With the team title and an individual crown hanging in the balance on the final hole, Amanda Blumenherst could sense the importance of her final putt.
And although Blumenherst didn't know exactly how high the stakes were, the two-time defending National Player of the Year had an instinct that her team had won as her final shot fell in for par.
She was right on the mark.
"There was just this tension," Blumenherst said. "You could feel it. I went up to my team [after the hole] and they were all just so excited."
And the Blue Devils had reason to be thrilled after winning their record 13th consecutive ACC tournament at the LPGA International Legends Course in Daytona Beach, Fla.
After trading the lead for most of the afternoon, No. 1 Duke and No. 21 Virginia were knotted at 7-over par with only Blumenherst, the Cavaliers' Calle Nielson and Florida State's Caroline Westrup waiting to play the final hole. But Nielson bogeyed 18 and Blumenherst parred, which was enough for the Blue Devils to pull ahead and emerge with the one-stroke victory with a 7-over 871.
"It was a little close," sophomore Alison Whitaker said, recalling Duke's 35-stroke win in the same tournament last year. "But Virginia was playing really solid, so it deserved to be close...the fact that it was a lot closer this year is a testament to the other teams in the ACC."
The race for the individual title was equally contested. Blumenherst and Westrup entered the 18th hole tied at 4-under par, but Westrup also bogeyed to give the Blue Devil junior her third consecutive ACC crown, which set a conference record.
Even with the accolade, Blumenherst was more pleased with the team's overall performance.
"Winning the third one for myself and breaking the record was very exciting," she said. "But my goal coming into this was to get another [title] for Duke."
Although his team finished atop the leaderboard, head coach Dan Brooks noted that the Blue Devils didn't play their best golf of the season, particularly on the first day of play. Duke ended Friday 10 strokes off the lead after carding a 6-over 294. Senior Jennifer Pandolfi opened well with a 1-under 71, including three birdies, to tie for third place in the individual standings. Pandolfi finished tied for sixth with a 1-over 291.
The second day of play brought better results for the Blue Devils, as they erased their entire deficit to reclaim a share of the lead. Blumenherst and Whitaker shot 4-under and 1-under, respectively. Blumenherst's round proved to be the tournament low.
Brooks commended his golfers' ability to stay focused and put themselves in excellent position for Sunday.
"We were just a little off that first day, but I thought we responded well," Brooks said. "We made up 10 shots. We were talking about getting half of it back, and we got all of it back."
Virginia took a four-stroke lead early Sunday, but was unable to hold its advantage. Duke shot a collective 2-over on the back nine, highlighted by Blumenherst's eagle on 14, to pull even with the Cavaliers and eventually overtake its opponent on the 18th hole.
Overall, the Blue Devils were pleased to collect their first victory in three tournaments and now have nearly three weeks to prepare for the NCAA regional and national championships.
"We're excited about this win," Brooks said. "We all know as a team that we're going to have to be a little bit better. Our history shows that our Mays have been used very well. We've trimmed a few things and gotten better for nationals. I think we're in good shape."
And if Duke can iron out the kinks of its closest victory of the season, it has a chance to set yet another record with its fourth consecutive national championship.
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