The Blue Devils may not have opened their 2015 slate looking like the defending national champions, but a short stint of adversity may go on to help them in the long run.
No. 4 Duke shot a 295 and finished ninth overall at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge Tournament, played at Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes, Calif. The tournament was the first of the year for the team and will be a solid building block as the Blue Devils look to start their march to a seventh national title.
Baylor claimed the title with a tally of 863, beating out Southern California—the runner-up to Duke in last year’s NCAA championship—by four strokes.
The Blue Devils opened the tournament on a strong note, shooting a 289 for five-over-par. Duke was led by freshman Leona Maguire at 1-under par and sophomore Sandy Choi, who shot an even par to open up play for the squad and lead the Blue Devils to a fourth-place finish after one day of play.
But the momentum would be short-lived for Duke.
The second round was a major setback for Duke, as it shot an underwhelming 25-over, 309 Monday and dropped to 10th overall in the field. The win played a major factor in the round, but Brooks also pointed toward course familiarity and preparation as two key factors that led to the poor showing from the Blue Devils.
The top round of the day, and possibly sole bright spot, came from Choi, who turned in a two-over-par, 73, thanks to a pair of birdies.
Junior Celine Boutier, who finished second overall in last year’s NCAA tournament, struggled for the second-straight round, shooting a six-over-par and failed to register a birdie. Instead, she tallied six bogies by the end of the round, and the poor showing would drop the Montrogue, France native to 35th.
With their hopes of winning dashed, Duke needed to use the third round as a learning experience for the younger players on the squad, and, for the most part, the Blue Devils did just that.
Boutier, who is coming off a monster 2014 collegiate and amateur campaign, bounced back and did what she will likely do for the rest of the season—lead Duke when it needs it most.
The junior shot a two-under, 69, Tuesday—her best round of the tournament by five strokes—and jumped from her position at tied for 35th to finish tied 16th with a final card of 220. Boutier got hot down the stretch, as she went three-under par on the final 12 holes and finished with four birdies in the round.
Although Choi shot her worst round of the tournament at a 74, the Seoul, South Korea native still managed a top-15 finish, tying for 11th—the highest of any Blue Devil. She finished the tournament with an overall score of 218.
The opening tournament performance of the year was not what Brooks and the squad expected, as the second round slump set them back and knocked them out of contention. But the head coach pointed toward the long season is long and youth-filled Duke squad that gives him hope as the Blue Devils look to improve as the season continues.
Duke will hit the links again March 6 for the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate in Hilton Head, S.C.
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