After sneaking into the NCAA regional field, Duke leaves Lubbock, Texas, with a statement performance against some of the nation’s best and an invitation to the program’s 12th NCAA championship tournament.
Playing as the eighth seed in the Lubbock Regional, the Blue Devils faced an uphill battle to secure a top-five finish and punch their ticket to the national tournament. But with its season on the line, Duke pulled together, found its rhythm and put together a winning team effort to finish third overall when the dust settled Saturday afternoon.
The Blue Devils used an eight-under first round to position themselves in the top-five teams after Thursday's first round. Standout performances from freshman Adam Wood and senior Turner Southey-Gordon buoyed Duke through the next two rounds, as the team fought its way to third-place finish Saturday with a 54-ledger of eight-under-par.
"Standing together on the 18th green, everyone had their arms around each other," head coach Jamie Green said. “I just told my guys how much I believe in them. At the end of the fall this team could have gone in a very different direction, but we turned the ship around. At the end of the day we believed in each other, and that’s what really mattered."
Southey-Gordon and freshman Jake Shuman carried their team through the first day of competition. The duo combined for 10 birdies through the first 18 holes and finished a combined eight-under to guide the Blue Devils to their stellar start.
Southey-Gordon—the lone senior on the Duke roster—produced another spectacular round of golf during the second round to pace his team. After posting back-to-back bogeys on the fifth and sixth holes, the Toronto native took command on the back nine, draining an eagle put on the 11th and making consecutive birdies to close the round at three-under.
"[Southey-Gordon] leads on and off the golf course," Green said. "Those first two days he showed some real fireworks. Hitting an eagle and some birdies, he stood tall and showed some real leadership."
The final day of competition saw the most challenging conditions of the weekend, as strong wind gusts swept across the north Texas flatlands. With No. 13 Auburn, Houston and Purdue nipping at their heels, the Blue Devils needed a strong closing performance.
Thanks in part to sophomore Max Greyserman—they got just that.
After being passed up for a roster spot at the ACC tournament three weeks ago, Greyserman came up big for his team when they needed him most. As the majority of the Duke lineup battled to finish holes with par, Greyserman was making birdies.
The Short Hills, N.J., native notched four birdies in the final round en route to a two-under par performance that matched Wood for a team-best. When the final scorecards came it, it was clear that the surprise performance from the Blue Devil’s fifth man could not have come at a better time.
Duke edged out the Tigers for third place by a single stroke and led the fifth-place Cougars by three strokes, solidifying a spot in the NCAA championship, which begins May 29.
"The conditions were playing very difficult on the third day, Green said. "Our guys made a couple of birdies but most of the holes were hard-fought pars. The game challenges your patience with the wind blowing like it did. You have to be dialed in and make polished golf shots."
Wood and Southey-Gordon—who sat in second after the second round—finished the tournament tied for 11th at two-under-par. Shuman closed out the weekend tied for 22nd, finishing at an even-par in his first regional appearance. Junior Motin Yeung carded a three-over ledger for the weekend and Greyserman finished tied for 50th at five-over.
The Blue Devils have come a long way since ending the fall season, which included a 34-over-par performance at the Nike Collegiate Invitational in early October. A top-three finish at an NCAA Regional is a testament to the hard work and perseverance that has defined their spring season.
“It feels terrific to be going to the national championship,” Wood said. “We had some highs and lows this season, but we always believed in our ability and heart. It was our goal from the beginning to make it this far. The guys have worked hard for this.”
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