For any typical freshman, the task of replacing a three-time All-American can seem daunting. Playing in his first collegiate tournament in Olympia Fields, Ill., Adam Long was anything but typical.
Long's fearless play earned him a second-place finish and propelled Duke to its lone victory so far this season.
Six months later, the moment remains ingrained in Long's mind, as the tournament remains his most memorable of the year.
"I was nervous, excited and thrilled all at once," Long said. "With it being my first tournament as a college player and having my family and a large crowd following me... you just can't beat that."
After former ACC Player of the Year Ryan Blaum graduated, the Blue Devils found themselves having to replace the most decorated golfer in Duke history. Long quickly stepped into the vacant role and is now leading the team in stroke average.
Although he has not been able to match his finish at the Fighting Illini Invitational, Long has improved on the green, becoming one of the strongest golfers for Duke. Participating in every tournament other than the first this season, Long has led the Blue Devils in scoring four times this year.
In March, Long recorded the best round of his collegiate career with a 6-under 65 at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate. After struggling in the first two rounds of the tournament, Long shook off his mistakes on his way to placing first for the day and 13th overall.
"During the practice and first two rounds, I really struggled and just didn't feel confident with my swing," Long said. "I just didn't feel comfortable, but once we got out there on the final day, I wanted to make a good number and get off to a good start. After the first few holes, I never looked back."
While Long has had moments of frustration throughout the season, they have not hindered his overall performance. With each tournament, he has continued to mature as a player, learning from his mistakes.
After recording his highest round of the season and finishing in 70th place at the Puerto Rico Classic in late February, Long answered back two weeks later at the General Jim Hackler Championship, ending up in 13th to lead the Blue Devils.
"To date, he's been our best player in terms of stroke average and other statistics," interim head coach Brad Sparling said. "He's got a beautiful swing and hits the ball very consistently, but he continues to work on improving his putting outside of 20 feet."
Before beginning his collegiate career, Long achieved a large amount of success, ranked as high as eighth in Golfweek's Junior Golf rankings. Long, however, has never focused on his individual accomplishments, keeping the team's success as his number one priority.
"I didn't come here thinking that I needed to make a name for myself," Long said. "I just wanted to come out here and help the team out."
When Long first began the season, he anticipated some tension from his teammates in regard to taking a spot on the tournament roster. Instead, he found the team to be completely supportive of his improvement from their first team meeting onward.
"I felt like at the beginning of the year I was taking someone's spot in a way because I'm a freshman," Long said. "But once we had our first meeting, I could tell we had a great bond, and we were all here for each other."
Unlike the typical college freshman, Long had the luxury of having a core group of teammates to help him adapt to the college environment once he arrived at Duke. From weekly dinners to watching movies together, the team has continued to bond throughout the year, becoming closer than in years past.
Retaining the same mindset since he became a Blue Devil, Long has avoided the trap of getting caught up in his own personal goals.
"I don't get wrapped up in personal goals because you can't control if someone beats you," Long said. "We have high expectations and we want to finish off strong, and with four tournaments left, I don't see why we can't win them all."
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