The women's golf team may have won two tournaments by a combined 29 strokes during spring break, but coach Dan Brooks still isn't satisfied.
In fact, despite victories at the Casa de Campo and Lady Gamecock tournaments, Brooks is calling for additional practice, because he feels his team's short game is way off from where it should be.
"We have players that traditionally do really well around the greens," Brooks said. "It's pretty clear it's not going as well as it can be."
The breaking point came after the first round of last weekend's Lady Gamecock Classic in South Carolina. The Blue Devils' short game was simply not there, and Duke shot a 21-over 309. While that score was good for a one-stroke lead on the weak field, the Blue Devils, and especially their coach, were not happy.
"That first day-it's been a long time since I watched a tournament and saw so many putts miss," Brooks said. "I told them that their short game isn't where it needs to be."
Following the round, Brooks gathered his team, and the Blue Devils spent over two hours practicing. The extra time paid off, as Duke shot a tournament-low 292 the next day. The Blue Devils finished the tournament at 900, 19 strokes ahead of LSU.
"I think the practice did a lot," Brooks said. "Our short game just got better.... We finally got down where we belong. We need to stay well under 900 to play championship golf. But we have plenty of time."
With nearly two months between now and the NCAAs, Brooks is hoping to rearrange his practice schedule to find longer blocks of time in which to practice play around the greens.
At the Lady Gamecock, three Blue Devils finished in the top five, and all five players finished in the top 20. Kalen Anderson led the way for Duke, and after firing a 145 over the first two rounds, she stood in first place.
It marked the first time Anderson ever led a tournament after two rounds, and the junior stumbled a bit on the final day. Anderson shot a 78 and slipped to third place with a team-low 7-over, 223.
"She'll get more comfortable being in that position," Brooks said. "She has the game where she'll be in that position more often. I think it got to her a little bit, but that's going to happen to anyone. She's human."
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