Blue Devils make final-day push

After failing to score under par for the first two days of the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate, Duke struck back Tuesday to finish sixth in the tournament.

Facing strong winds from the opening tee, an earlier start on the final day proved invaluable for the Blue Devils, who were able to find their rhythm and sink key putts in the opening holes.

"We started at eight this morning and the weather was much calmer," interim head coach Brad Sparling said. "The wind is definitely the only defense that the course has, and without it, you're able to think out there and make better decisions."

Duke finished the day with at 3-under 281, bringing its overall total to 8-over par.

Leading the final round surge for the Blue Devils was freshman Adam Long, who scored the lowest round of his career with a 6-under-par 65. After notching four birdies in the first seven holes, Long's lone blunder came on the eighth, where he carded his only bogey for the round. He quickly compensated for the mistake, draining a 70-foot eagle putt two holes later.

Long's final round performance propelled him from 40th to 13th place on the leaderboard.

"Adam's play was really impressive today," Sparling said. "He hit the ball tremendously well, especially with his early birdies to set the tone."

Junior Michael Schachner also shot well at the start of the round, scoring three birdies in the first six holes. But Schachner suffered four bogeys-including three in the final five holes-to finish the day at even par.