Blue Devils Fall in Quarterfinals of Match Play

Tuesday, May 22

Stillwater, Okla.

TBA

Duke University

Day Five at NCAA Championship

Blue Devils Fall in Quarterfinals of Match Play

5/22/2018 5:40:00 PM | Women's Golf

WG Brooks NCAA Match Play Interview Live Scoring

By: Duke Sports Information

STILLWATER, Okla. – The Duke women's golf team saw its run at the NCAA Championship come to an end Tuesday in the quarterfinals of match play as the sixth-seeded Blue Devils dropped a 3-1-1 decision to third-seeded Southern California at the 6,328-yard, par 72 Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla.

The end of the season marked the conclusion of the collegiate careers of Leona Maguire and Lisa Maguire, after helping the Blue Devils to three trips to NCAA match play, two ACC Championships and a total of 14 team victories over the last four years.

Leona Maguire concluded her storied career with Duke records in even or under par rounds (87), rounds in the 60s (32) and career stroke average (70.97). Her 70.97 career scoring average is the lowest in NCAA history for golfers that participated in 100 or more rounds. The two-time National Player of the Year also collected an impressive 10 career wins, 24 top five finishes, 36 top 10 placements and 39 top 20 finishes.

In Monday's match, which opened at 7 a.m., local time, fans were treated to an exciting contest, which was started off by Leona Maguire against Jennifer Chang. Maguire and Chang combined for 11 birdies and were back and forth the entire match. Chang took the first lead of the morning with a birdie on No. 12, but Maguire came back with a birdie of her own at No. 13. Maguire, who hails from Cavan, Ireland, would not trail the rest of the way

Maguire would go to 2-up after winning holes No. 4 and No. 5, but Chang would battle back to get the match all square with one hole remaining. A four-time first team All-America, Maguire went on to stick her approach on the par five No. 9 to a foot and had her birdie conceded for the win, after Chang missed her birdie putt.

Duke would briefly lead 1-0 with four other matches going.

Southern California would get its first win as Alyaa Abdulghany took down Lisa Maguire, 4&2.

Blue Devil freshman Jaravee Boonchant was in a battle with rookie Gabriela Ruffels and held a 1-up lead after winning holes No. 15 and No. 16. Boonchant, who is from Bangkok, Thailand, dropped back-to-back par five holes with bogeys on No. 18 and No. 1 to fall 1-down. She briefly got her match back to all square after a par on No. 3. Ruffels regained the lead and wouldn't relinquish it. Boonchant tried to make a comeback by winning hole 16, but couldn't take Ruffels down over the last two holes falling, 1-up.

After trailing the entire match and down by as many as 3-down, sophomore Ana Belac mounted an impressive comeback over the final nine holes. Belac, a native of Portoroz, Slovenia, won holes No. 2, No. 3 and No. 5 to get the match to all square. After Ameila Garvey of USC hit her drive out of bounds off the tee on No. 6, Belac wasn't able to take advantage and ended up dropping the hole with a double-bogey. The All-ACC selection responded by draining an eight-foot birdie on the par three seventh and the match was all square once again. Belac went on to drop the final two holes and USC clinched the victory as Garvey won, 2-up.

Virginia Elena Carta's match with Allisen Corpuz was all square through four holes, before Carta birdied the par five 14th. A product of Udine, Italy, Carta would never trail the rest of the match and held a 2-up advantage with two holes remaining. Corpuz would win No. 8 and drained a 10-foot birdie on No. 9 to send the match to extra holes. The two golfers were on the third extra hole when the match was clinched by the Trojans.

Duke is one of only three teams to advance to match play at least three times over the last four NCAA Championships.

The Blue Devils finished the season with five wins, including the ACC Championship and the NCAA Madison Regional.

#GoDuke

Southern California def. Duke 3-1-1
Leona Maguire, Duke, def. Jennifer Chang, 1 Up
Allisen Corpuz, Southern California vs. Virginia Elena Carta, Duke, All Square
Gabi Ruffels, Southern California def. Jaravee Boonchant, Duke, 1 Up
Alyaa Abdulghany, Southern California, def. Lisa Maguire, Duke, 4&2
Amelia Garvey, Southern California, def. Ana Belac, Duke, 2 Up