GREENSBORO - Heading into the final round yesterday at the Bryan National Collegiate, the fifth-ranked women's golf team was dead even with No. 4 Georgia for the overall title.
By the time the round was over, Duke had given a pretty strong statement that it's the dominant team on the East Coast.
Alicia Allison shot a final-round 71 and Jenny Chuasiriporn and Filippa Hansson finished tied for third as the Blue Devils shot an 894 and ran away from the Bulldogs. The nine-stroke win secured Duke's second-straight team title and fourth overall, which ties the school record set in 1984-85 and 1995-96.
"I expected to be good enough to win," coach Dan Brooks said. "It's nice to come out on top."
While Chuasiriporn's performance was no surprise, the play of her teammates was a big indicator of the team's strength. Hansson, ranked 72nd nationally, shot a season-low 72 in the first round and 73 on the second day, placing her one stroke behind eventual winner Reilly Rankin of Georgia.
Though Hansson's score fell to a 76 on the final round, her five-over par 221 tied her with Chuasiriporn for third place overall.
"She's basically one shot out after the second day," Brooks said. "This spring she's really demonstrated that she's grown a little bit, and I'm really happy with her play."
Hansson credited her improved play to hitting a lot of greens and getting easier birdies the first two days. Allison's problem the first two days, meanwhile, wasn't hitting the greens.
The senior struggled once she was on the green, with three-putts inflating her score. But Allison buckled down Sunday, shooting a tournament-low 71. While Georgia struggled in the upper 70s, Allison's strong day pushed the Blue Devils ahead.
"My game was the same," Allison said. "I think I just played better. Georgia's an exceptional team, so it's nice to win the tournament."
Amie Lehman added a 12-over-par 228 that included a 74 on Friday, while Kalen Anderson shot a 238 for the tournament, with her best day also coming Friday, when she shot 75.
Chuasiriporn, the second-ranked player in the country, sandwiched a 75 inside a pair of 73s. But she agreed that the consistency of her team was bigger than any individual's performance.
"I think we're all realizing what we can do out on the golf course," she said. "All five of us can shoot well; consistency is really key. The finish [yesterday] shows a lot. I think the difference between a team that wins and a team that doesn't is the four and five players."
Duke actually started quite well in the first round. A 294 put the Blue Devils four shots ahead of Georgia, but Duke's 303 on Saturday allowed the Bulldogs to even the score. Furman, the only other top-10 team in the field, was never a factor.
This was the last tournament for Duke until it returns to Greensboro for the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships in three weeks.
"We're all getting in shape for ACCs and Nationals," Hansson said. "We'll be in pretty good shape. I think all of our games are coming together."
While Duke's game has been 'together' the last two tournaments, the Blue Devils realize they haven't faced the strongest of fields. With powers like top-ranked Arizona and No. 2 Arizona State getting ready out West, Brooks has prepared his team in a different way.
"We try to think in terms of the golf we need to play at Nationals," he said. "You almost have to play like there's a phantom team out there. [With an identical 894 at NCAAs], I think somebody would've been right there with us."
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