The fifth-ranked women's golf team finally got in the swing of things last weekend.
After struggling through the early half of its spring schedule after an excellent fall, Duke finished third in a strong field at the Lady Gamecock Classic hosted by the University of South Carolina.
Junior Stephanie Sparks finished second overall in the event with a three-day total of 220, and senior Tonya Blosser was not far behind with a 222, good for fourth place.
Duke struggled to a first-round 309 (sixth place) in South Carolina this weekend, and it looked like the adversity was bothering the Blue Devils.
But the Blue Devils played rounds of 300 and 298 the final two days to pass three teams and finish with 907 total, a hair behind Wake Forest (906). It was the first time all spring that Duke had made that kind of charge.
"I know what I want to see and hear, and I started to do that in this tournament," Brooks said. "What I saw was what will carry us through the spring."
During the fall season, Duke had several dominating performances that reinforced what was already suspected: The Blue Devils were the favorites for a second-straight ACC title and a contender for the NCAA crown.
But the first two spring tournaments brought frustration. At a tournament in Arizona, the Blue Devils came out firing in the first round and were in third place in an elite field. But the Blue Devils dropped 25 strokes after an abysmal second round.
"I knew the feelings from the fall would return, but I was disappointed that the adversity this spring affected us so much," Brooks said. "It was nice to see this stuff heal itself in this tournament."
Brooks knows that momentum in golf is a fragile thing. After dominating the ACC tournament last spring, the Blue Devils suffered a shocking collapse and failed to qualify for the NCAAs. The coach, however, remains confident that Duke's performance in South Carolina can carry the team through championship play.
"My hope coming into the spring was that I'd see some real toughness," Brooks said. "That's why I was knocked back when I saw how we handled the adversity. Last spring I pretended [toughness] was there. This year I'm counting on the team to prove it to me, that it's coming from them."
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