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Women's Golf
vs Landfall Tradition
Saturday, April 16
Pawleys Island, S.C. (The Reserve Golf Course)
Duke University
vs
ACC Championship
Photo by: Duke Athletics
Duke’s Run at ACC Championship Concludes in Semifinals of Match Play
4/16/2022 2:47:00 PM | Women's Golf
PAWLEY'S ISLAND, S.C. – After a great run through stroke play, the Duke women's golf team saw its time at the ACC Championship conclude in the semifinals on Saturday with a 3-0-2 loss to second-seeded Florida State at the 6,212-yard, Par-72 The Reserve Golf Club in Pawley's Island, S.C.
A product of Avondale, Pa., freshman Rylie Heflin went off first against Florida State's talented senior Beatrice Wallin, who is currently ranked No. 6 in the world. After tying the first hole, Wallin took the first lead of the match on hole No. 2. She led 2UP through five, but Heflin won holes No. 6 and No. 7 to tie the match.
Heflin took her first lead, 1UP, with an impressive 2-putt par from 60 feet on No. 11. After Wallin won No. 12, Heflin hit her 9-iron from 125 yards from the fairway bunker to 15 feet and drained the birdie to take a 1UP lead again. Wallin once again came back on the next hole to even the match.
On No. 15, Heflin was in the left greenside bunker and was able to get it up-and-down for par to tie the hole. She was in the fairway bunker on No. 16 and after her approach went long Heflin was left with a 12-foot par putt that she calmly drained to keep the match tied. With inclement weather approaching, the match headed to No. 18 and Heflin went on to sink a 35-foot putt for birdie to win the match, 1UP.
"It felt amazing," said Heflin on the victory. "This is only my second win on the team so far in match play. I have certainly learned a lot. I have only played in the East Lake Cup and the match play event just down the road in Raleigh. I learned a lot from my round yesterday because I haven't played like that in about two years. I took time to reflect on my game and what I needed to work on. I worked with Coach Brooks yesterday after the round on the range and again this morning. I went out there and I was confident. It definitely helped me."
Although Heflin technically won the match, the ACC is not crediting her with a win since Florida State had already clinched the team win before they concluded hole No. 18.
"Rylie would agree with me on this, that she really wasn't striking the ball great in this tournament," said Duke head coach Dan Brooks. "So, to come into that match not striking the ball well and to use her mind to win against one of the best players in the world – I can't say enough about that. I am proud of her."
After collecting the ACC Individual Championship over the last couple of days, Brinker continued her stellar play on Saturday as she was leading 3UP with three holes remaining when the Seminoles clinched the victory.
Brinker, who is from Wilmington, Del., hit her 60-degree wedge on No. 1 to 10 feet for birdie to take a 1UP lead and would never trail in her match to Cecilie Finne-Ipsen. After missing the green on No. 3, Brinker lost the hole, but came back to stick her approach to three feet for birdie on No. 4 to win the hole. She never gave back the lead the rest of the match.
On the 13th hole, Brinker had another birdie to extend her lead to 3UP, where it would eventually finish.
Florida State jumped out to early leads in two of the other matches that featured Duke's Anne Chen against Amelia Williamson and Blue Devil junior Erica Shepherd versus Charlotte Heath. Williamson came out on fire shooting 4-under-par over 13 holes to notch a 7&5 victory over Chen. A native of Sugar Land, Texas, Chen rolled in a birdie on No. 9 to cut the FSU lead to 3UP, but Williamson went on to drop back-to-back birdies on No. 10 and No. 11 to increase the lead.
Shepherd, who is from Greenwood, Ind., went up against another hot Seminole golfer as Heath was 3-under through her first six holes and finished 3-under for the day. Heath won the first two holes with birdies and would lead 3UP through 12 holes, before Shepherd notched a birdie. The match would end up with a 3&2 victory over Heath, after hole 16.
Blue Devil junior Megan Furtney was in a battle all day with Alice Hodge. Furtney took the 1UP lead early with a par on No. 3 and led 1UP through five holes, before Hodge made a birdie on No. 6 to go ahead, 1UP. Hodge took her first lead on No. 10 and Furtney couldn't get the match back closer the rest of the way, before falling 3&2.
"They need to hold their heads high," said Brooks. "There are a lot of positives going on. They are hurting now and I think that is good. A team that is destined for good things needs to be unhappy when they lose."
Duke will next await for the NCAA Regional Selection show on Wednesday, April 27 at 4 p.m., live on the Golf Channel.
Florida State 4, Duke 1 - Match Play Semifinals
8 a.m. – Rylie Heflin (DU) vs. Beatrice Wallin (FSU) unfinished
8:10 a.m. – Alice Hodge (FSU) def. Megan Furtney (DU) 3&2
8:20 a.m. – Amelia Williamson (FSU) def. Anne Chen (DU) 7&5
8:30 a.m. – Charlotte Heath (FSU) def. Erica Shepherd (DU) 3&2
8:40 a.m. – Phoebe Brinker (DU) vs. Cecilie Finne-Ipsen (FSU) unfinished
#GoDuke
A product of Avondale, Pa., freshman Rylie Heflin went off first against Florida State's talented senior Beatrice Wallin, who is currently ranked No. 6 in the world. After tying the first hole, Wallin took the first lead of the match on hole No. 2. She led 2UP through five, but Heflin won holes No. 6 and No. 7 to tie the match.
Heflin took her first lead, 1UP, with an impressive 2-putt par from 60 feet on No. 11. After Wallin won No. 12, Heflin hit her 9-iron from 125 yards from the fairway bunker to 15 feet and drained the birdie to take a 1UP lead again. Wallin once again came back on the next hole to even the match.
On No. 15, Heflin was in the left greenside bunker and was able to get it up-and-down for par to tie the hole. She was in the fairway bunker on No. 16 and after her approach went long Heflin was left with a 12-foot par putt that she calmly drained to keep the match tied. With inclement weather approaching, the match headed to No. 18 and Heflin went on to sink a 35-foot putt for birdie to win the match, 1UP.
"It felt amazing," said Heflin on the victory. "This is only my second win on the team so far in match play. I have certainly learned a lot. I have only played in the East Lake Cup and the match play event just down the road in Raleigh. I learned a lot from my round yesterday because I haven't played like that in about two years. I took time to reflect on my game and what I needed to work on. I worked with Coach Brooks yesterday after the round on the range and again this morning. I went out there and I was confident. It definitely helped me."
Although Heflin technically won the match, the ACC is not crediting her with a win since Florida State had already clinched the team win before they concluded hole No. 18.
"Rylie would agree with me on this, that she really wasn't striking the ball great in this tournament," said Duke head coach Dan Brooks. "So, to come into that match not striking the ball well and to use her mind to win against one of the best players in the world – I can't say enough about that. I am proud of her."
After collecting the ACC Individual Championship over the last couple of days, Brinker continued her stellar play on Saturday as she was leading 3UP with three holes remaining when the Seminoles clinched the victory.
Brinker, who is from Wilmington, Del., hit her 60-degree wedge on No. 1 to 10 feet for birdie to take a 1UP lead and would never trail in her match to Cecilie Finne-Ipsen. After missing the green on No. 3, Brinker lost the hole, but came back to stick her approach to three feet for birdie on No. 4 to win the hole. She never gave back the lead the rest of the match.
On the 13th hole, Brinker had another birdie to extend her lead to 3UP, where it would eventually finish.
Florida State jumped out to early leads in two of the other matches that featured Duke's Anne Chen against Amelia Williamson and Blue Devil junior Erica Shepherd versus Charlotte Heath. Williamson came out on fire shooting 4-under-par over 13 holes to notch a 7&5 victory over Chen. A native of Sugar Land, Texas, Chen rolled in a birdie on No. 9 to cut the FSU lead to 3UP, but Williamson went on to drop back-to-back birdies on No. 10 and No. 11 to increase the lead.
Shepherd, who is from Greenwood, Ind., went up against another hot Seminole golfer as Heath was 3-under through her first six holes and finished 3-under for the day. Heath won the first two holes with birdies and would lead 3UP through 12 holes, before Shepherd notched a birdie. The match would end up with a 3&2 victory over Heath, after hole 16.
Blue Devil junior Megan Furtney was in a battle all day with Alice Hodge. Furtney took the 1UP lead early with a par on No. 3 and led 1UP through five holes, before Hodge made a birdie on No. 6 to go ahead, 1UP. Hodge took her first lead on No. 10 and Furtney couldn't get the match back closer the rest of the way, before falling 3&2.
"They need to hold their heads high," said Brooks. "There are a lot of positives going on. They are hurting now and I think that is good. A team that is destined for good things needs to be unhappy when they lose."
Duke will next await for the NCAA Regional Selection show on Wednesday, April 27 at 4 p.m., live on the Golf Channel.
Florida State 4, Duke 1 - Match Play Semifinals
8 a.m. – Rylie Heflin (DU) vs. Beatrice Wallin (FSU) unfinished
8:10 a.m. – Alice Hodge (FSU) def. Megan Furtney (DU) 3&2
8:20 a.m. – Amelia Williamson (FSU) def. Anne Chen (DU) 7&5
8:30 a.m. – Charlotte Heath (FSU) def. Erica Shepherd (DU) 3&2
8:40 a.m. – Phoebe Brinker (DU) vs. Cecilie Finne-Ipsen (FSU) unfinished
#GoDuke
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