Sometimes the home course advantage really doesn't help that much.
The sixth-ranked women's golf team faced mixed results in the Duke Spring Invitational at the par-73 Duke Golf Club, finishing third out of 16 teams in a strong field. The Blue Devils finished with a total of 929 strokes, putting them 14 strokes behind fourth-ranked Tennessee and seven strokes back of second place and eighth-ranked North Carolina.
"We've been doing well this spring," Duke coach Dan Brooks said. "I take the fact that we didn't win very seriously, but I also take the good things I'm seeing out there very seriously too. I think those things weigh more heavily than the loss."
Leading the way for the Blue Devils was sophomore Jenny Chuasiriporn, who finished in second place with a three-over-par 222, three strokes behind Memphis' Amanda Moltke-Leth, who shot an astounding 69 on the opening day of the tournament. Chuasiriporn, currently ranked third in the nation, entered the final day in a tie for fifth place, but used strong putting to shoot a one-under 72 Tuesday and move into second.
"It surprised me a little bit because I wasn't really thinking in terms of her potentially winning it," Brooks said. "It was a nice surprise to see that she finished as the runner-up. It was a nice little one-under that she shot today."
Also playing well for the Blue Devils was senior Liz Lepanto, who finished in a tie for 11th with a 234. Lepanto has struggled throughout the spring season, averaging a team-high 82.3 strokes per contest for the year, while not even competing in the team's most recent events. Her consistent performance of a first-round 78, a second-round 79 and a final day 77 was a pleasant surprise for Duke.
"I was really happy with the way I played," Lepanto said. "I've sort of had it rough coming off of Christmas.... I'm excited to be back in the lineup and have that competitive edge again.
"I had some rough putts yesterday, then I worked on that and worked it out today. I had a really good putting streak going on the front nine. I didn't do anything extraordinary, but I didn't have any really high-numbered holes. It was pretty good, even play, and I was very happy with it."
Sophomore Amanda Loewen showed flashes of brilliance, but had a disappointing third day. Loewen entered the final day in a tie for third individually after shooting scores of 73 and 76 on the first two days. Loewen's play fell off on the third day, as she tallied an 86 to finish the tournament in a tie for 13th.
The overall Duke team played relatively consistently, turning in scores of 307, 315 and 307. The Blue Devils entered the final day in fifth place, trailing both No. 10 Wake Forest and Memphis. However, their recovery from the weaker middle day helped the Blue Devils vault back into third among the tournament's competitive field.
"I feel like it was a very good field," Brooks said. "Tennessee and UNC and Wake right now are all top ten teams in the country, and I think they're playing well now, too."
Duke's apparent home course advantage was reduced by the varying course conditions during the three days of the event. On the first day, the course played very fast, while the conditions were reversed on the second day due to rain on Sunday night. Tuesday, a strong wind affected play.
"I think it's always an advantage being at your home course because you know the ins and outs of the course," Chuasiriporn said. "I think overall the course played a lot tougher-a lot different than what we're used to.... The first couple of rounds threw us off a little bit because the course was playing a little differently."
The tournament served as Duke's final tuneup for the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, which begin April 18. The Blue Devils got a glimpse of the ACC field in this tournament by facing Wake Forest and UNC, and are hoping to improve their play in order to repeat last year's ACC title.
"I know we can score better," Lepanto said. "I think it's made each one of us hungry to do better and to help each other. It's an extra push to make us more thirsty for the win."
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