Duke will travel to Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 20-22 to participate in the 54-hole Mason Rudolph Women’s Championship at the Vanderbilt Legends Club. The team started their season off with a top-five finish at the Dale McNamara Fall Preview in Tulsa, Okla., last week.
The tournament's challenging field will feature 15 talented squads, 11 of which ranked in the Golf World preseason top 25, including No. 2 Alabama. Despite a difficult slate of opponents, head coach Dan Brooks said that his expectations for his squad remain the same.
“We'll put up a good fight, do everything we can, and keep good attitudes, and I have every expectation that my players will do that,” Brooks said.
The weekend's tournament will mark the first collegiate action for freshman Yu Liu, who missed last week's Dale McNamara Fall Preview because she was participating in China's National Games.
Liu, who enters the season ranked No. 13 in the Golfweek Junior Golf rankings, could be a key contributor for this year's squad as it searches to replace recently graduated senior Lindy Duncan.
“She is a seasoned player, very talented,” Brooks said of Liu. “She is capable of playing any golf course, and [she] is sure she is going to help.”
The Blue Devils will play this weekend's tournament on the north course at the Vanderbilt Legends Club. Although Duke has played at the club's south course in the past, the Blue Devils will be making their first trip to the 6,337-yard, par-72 championship course.
“[We are] not very familiar with the course at all.” Coach Brooks said.
Junior Irene Jung finished 14-over-par at her last trip to the Vanderbilt Legends Club in 2011. Senior Alejandra Cangrejo carded a 15-over-par that same year.
Following the weekend's action, the Blue Devils will play their next two tournaments in North Carolina and return to play the Tar Heel Invitational Oct. 11.
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