Women's Golf Opens in Third at Tar Heel Invitational

Friday, October 8

Chapel Hill, N.C.

All Day

Duke University

Day One at Tar Heel Invitational

Cangrejo Has Career-Best Second Place Finish

Women's Golf Opens in Third at Tar Heel Invitational

10/8/2010 5:37:00 PM | Women's Golf

By: Duke Sports Information

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Duke freshmen Laetitia Beck and Alejandra Cangrejo each carded one-under-par rounds of 71 to lead the Blue Devil women's golf team on Friday in the 2010 Tar Heel Invitational at the 6,285-yard, par 72 Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, N.C.

The Blue Devils kicked off the day on hole No. 10 along with Florida and Georgia with a perfect day for goal.

Beck, who is a product of Caesarea, Israel, opened her round with seven straight pars before suffering a bogey on the par five 17th. The bogey fired her up as she stuck her approach on the 18th to within four feet and sank the birdie to move back to even par. Over her final nine holes, Beck collected eight pars and a birdie on the 370-yard, par four fourth hole. Beck's under par round marks the fourth time in three tournaments she has posted an even or under par ledger.

For the round, Beck struggled hitting fairways with a team-low seven, but hit 12 greens and had 30 putts on the afternoon.

A native of Bogota, Columbia, Cangrejo started her day at even par through nine holes as she notched a birdie on No. 13 and a three-putt bogey on the 18th. She closed with birdies on No. 2 and No. 9 to go along with six pars and a bogey on the sixth hole. Overall, Cangrejo hit a team-best 15 greens, 11 fairways and had 32 putts. Her 32 putts marked the first time this season she has totaled more than 29 putts in a single round.

"They are doing fine," commented Head Coach Dan Brooks on the freshmen. "For freshmen coming in, you just never know what is going to happen. They seem to be handling it all pretty well. I think we just stay patient we are going to see some birdies."

Both Beck and Cangrejo are tied for 13th in the individual action with 36 holes remaining.

As a team, Duke is tied for third along with Florida with an even par round of 288. Alabama took a commanding lead on day one by shooting an 11-under-par, 277, on Friday. LSU is second at three-under-par (285). Rounding out the top 10 is Duke (288), Florida (288), Tulane (289), Michigan State (289), Virginia (290), South Carolina (291), Wake Forest (291) and Texas A&M (292).

"It is a pretty good round but we are 11 shots back, said Duke Head Coach Dan Brooks. "The day was absolutely perfect -- the weather was perfect. You hope to see a few more putts fall in than we saw. I didn't see anything that didn't look like we could play well tomorrow and the next day."

Out of seven rounds this fall season, Duke has shot even or under par in four of those.

Both sophomore Lindy Duncan and sophomore Courtney Ellenbogen each turned in rounds of one-over-par, 73, in the first round and enter Saturday's action tied for 36th. Ellenbogen, who is from Blacksburg, Va., kicked off her day with a bogey, double-bogey and seven pars over the first nine holes. She turned it around by hitting eight of nine greens on the back nine and was two-under-par to close out her round with a 73. Ellenbogen hit 14 greens, 11 fairways and had 32 putts on the day.

"That is the kind of person she is," said Brooks on Ellenbogen. "She is going to fight hard all the way to the end. I knew when she got down that it wasn't over. The backside is a little bit more forgiving and I think she took advantage of that."

A product of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Duncan totaled 13 fairways hit, 13 greens in regulation and had 33 putts on the day as she shot only her third over par round of the fall season with a 73. She notched a bogey on her first hole but brought her score back to even par with a birdie on the 13th hole. Duncan dropped another shot on the 390-yard, par four 15th as she hit her approach shot off the green and couldn't get it up and down. She was even par to close out her round over the final 12 holes.

After counting all six of her rounds in the first two tournaments, senior Kim Donovan shot a two-over-par, 74, on Friday to have her score thrown out for the Blue Devils. She enters day two tied for 42nd in the individual action even though she notched a team-best four birdies on the day.

Donovan registered two birdies, two bogeys and four pars to go along with a double-bogey on the first nine as she made the turn with a two-over-par, 38. She reeled off two straight birdies as she made the turn to get her score back to even par through 11 holes. Donovan suffered a bogey on the fourth hole and after hitting her drive on No. 9 in the fairway bunker she had a bogey to close out her day.

As a team, Duke registered 13 birdies on the day.

The Blue Devils will tee off on Saturday beginning at 10:30 a.m., along with LSU and Alabama on hole No. 1.

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