Smith Paces Blue Devils on Day One of Landfall Tradition

Friday, October 27

Wilmington, N.C.

Duke University

Landfall Tradition

Photo by: Mario Terrana

Smith Paces Blue Devils on Day One of Landfall Tradition

10/27/2023 11:13:00 PM | Women's Golf

Scoring

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Duke women's golf sophomore Andie Smith carded a 3-under-par, 69, Friday in the opening round of the Landfall Tradition to pace the Blue Devils at the 6,194-yard, par-72 Country Club of Landfall Pete Dye Course in Wilmington, N.C.

As a team, Duke turned in a 2-under-par, 286, and sits fifth overall with 36 holes remaining. A native of Hobe Sound, Fla., Smith is tied for sixth on the individual leaderboard and only two shots off the lead. Senior Phoebe Brinker turned in a 1-under-par, 71, which included her 10th career eagle, a new Duke career record.

How It Happened
•   Andie Smith opened the day by draining an 8-foot birdie on the 375-yard, par-4 10th hole. She got up-and-down for par on No. 12 and then sank a 10-footer for birdie on No. 14 to get to 2-under. Another key up-and-down par on No. 17 and she made the turn at 2-under, 34. Smith sank a 15-foot birdie on No. 1 and then hit her 54-degree wedge from 51 yards to three feet on No. 4 for birdie to move to 4-under. She went in the greenside bunker on No. 8 and could not get up-and-down for par for her lone bogey of the day, before closing the afternoon with a sand save for par on No. 9, to finish with a 69.
•   A product Wilmington, Del., Phoebe Brinker parred the first two holes and then registered a birdie on No. 12. She hit her 60-degree wedge on No. 14 from 78 yards for a kick-in birdie to get to 2-under. After a double-bogey on No. 17, she made the turn at even-par, 36. Brinker birdied No. 1 and No. 4 to return to 2-under, but had trouble off the tee on No. 5 and had another double. She responded by hitting her 5-wood from 220 yards to 25 feet on the 496-yard, par-5 sixth hole and drained the eagle. Brinker was in the greenside bunker on No. 9 and bogeyed the final hole to finish with a 71. She hit a team-high 15 greens.
•   Freshman Katie Li posted 16 pars, one birdie and one bogey on the day en route to shooting an even-par, 72. Her lone birdie came on the 14th hole as she rolled in a 30-footer. Li's blemish on her card was a bogey on No. 5, after hitting her tee shot in the water off the tee. Her 16 pars tied for second among the field.
•   Graduate student Emma McMyler parred her first 10 holes, before suffering a double-bogey on No. 2. She came back to birdie the sixth hole as she hit her 3-wood from 233 yards to the fringe of the green. From 45 feet, she 2-putted for birdie. McMyler bogeyed No. 7 to finish with a 74.
•   With a pair of birdies and 11 pars, senior Anne Chen was 1-under through 14 holes, but closed the day with three bogeys over her final four holes to finish with a 2-over, 74. Chen collected birdies on No. 16 (13 feet) and No. 18 (six feet).
•   Playing as an individual, junior Rylie Heflin signed for a 74. Heflin was even-par through 14 holes, while draining a 30-footer from off the green for birdie on No. 4. She bogeyed No. 5 and No. 7, but had a key up-and-down par on No. 12 as she chipped from 25 yards to 10 feet and rolled in the par putt.
•   As a team, Michigan State (279) leads the field, while UCF (284), Clemson (285), Illinois (285) and Duke (286) are in the top five.

Notes
•   Andie Smith turned in a team-best 29 putts to go along with 14 greens and 10 fairways in round one. Smith has turned in even or under-par rounds in six out of her last seven rounds. It was her second score in the 60s this season.
•   Phoebe Brinker posted her 10th career eagle, which moves past Lindy Duncan (9) on Duke's all-time career eagles list.
•   Brinker's 4-under-par score on par-5 holes on Friday led the field.
•   Brinker now owns a team-best eight rounds of even or under-par on the season and 42 over her career.
•   As a team, Duke owns six rounds of even or under par on the season, after shooting 2-under, 286, on Friday.
•   Duke shot a team-best 5-under on par-5 holes and had a total of 12 birdies in round one.
•   Katie Li posted her fourth round of even or under par over her last three tournaments.

What is Next
•   Duke tees off in round two beginning at 9:15 a.m., off hole No. 1 along with Illinois and Arizona.

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