Jabari Parker is not the only “one-and-done” athlete that will be missed in Durham next year.
In an unprecedented move, Yu Liu recently became the first Blue Devil in head coach Dan Brooks’ 30 seasons to leave after one season and turn professional.
The Beijing native, who was an integral part of Duke’s National Championship squad, tied for 12th last weekend in her professional debut at the Beijing Challenge at the Beijing Orient Pearl Golf Course. Liu has already earned two professional wins on China’s LPGA Tour, and will likely try to qualify for the U.S. LPGA Tour as soon as possible.
The ACC Rookie of the Year, Liu finished in the top 10 in her first eight starts of the season, taking advantage of the massive driving distance that gave her an advantage against most of her competitors.
She was only the third Blue Devil ever to finish in the top 10 in her first eight tournaments, and won the 54-hole Darius Rucker Intercollegiate at the Long Cove Club in Hilton Head, S.C.
Although she had a dominant regular season, Liu struggled in postseason play. The second-team All-American was done in by a second-round 81 at the NCAA East Regional at SouthWood Golf Club in Tallahassee, Fla., finishing tied for 89th in early May, the first time she had ever finished outside the top 10 at a collegiate event.
In her effort to bounce back at the NCAA Championship at the Tulsa Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., Liu struggled for the second consecutive tournament. Although her scores helped Duke’s team score, she was never in contention individually, and had to card two birdies in her final six holes to climb into a tie for 43rd place at 11-over-par 291 after 72 holes.
Liu’s departure is very surprising considering her struggles at the end of the season and the prowess of Duke’s program led by Brooks, the winningest coach in the sport and a six-time national champion. The Blue Devils return WGCA Player of the Year Celine Boutier—who finished second individually at the NCAA Championship—and Sandy Choi, who finished in the top 25 of all 3 postseason tournaments. Boutier will be a junior and Choi will be a sophomore.
Boutier, like Liu, has plenty of professional experience after playing in her native France and competing at the 2013 RICOH British Women’s Open at St. Andrews. She will also compete in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open June 19-22 at the Pinehurst Resort & Country Club Course No. 2 in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C., but has never indicated that she would consider leaving the Blue Devils early like Liu to become a full-time professional.
Liu’s decision opens a third spot in the Duke lineup after seniors Alejandra Cangrejo and Laetitia Beck recently graduated.
Rising junior Yi Xiao and rising senior Irene Jung saw limited tournament action last season, but will likely compete to replace the departed Blue Devils. Duke also brings in another international recruiting class, with decorated Irish twins Leona and Lisa Maguire and Gurbani Singh expected to join the team in the fall to help fill the massive void in the lineup.
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