Two star freshmen bolster women's golf lineup

After 15 years at the helm of the women's golf program, coach Dan Brooks seems to be at the threshold of a potential dynasty.

The Blue Devils won their first-ever national championship last spring, and in four tournaments this season, they have hardly missed a beat, earning three victories and one second-place finish.

And at the heart of it all is a core of four talented underclassmen who could form the foundation of a championship contender for years to come.

Duke's lineup already boasted sophomores Beth Bauer and Candy Hannemann, both ranked in the top six. But with the arrival of heralded freshmen Kristina Engstrom and Maria Garcia-Estrada, the Blue Devils' 1999 championship could be just the tip of the iceberg.

"They're both doing great; I absolutely adore both of them," Hannemann said. "I look at it and say, 'Oh my gosh, we're going to have the same team for so long.'"

This year's team lost starter Filippa Hansson and superstar Jenny Chuasiriporn, but with the addition of the freshman duo, Duke seems to be handling the losses just fine.

Brooks has not allowed either freshman to start in back-to-back tournaments and instead has chosen to alternate them in and out of the lineup. In Garcia-Estrada's first tournament, she finished in 20th-place while competing against some of the nation's very best at the NCAA Fall Preview. One week later, Engstrom made her debut with a first-place finish at the Topy Cup in Japan.

The promising results have certain Blue Devils dreaming big dreams.

"It helped a lot to get Beth and Candy," Brooks said. "Jenny was a big one to get too, but it just seemed like when we got Beth and Candy, on top of Jenny, it was not one, but three, very well-known junior players that came to Duke.

"Because the junior golf circle is fairly small, that was a very visible package of three people. I think that probably did the most for our recruiting. Plus, those three all know a lot of people, and that helps recruiting a lot."

That chain was especially important in the signing of Garcia-Estrada, a native of Spain, who attended Bradenton Academy in Bradenton, Fla., with Hannemann. The two were close friends and even roomed together for a year.

Engstrom has lived in Sweden her entire life and did not know any of the players when she committed. The transition for her has been a bit difficult, but she believes she is over most of the growing pains.

"My English is better, my golf is better and my home sickness is better," Engstrom said. "It was a little hard with the language in the beginning, but that's better now. Before I always had to think before I spoke, but now it's easier."

And while the culture shock at times is a bit overwhelming for her, she's learned to adjust. She's even recently discovered American greatness in the form of the donut.

"There's a lot of differences [between Sweden and America]," Engstrom said. "The people are different, the food's different. There's so much fatty food here, my body's not adjusted.... But I did start eating donuts when I got here."

On the course, Engstrom initially struggled with American rough and Brooks says she is most lacking in creativity around the greens. Brooks believes that Engstrom, very strong physically, can become a top players as she gets more practice in.

Garcia-Estrada's best finish came in Chapel Hill when she finished fourth at the Lady Tar Heel. A member of the Spanish national team, she became Dan Brooks' 13th AJGA All-American when she committed. A fantastic putter, Brooks says her greatest strength is an aggressive "why not?" attitude.

And while Garcia-Estrada may say 'why not?,' anytime two freshmen are supposed to step onto a national championship caliber team, there are pressure and expectations.

"Of course it puts pressure on us," Engstrom said, "but the team is so good, I learn so much. It really helps my golf game."

Last year Duke showed it could handle high expectations, carrying the No. 1 ranking for almost the entire season. Brooks believes the ever growing depth of talent helps lessen that pressure and could lead to a few more titles.

"They lessen the pressure on one another as much as possible by supporting one another and realizing that there's always someone else out there who is trying as hard as you, if not harder," he said. "So if you slip up a bit, you know there's someone else probably scoring well."