-par, 142, and senior Anna Grzebien is one of two golfers tied at fourth with a 143.

“Our focus is on individual performance, playing well, doing the things mentally and physically that we know we are going to need as the season comes to an end,” said Brooks. “So when focus in on that you are not to focused on the margin or anything like that. You pay attention to how everybody is on the golf course, what is their persona, their determination on ever single shot and none of that is happening.”

For Blumenherst, who is a native of Scottsdale, Ariz., it was another solid round with four birdies, one eagle, 11 pars and two unlucky bogies. Her eagle came on the par four, 340-yard No. 14 as she hit her second shot from 83 yards about seven yards past the pin and spun it back into the hole. The eagle was the first of the season and third of her Duke career.

“I am just going to go out and play one shot and one hole at a time,” said Blumenherst. “I am not focusing on what the other girls are doing, I am going to focus on my game.”

A product of Narragansett, R.I., Grzebien continued her excellent play with a one-under-par, 71, on Saturday. She got into a groove on the front nine which featured four birdies in a span of seven holes to close out the front with a 33. Grzebien had her score at three-under-par going into the 13th hole but she suffered two straight bogies to bring her back to one-under-par. She closed with four straight pars.

“It was pretty steady,” said Grzebien of her round today. “I am just kind of playing the course smart and I am picking my targets. There are a couple of holes that look wide open but I feel like you hit away and lose shots. I am trying to take it one at a time and really trying to stay in the moment. I had a little stumble there as I had two bogies in a row, but besides that it was fairways and greens. I am definitely hitting the ball better and more of the numbers I like to shoot. It is exciting to put ourselves into position to increase it [the team lead] tomorrow.”

For the second straight day, Lee registered a one-under-par, 71, which was keyed by birdies on her final two holes of the day. A native of Henderson, Nev., Lee began her round with seven straight pars until she totaled a birdie on the 506-yard, par five No. 8. She made the turn at one-under-par, but bogies on No. 10 and No. 14 moved her back to one-over-par. Lee hit her final shot on No. 18 within a foot for an easy birdie to close out the day.

Continuing her excellent play in her first ACC Championship was freshman Alison Whitaker with a second straight two-over-par, 74. For the second consecutive day, she posted birdies on holes No. 1 and No. 5 but had one bogey in-between. Whitaker closed the front nine with two pars and two bogies on No. 6 and No. 8 to finish with a one-over-par, 37. On the back, she gave up three shots on the 11th and 12th holes but settled down to birdie the 15th and 16 holes. Whitaker enters the final round tied for eighth with a 148.

Junior Jennie Pandolfi struggled for most of the day and finished with an 80. She is tied for 23rd with a 155.

The Blue Devils are the 11-time defending ACC Champions and a Duke golfer has been the ACC Individual Champion in seven of the past eight years. Overall, the Blue Devils have won 14 ACC titles with the next closest team being Wake Forest with three. Brooks has led Duke to 13 of the 14 championships over his 22 seasons.

“I am happy for her [Anna] coming into the end of her career,” said Brooks. “She is playing well, handling things very well, leading this team and now she is also leading us on the golf course. I am very happy for Anna.”

Last season, the Blue Devils won their 11th ACC title winning by 19 strokes over Virginia. Duke posted rounds of 294, 297 and 294 to finish with a three-day total of 885. Overall, Duke has won the ACC Championship in 1984, ?85, ?93, ?96, ?97, ?98, ?99, 2000, ?01, ?02, ?03, ?04, ?05, ?06.

Ten different Blue Devils have claimed individual honors at the ACC Championship? Mary Anne Widman (1984), Evelyn Orley (1985), Kathi Poppmeier (1994), Jenny Chuasiriporn (1996 & 1997), Beth Bauer (1999), Maria Garcia-Estrada (2000), Nirapathpongporn (2001), Candy Hannemann (2002), Brittany Lang (2004 & 2005) and Amanda Blumenherst (2006).

Brooks is in his 23rd season with the Blue Devils. He is a 10-time ACC Coach of the Year selection and has led Duke to 73 event titles, four NCAA Championships, nine ACC Championships and 40 individual medalist honors, over the last nine years.

Duke will tee off on Sunday in the final round beginning at 10:10 a.m., along with Wake Forest and Florida State, unless inclement weather changes the schedule. The ACC Women's Golf Championship will be available on ACC Select on Sunday, April 15 starting at 12 noon. Coverage of the last round plus tournament recap will be available on a pay for view subscription. Go to the ACC website: www.theacc.com for complete details or to your favorite ACC schools' website.

- d - u - k - e -

finish top 20 schools scores
1 Duke 287 284 571 -5
2 Florida State Univ. 290 302 592 +16
3 Wake Forest 297 296 593 +17
4 Virginia 297 303 600 +24
5 North Carolina 300 306 606 +30
6 North Carolina St. 306 313 619 +43
7 Maryland, U. of 312 308 620 +44
8 Miami, U. of 325 315 640 +64
9 Boston College 344 330 674 +98

1 Duke -5 F 287 284 571
2 Amanda Blumenherst -6 F 70 68 138
3 Jennie Lee -2 F 71 71 142
T4 Anna Grzebien -1 F 72 71 143
T8 Alison Whitaker +4 F 74 74 148
T23 Jennifer Pandolfi +11 F 75 80 155

2 Florida State Univ. +16 F 290 302 592
1 Caroline Westrup -8 F 66 70 136
T13 Whitney Wright +7 F 74 77 151
T20 Kayla Shaul +10 F 75 79 154
T20 Whitney Brummett +10 F 75 79 154
T23 Lauren Cousart +11 F 79 76 155

3 Wake Forest +17 F 297 296 593
T6 Laura Crawford +2 F 73 73 146
T8 Maggie Simons +4 F 72 76 148
T11 Mandy Goins +6 F 78 72 150
T13 Jean Chua +7 F 76 75 151
T15 Nannette Hill +8 F 76 76 152

4 Virginia +24 F 297 303 600
T4 Rachel Smith -1 F 68 75 143
T6 Leah Wigger +2 F 76 70 146
T23 Whitney Neuhauser +11 F 77 78 155
28 Kristen Simpson +12 F 76 80 156
- Jennie Arseneault +10 F 82 W W

5 North Carolina +30 F 300 306 606
T11 Katie Miller +6 F 72 78 150
T15 Ann Laney +8 F 78 74 152
T15 Sydney Crane +8 F 75 77 152
T15 Lauren Hunt +8 F 75 77 152
T39 Kate Thomas +22 F 82 84 166

6 North Carolina St. +43 F 306 313 619
19 Emily Street +9 F 74 79 153
T20 Lauren Doughtie +10 F 76 78 154
T23 Kathleen Strandberg +11 F 79 76 155
29 Stephanie Derrey +13 F 77 80 157
T39 Cindel Gwyn +22 F 83 83 166

7 Maryland, U. of +44 F 312 308 620
10 Kelly Calkin +5 F 77 72 149
T23 Katie Stepanek +11 F 74 81 155
T32 Jessica Reno +15 F 79 80 159
T34 Katie Trotter +16 F 83 77 160
36 Kelly MacWhinnie +17 F 82 79 161

8 Miami, U. of +64 F 325 315 640
T30 Hagen Weintraub +14 F 81 77 158
T30 Tiffany Prats +14 F 80 78 158
T34 Jessica Steward +16 F 83 77 160
37 Anabelle Paulino +20 F 81 83 164
T43 Josie Shinn +40 F 91 93 184

9 Boston College +98 F 344 330 674
T32 Meghan Martinek +15 F 83 76 159
38 Lara Smilnak +21 F 84 81 165
41 Katie Napleton +25 F 85 84 169
42 Sara Gogolak +37 F 92 89 181
T43 Natalie Draganza +40 F 93 91 184