TULSA, Okla. - Fear was the Blue Devils' closest opponent yesterday. It was an opponent far closer than any of the other women's golf teams on hand.
After a mediocre practice round Tuesday that left coach Dan Brooks a bit uneasy about his team's prospects, Duke returned to the Tulsa Country Club yesterday and left with its opposition trailing in the dust. The Blue Devils shot a four-over 288 on the difficult par-71 course and built a 12-stroke lead over second-place Arizona State in the first round of the NCAA Championships.
"In retrospect, I see that [Tuesday] was perfect for today," coach Dan Brooks said. "It made them see that we're just another really good team.
"We really didn't have a great second-day practice round, and I think what we got from that is positive rather than negative. They all came out with a real determination that I haven't seen in a long time, even though they are a very determined team. We really showed up today."
All four of Duke's individual scores were within two strokes of par, and though Filippa Hansson struggled, her 81 didn't count in the four-player team standings.
Candy
For the pair of freshmen, the strong opening day helped remove any potential anxieties.
"I was a little nervous," Hanneman said, "but I tried to be patient and stick to my game and focus my shots instead of the whole scoring thing. You really have to hit the ball straight on this course."
Hanneman is just two shots off the lead after sinking a pair of birdies midway through the round.
She chipped in from the bunker for the first one and a beautiful tee shot on a par-three set up a short putt for the second birdie. Bauer's highlight of the day was a 30-foot birdie putt on the fifth hole.
In addition to Hanneman and Bauer's strong rounds, Jenny Chuasiriporn stands one over while Kalen Anderson is two over. Chuasiriporn sank consecutive birdies down the stretch to bounce back from a double bogey to start the back nine.
"It was nice to look up [on the scoreboard] and see us all doing well," Bauer said.
Though weather conditions were perfect, the course still played difficultly. Tough pin placement and narrow fairways stymied many of the players and kept all but two of them from scoring under par. Arizona State's Grace Park paced the field by shooting a two-under 69. Her teammates, though, struggled.
The fourth-ranked Sun Devils, along with No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Arizona, are all 12 strokes or further behind the top-ranked Blue Devils.
Duke's score, meanwhile, was far lower than the 297-309 effort it put out on this same course back in the rain-shortened Bama Fall Preview. Still, last season's Championships could help serve as a reminder of how quickly things can change.
The Blue Devils began that tournament with a 285 but fell back for the rest of the Championships, never shooting lower than 297 in any of the final three rounds.
"The most important thing is to remember this is a four-day tournament," Chuasiriporn said. "You just have to take it day-to-day. These are the best teams in the country. You just have to keep pushing yourself."
Note: Duke advanced to the Championships by placing fourth at the East Regionals two weeks ago in Blythewood, S.C.
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