Upcoming Event: Women's Golf versus Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational on October 17, 2025
Women's Golf
vs Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational
Friday, October 15
Chapel Hill, N.C. (Finley Golf Course)
Duke University
vs
Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational
Photo by: Tim Cowie
Shepherd Leads Tar Heel Invitational After Day One with Career-Low 66
10/15/2021 5:48:00 PM | Women's Golf
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Behind a career-low 6-under-par, 66, on Friday Duke University junior Erica Shepherd jumped out to a two-stroke individual lead at the Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational, which is being played at the 6,393-yard, par-72 Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Shepherd, who hails from Greenwood, S.C., was on fire early with a bogey-free, 6-under, 30, on the front nine. She rolled in birdies on her first three holes, followed by birdies on No. 5, No. 6 and No. 8. On the back, Shepherd suffered a bogey on No. 10 after missing the fairway, but came back to roll in a six-footer for birdie on No. 11 and a two-putt birdie on the 481-yard, par-5 13th to get to 7-under for the day. She missed only one green all day, which was No. 16 and suffered a bogey, before closing with pars on No. 17 and No. 18 to finish with a 66.
"Yeah, coming into the day I just really wanted to test my limits as far as how much I could trust myself," said Shepherd. "I know I've been hitting it well and I've gotten a lot better. So, I just wanted to kind of go out there and execute. I started off very hot and that was kind of a lot to take in, but I am happy with how I kind of kept it going."
On the day, Shepherd hit a career-high 17 greens, 10 fairways and rolled 29 putts. She leads by two strokes over Benedetta Moresco of Alabama and Laney Frye of Kentucky. Shepherd's round was the tied for fifth-lowest in Tar Heel Invitational history, while also tying for the lowest Duke round at the Tar Heel Invitational along with Jaravee Boonchant from 2018.
As a team, Duke sits in a tie for sixth overall, but is only four strokes out of the lead with a 2-under, 286. Virginia Tech holds the lead with a 6-under, 282, while Wake Forest (283), Kentucky (284), Michigan (285), Clemson (285), Duke (286), Alabama (286), North Carolina (289) and Furman (290) are in the top 10.
In her first appearance in the Tar Heel Invitational, sophomore Anne Chen collected a 2-under, 70, and is tied for ninth. She was in the red nearly her entire day as she rolled in a 15-foot birdie on No. 3 and then moved to 2-under by sinking at 46-foot birdie putt on No. 6. A product of Sugar Land, Texas, Chen suffered her lone bogey of the day on No. 15. She closed with a bang as she hit her pitching wedge from 105 yards to four feet and sank the birdie putt to close her afternoon. Chen finished with 15 greens in regulation along with 31 putts and seven fairways hit.
After opening the day with back-to-back bogeys, freshman Rylie Heflin would go on to par the next nine holes, before suffering a bogey on No. 12. She was able to collect back-to-back birdies on No. 15 and No. 16 to get to 1-over. Heflin, who is from Avondale, Pa., hit her 5-iron from 170 yards to 10 feet on No. 15 for birdie and then drained a 20-foot birdie on No. 16. She had a bogey on No. 17 and parred No. 18 to finish with a 74 and is tied for 53rd. Heflin hit 16 greens, 10 fairways and had 34 putts one day one.
Sophomore Phoebe Brinker featured a colorful scorecard over the first nine holes with three pars, three birdies, two bogeys and one double-bogey as she finished the front with a 1-over, 37. Brinker, a native of Wilmington, Del., birdied No. 2 as she hit her 60-degree wedge from 55 yards and hit the pin off the bounce. She added a two-putt birdie on No. 6 and then sank a 30-foot birdie on the 161-yard, par-3 eighth. Brinker closed the back nine with a 3-over, 39, to finish with a 76. She hit 12 greens, 10 fairways and rolled 35 putts Friday.
Seeing action in her second Tar Heel Invitational, junior Megan Furtney opened her day with three pars and two bogeys on her first five holes. She then caught fire as she hit her 60-degree wedge from 65 yards on No. 6 for a short birdie. Furtney, who is from St. Charles, Ill., then drained a 15-foot birdie on No. 9 to make the turn at even-par, 36. The back nine was a struggle for Furtney as she went on to close the day with an 83.
Duke will tee off Saturday in the second round beginning at 8:30 a.m., along with Vanderbilt and North Carolina.
#GoDuke
Shepherd, who hails from Greenwood, S.C., was on fire early with a bogey-free, 6-under, 30, on the front nine. She rolled in birdies on her first three holes, followed by birdies on No. 5, No. 6 and No. 8. On the back, Shepherd suffered a bogey on No. 10 after missing the fairway, but came back to roll in a six-footer for birdie on No. 11 and a two-putt birdie on the 481-yard, par-5 13th to get to 7-under for the day. She missed only one green all day, which was No. 16 and suffered a bogey, before closing with pars on No. 17 and No. 18 to finish with a 66.
"Yeah, coming into the day I just really wanted to test my limits as far as how much I could trust myself," said Shepherd. "I know I've been hitting it well and I've gotten a lot better. So, I just wanted to kind of go out there and execute. I started off very hot and that was kind of a lot to take in, but I am happy with how I kind of kept it going."
On the day, Shepherd hit a career-high 17 greens, 10 fairways and rolled 29 putts. She leads by two strokes over Benedetta Moresco of Alabama and Laney Frye of Kentucky. Shepherd's round was the tied for fifth-lowest in Tar Heel Invitational history, while also tying for the lowest Duke round at the Tar Heel Invitational along with Jaravee Boonchant from 2018.
As a team, Duke sits in a tie for sixth overall, but is only four strokes out of the lead with a 2-under, 286. Virginia Tech holds the lead with a 6-under, 282, while Wake Forest (283), Kentucky (284), Michigan (285), Clemson (285), Duke (286), Alabama (286), North Carolina (289) and Furman (290) are in the top 10.
In her first appearance in the Tar Heel Invitational, sophomore Anne Chen collected a 2-under, 70, and is tied for ninth. She was in the red nearly her entire day as she rolled in a 15-foot birdie on No. 3 and then moved to 2-under by sinking at 46-foot birdie putt on No. 6. A product of Sugar Land, Texas, Chen suffered her lone bogey of the day on No. 15. She closed with a bang as she hit her pitching wedge from 105 yards to four feet and sank the birdie putt to close her afternoon. Chen finished with 15 greens in regulation along with 31 putts and seven fairways hit.
After opening the day with back-to-back bogeys, freshman Rylie Heflin would go on to par the next nine holes, before suffering a bogey on No. 12. She was able to collect back-to-back birdies on No. 15 and No. 16 to get to 1-over. Heflin, who is from Avondale, Pa., hit her 5-iron from 170 yards to 10 feet on No. 15 for birdie and then drained a 20-foot birdie on No. 16. She had a bogey on No. 17 and parred No. 18 to finish with a 74 and is tied for 53rd. Heflin hit 16 greens, 10 fairways and had 34 putts one day one.
Sophomore Phoebe Brinker featured a colorful scorecard over the first nine holes with three pars, three birdies, two bogeys and one double-bogey as she finished the front with a 1-over, 37. Brinker, a native of Wilmington, Del., birdied No. 2 as she hit her 60-degree wedge from 55 yards and hit the pin off the bounce. She added a two-putt birdie on No. 6 and then sank a 30-foot birdie on the 161-yard, par-3 eighth. Brinker closed the back nine with a 3-over, 39, to finish with a 76. She hit 12 greens, 10 fairways and rolled 35 putts Friday.
Seeing action in her second Tar Heel Invitational, junior Megan Furtney opened her day with three pars and two bogeys on her first five holes. She then caught fire as she hit her 60-degree wedge from 65 yards on No. 6 for a short birdie. Furtney, who is from St. Charles, Ill., then drained a 15-foot birdie on No. 9 to make the turn at even-par, 36. The back nine was a struggle for Furtney as she went on to close the day with an 83.
Duke will tee off Saturday in the second round beginning at 8:30 a.m., along with Vanderbilt and North Carolina.
#GoDuke
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