Trailing sixth-ranked UCLA by seven strokes heading into the final day of play in Franklin, Tenn., the first-ranked women’s golf team stunned the competition and claimed the Mason Rudolph Championship by one stroke.
A poor opening round Friday put the Blue Devils 12 strokes off the pace, but the team rallied during the next two rounds to overcome the deficit.
“We knew we stood far behind, but with this team’s great chemistry and two days to play, we knew there was a strong possibility to come back and win,” head coach Dan Brooks said.
Even at seven back and trailing both UCLA and fifth-ranked Georgia, the Blue Devils only needed a one-over round Sunday to top its two opponents. The Bulldogs and Bruins both faltered, shooting nine and seven over par respectively, and their troubles left the door open for the Blue Devils.
“The word for the day was patience,” Brooks said. “Nothing wonderful happened, but the players had each other’s backs and helped each other to good rounds.”
Leading the way for the Blue Devils Sunday were team veterans Liz Janangelo and Brittany Lang, who were both notched one-under-par rounds. The team’s lone senior, Niloufar Aazam-Zanganeh, also capped her solid tournament by carding a second consecutive one-over-par round. Aazam-Zanganeh helped propel Duke to victory by reaching the green on the par-5 18th hole in two shots and knocking in a clutch birdie putt.
When the tournament, held at Vanderbilt’s Legends Club, got underway Friday and Duke had trouble getting going. Lang shot a one-under 71 and sat in fourth place individually. All of the other Blue Devils struggled and, besides Lang, nobody shot better than four over on the day. The top-ranked Blue Devils found themselves 13 over and in 10th place.
After 2003 NCAA Player of the Year Janangelo shot a disappointing opening-round 80, the junior notched the tournament’s best single-day score by firing a five-under 67 and vaulting her team up the standings Saturday.
“I played poorly the day before and went out Saturday ready to turn it around,” Janangelo said. “I sunk all my close putts and gave myself opportunities with a good long game.”
On the 15th hole Saturday, the team was a combined two over for the day and far behind leader UCLA. The Blue Devils, however, made a run, shooting an impressive seven under par on the final three holes to position themselves for Sunday’s comeback.
Aiding the charge Saturday were sophomore Anna Grzebien, Aazam-Zanganeh and freshman Jennifer Pandolfi. Grzebien joined Janangelo under par with her two-under 70, and the struggling Pandolfi found her game when the team needed a boost, scoring a one-over 73.
“It felt really good to go out and help the team this time, and I hope I can continue to help even more in the future,” Pandolfi said. Brooks was thrilled with the freshman’s performance Saturday and said Pandolfi played with a great deal of fortitude and maturity as she rebounded from an early-round double bogey.
The team has now opened the season with two consecutive championships and will look for three straight at the Tar Heel Invitational in Chapel Hill next weekend. The Blue Devils won North Carolina’s tournament in 2003 as part of their perfect fall season.
“We really knew we could do this,” Janangelo said. “This win means more to me than other blow-out wins since the team was so supportive of each other and was cheering constantly throughout the weekend.”
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