Women's Golf Claims East Regional Title In Record Fashion

Saturday, May 12

Baton Rouge, La.

All Day

Duke University

Day Three

Women's Golf Claims East Regional Title In Record Fashion

5/12/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf

By: Duke Sports Information

BATON ROUGE, LA.-- For the seventh time in school history, the second-ranked and top-seeded Duke Women's Golf team is the NCAA East Regional Champions as the Blue Devils carded a school-record 16-under-par, 271, on Saturday to win by two strokes and advance to their 10th straight NCAA Championship. Duke was led by sophomore Amanda Blumenherst, who matched a NCAA record with a nine-under-par, 63, while the team finished the regional with a 54-hole total of 844 at the 6,403-Yard, Par 72 University Club.

The Blue Devils came back from being in tied for 10th place and 10 strokes off the lead after round one and trailed by eight strokes heading into the final round, but made up ground early and often. The 20-under-par score of 844 is a new school record in relation to par. Rounding out the top eight teams who received invitations to the NCAA Championship from May 22-25 in Daytona Beach, Fla., were UCLA (846), Wake Forest (858), Auburn (861), Purdue (862), North Carolina (862), Alabama (868) and Louisville (870).

“The great thing about it [the win] is I don't think anything changed for the team,” said Brooks. “After 13 or 14 holes in the second round we were still in eighth place, which was on some of the boards that we saw. I think my team was smart enough not to look at the boards and stayed with their game. By the end of the day we were in third place. By staying the same and not letting it affect them, I think that is why we were able to get in a good position.”

Duke earned the regional victory for the seventh time in school history with the other wins coming in 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. It marks the second time the Blue Devils have claimed a regional win in Baton Rouge, La., as Duke posted a three-day total of 859 in 2002 to win. Duke also posted its second straight victory within two months at the University Club course as the Blue Devils posted a three-day total of 860 on March 18. The Blue Devils posted 22 birdies on the final day after totaling 33 birdies the first two rounds, while all five Duke golfers were under par.

“We just felt like there was plastic wrap over the cup the first two days,” said Brooks. “We were playing some great golf, and the balls weren't going in the hole, but today they finally started to drop.”

Blumenherst, who is a native of Scottsdale, Ariz., opened her day with birdies on the first two holes and ended up with five birdies on the front nine as she made the turn with a 31. On the back nine, she collected another five birdies, but had her lone bogey on the 12th hole. Of the four par five holes, Blumenherst only had one birdie, which came on the 16th hole as she lipped out an eagle putt and made the next attempt. On the round, she hit 16 greens and nine within 15 feet, hit 11 of 14 fairways and had 26 putts.

“I knew that I was hitting it really well and knew when the putts started falling I could go really low,” said Blumenherst. “This morning I did my normal routine, kept my normal tempo on it and I played more inside the hole [on putts] as I played to much break the first two days.”

In the individual medalist competition, Blumenherst finished second with a 10-under-par, 206, with rounds of 73, 70, 63. It marks the second straight year she has finished second in regional action. Taking home the individual title was UCLA's Sydnee Michaels with a 13-under-par, 203. Blumenherst matches former Duke four-time All-America Liz Janangelo's and Pepperdine's Katherine Hull with nine-under-par ledgers in their career. Janangelo accomplished it in 2005 with a 62 on a par 71 course, while Hull notched a 63 on a par 72 course like Blumenherst.

“She [Amanda] and her dad both agreed that she could have had this type of round yesterday,” said Brooks. “She has been striking the ball really, really well. I think even the first day could have been really low, but the ball wasn't falling in. That is where I am proud of her that she stayed patient until the ball started to fall into the hole.”

Blue Devil junior Jennifer Pandolfi produced her second straight round of 69 on sunny and warm Saturday morning as she got the Blue Devils going early as she went off first. A product of Navarre, Fla., Pandolfi concluded the tournament with a total of 215, which was tied for 18th. Her two consecutive rounds in the 60s is a first over her three-year career.

“I started off really well with three birdies on the front nine,” said Pandolfi. “On the back nine, which is the tougher of the sides, I stuck with it making pars and started playing well again at the end. My putting and short game were solid today.”

On Saturday, Pandolfi registered three birdies over the first six holes and made the turn at three-under-par, 33. On the back, she had one birdie, one bogey and seven pars to close with a 69. She was three-under-par going into the 14th hole but her only bogey of the day happened, but Pandolfi regrouped and responded with a birdie on the par-five 17th to finish with a three-under score. For the day, she hit 16 greens and 9-of-14 fairways.

With her parents in town from Melbourne, Australia, freshman Alison Whitaker continued her excellent week with her second straight under par round and a career-low, 70. Whitaker matched a career best with a 54-hole total of 215 and tied for 18th. On the day, she totaled four birdies and a team-best 17 greens in regulation. Whitaker opened with three pars and then registered three straight birdies on holes four, five and six. She suffered a bogey on the 10th, had a par on No. 11 and notched a birdie on the 12th to go back to three-under-par, but a bogey on the 13th dropped a stroke. Whitaker went on to par the remaining the final five holes to shoot a 70.

Duke's lone senior, Anna Grzebien collected her fourth top-10 finish of the season and her third straight under par round as she closed with a two-under-par, 70. Over the 54-holes, she finished with a season best total of 212 with rounds of 71, 71 and 70, which was tied for ninth. Grzebien, who is from Narragansett, R.I., opened the day with eight pars and a bogey on the third hole as she made the turn with a 37. She caught fire with birdies on No. 11, 12, 15 and 17 to go along with a bogey on the 14th hole as Grzebien shot three-under-par on the back nine.

“It was pretty exciting as I looked at the boards throughout the week,” said Grzebien. “I was never worried about it even though we were pretty far back. Today the way everyone played that really shows that we are true competitors. I am really excited to do it now as we haven't gone real low throughout the spring, but it is coming together at the right time.”

Sophomore Jennie Lee continued her solid play with a one-under-par, 71, on the final day to finish with a 217, which was tied for 25th. The Henderson, Nev., product had a pretty quiet scorecard on Saturday with 17 pars and a birdie on the 491-yard, par five 11th hole. For the week, she posted rounds of 73, 73 and 71.

As a team, Duke played the par five holes at seven-under-par on Saturday and were 19-under-par for the tournament. The Blue Devils had only one bogey on a par five hole, which came on the final day.

“Coach [Brooks] had confidence in us and we did as well so we knew we could definitely do it and had the team to do it,” said Blumenherst. “The first day the putts were not falling for anyone and even the second day to. It was a consensus in the group that the putts were burning the edges and just wouldn't dropping, but it looks like today they were.”

The NCAA Championship will be played from May 22-25 at the LPGA International Legends Course in Daytona Beach, Fla. Duke has won NCAA titles in 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2006.

Notes:

Records broken or tied--
* 20-under-par as a team in 54 holes is a new school record (previous was 18-under at the Stanford Pepsi Intercollegiate in 2005)

* 16-under-par as a team in 18 holes is a new school record (previous was 13-under at the Stanford Pepsi Intercollegiate in 2005)

* 9-under-par by Amanda Blumenherst on Saturday matches a school record held by Liz Janangelo who posted a 62 on a par 71 course in 2005.

* Amanda Blumenherst's 10 birdies in the final round is a school record.

* Duke set course records for lowest 18-hole score (271), lowest 54-hole score (844), individual low 18-hole score (63) and individual low 54-hole score (20

Other Notes:
* Duke advances to the NCAA Championship for the 10th straight year.

* Head Coach Dan Brooks has now won 101 career tournaments and continues to be the all-time wins leader in women's golf history.

* Freshman Alison Whitaker had two straight under par rounds for the first time in her career.

* Duke was treated to great weather over the three days in Baton Rouge, La., as the temperatures reached in the 90s all three days without a drop of rain.

* The only time Duke has gone on to win the National Championship after winning the regional was in 2002.

* The victory for Duke is the sixth on the season and fourth out of six tournaments this spring.

* Amanda Blumenherst now owns 20 top-10 finishes to move into a tie for 10th place on Duke's all-time list, while Anna Grzebien moved into a tie for 12th with 19 top-10 finishes.

* Amanda Blumenherst posted her 42nd career even or under par round during the week to move into a tie for third on Duke's all-time charts along with former All-America Jenny Chuasiriporn.

* Duke's team total of 844 is the best by a Blue Devil squad in NCAA Regional action with the previous low coming in 2003 at the Salem Glen Golf Club with an 857.

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