CHAPEL HILL -- Before this weekend, most knew the women's golf team would win the Franklin Street Partners Invitational for the seventh straight time, but few could have predicted the unbelievable play the Blue Devils would demonstrate.
After all the scores were tallied up, Duke had won by a school-record 49 strokes in Chapel Hill at the par 72, 6,285-yard Finley Golf Course. Besides breaking the record for the largest margin of victory, the Blue Devils also smashed a new 36-hole and 54-hole records, shooting 564 and 850, respectively.
"I'm really not surprised with the records broken during this tournament," Duke head coach Dan Brooks said. "I know the kind of talent we have."
The Blue Devils certainly have some incredible talent this year. In a field that included the second-ranked Auburn Tigers, all five Blue Devils finished in the top-five.
Senior Leigh Anne Hardin and sophomore Liz Janangelo tied for first place, each shooting seven-under for three rounds, career low rounds for both. Senior Virada Nirapathpongporn finished third, firing 216, while freshmen Anna Grezbien and Brittany Lang each tied for fifth, shooting 220.
Janangelo had the low round of the tournament, shooting a first round 66 to jump out to the early lead. Her next two rounds--scores of 72 and 71--were much more of a struggle. But Janangelo made the shots when she needed to, including a 30-foot birdie putt to end the tournament that moved her into a tie for first place with Hardin.
"Nothing really went in today for me, so it was nice to finally have one drop on the 18th," Janangelo said.
Unlike Janangelo, Hardin was very pleased with her final round performance in which she fired Sunday's low score of 68. "I putted really well today and it seemed really easy for me out there today," Hardin said.
This year's victory marks the second time in Hardin's career in which she finished first at the Franklin Street Partners Invitational. During her freshman year, Hardin tied for first along with Duke alum, Candy Hannemann. Hardin's performance this weekend was quite a turnaround from her last tournament, the NCAA Preview, where she finished tied for 56th.
"I've been working on my swing," Hardin said. "I was trying not to be so technical."
In addition to the tremendous play of the veterans, the two freshman for Duke, Lang and Grezbien, have really come through. Both played fearlessly this weekend despite being in only their second career tournament. Lang credits her initial success to her older teammates.
"I've been working with the team, they've been giving me a lot of tips."
Due to the Blue Devils' stellar play, victory was never in doubt. After one round, Duke already had a 13 stroke lead. With each successive day, the lead only continued to build until it reached its peak at 49 strokes Sunday.
"Having a big lead could be a negative," Brooks said. "But they were all wanting to win it individually." After winning their first two tournaments, the Blue Devils have hopes of bringing home another national championship.
"I have never had this much desire on a team," Brooks said. "It makes my job a lot easier."
But the Blue Devils know that other teams will be gunning for them.
"There's a lot of talent on a lot of teams," Brooks said. "But we're ready, we're poised."
Duke looks to continue their winning streak in two weeks out in sunny California at the Stanford Pepsi Intercollegiate.
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