After capturing first at a tournament just two weeks ago, the Blue Devils seemed poised to do it again. Duke fired off two solid rounds before stumbling on the last day of the par-72 Landfall Tradition, finishing second in Wilmington, N.C.
One stroke separated the Blue Devils from first-place Florida State. Entering the third round, Duke held a five-stroke lead on the rest of the 17-team field. Rain and winds challenged the field on day three, with all teams shooting above par, and the Blue Devils struggled to adapt to the changing play conditions.
“When you've made a good effort, you know it … I think they knew that they gave it their all and stayed focused out there, stayed patient, all the important things that we do,” said head coach Dan Brooks. “That's really the only measurement there is.”
The team got off to a hot start in round one, tying for first at 9-under and setting a new season-best 18-hole score. In the second round, Duke solidified its lead by shooting 5-under. As a team, the Blue Devils recorded nine rounds at or below par across the first two days.
However, the Country Club of Landfall Dye Course wasn’t all smooth sailing: Duke shot 13-over in the third round and exited the tournament just 1-under par overall.
The day three performance marked a sharp contrast to third round performances in the Blue Devils’ come-from-behind wins at both the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational and the 2023 Landfall Tradition. Freshman Anna Cañado Espinal was the sole Blue Devil to hit at or below par in round three.
“The weather was going to make the scores higher anyway, just because we had wind and rain today,” Brooks said. “But I felt like players on our team were having a little trouble letting it happen … sometimes the scores don’t come.”
Duke had its share of shining moments across the board. Sophomore Katie Li led the team with rounds of 67, 70 and 77 for a total of 214 (T-5). She opened the competition with an eagle on hole No. 1 and nailed four birdies over the first 18 holes. She followed that up with two birdies, two bogeys and another eagle in her second round.
Cañado Espinal and senior Andie Smith each shot 1-under at the competition, tying for ninth-place. Smith carried momentum from Chapel Hill into her first round, birdying holes No. 13-15. Cañado Espinal’s third round was the lowest for the team. She modeled consistency at the competition, hitting 71, 72 and 72.
“There were definitely some shining moments, that's how we were able to get the lead,” Brooks said. “It's just that [in round three] we didn't quite produce the scores, but again, I feel good about their effort.”
Senior Rylie Heflin landed a hole-in-one — the ninth in program history — on hole No. 8 in her first round. Freshman Carla De Troia recorded a career-high five birdies in round two and tied Heflin, finishing the competition with a 6-over (T-37) score.
Freshman Martina Yu made her first tournament appearance as a Blue Devil in Wilmington. She competed as an individual and shot +20 (T-84). According to Brooks, Yu’s performance comes after “not very much time” — just three weeks — of working on her swing.
“It’s great to be able to have six people play, and I’m proud of [Yu as] this is the first time she’s competed after doing this,” Brooks said.
With over three months until spring play for Duke, the team now has an opportunity to refine individual skills. Fortunately for the Blue Devils, training over the winter will mean maintaining fitness and making small improvements across the board rather than focus in one weak area.
“If everything was perfect, we would have won, but nothing stands out as being, ‘Oh man, that’s a weakness,’” Brooks said. “You cannot predict what other teams are going to do, those things are out of your control, so we took care of our part of it, and we have every reason to feel proud of that.”
The three-month stretch will also serve as an opportunity for the team to rest after spring, summer and fall competition. Duke now looks to the new year for upcoming spring play. Next up is the Feb. 2-4 UCF Challenge in Orlando, Fla.
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Ryan Kilgallen is a Trinity sophomore and an associate news editor for the news department.