For the third time in a single month, the Tennessee Volunteers found themselves bitten by the Blue Devils, this time accepting defeat on their home course at the Gettysvue Polo, Golf & Country Club.
After a third-place finish four weeks ago behind only Duke and defending national champion Arizona at the NCAA Fall Preview, followed by a second-place performance behind Duke 10 days ago at the Tar Heel Invitational, the Volunteers trailed a familiar foe after Saturday's second round at the Women's Collegiate Championships in Knoxville, Tenn. Down by only two strokes heading into Sunday's final round, Tennessee was finally in a position to challenge Duke, the nation's No. 1 team.
But a relentless surge from a freshman enabled the Blue Devils to toss back the gauntlet dropped before them and run away with a comfortable 10-stroke victory over the runner-up Volunteers.
In only the third collegiate tournament of her young career, Virada Nirapathpongporn claimed her first individual championship behind a 3-under-par 69 Sunday, a spectacular final round that fulfilled the lofty expectations that came with her preseason No. 2 national ranking. Nirapathpongporn was followed closely by teammate Candy Hannemann, who claimed third overall after a final-round 75 on a difficult course.
"There were a few things about this tournament that I felt great about," said coach Dan Brooks, whose team fired a tournament-best 293 in the final round to pull away from Tennessee. "First of all, I was very pleased with the consistent effort of our team in all of its rounds. We played very hard on a tough golf course and kept fighting. What I particularly liked is we were only two shots up going into the last day and we were able to play our best golf the last day."
The team's final round score was eight strokes better than any other team Sunday. Although Hannemann, senior Kalen Anderson and sophomore Maria Garcia-Estrada all posted rounds of 74 or 75, the Blue Devils were able to maintain their relatively low score courtesy of Nirapathpongporn's 69, one of only two marks under 70 the entire tournament.
"It feels great, and I'm so happy to have the teammates I have," Nirapathpongporn said. "Everybody works hard and we all want the same thing. Every time we tee it up we expect to win."
So far, the Blue Devils have won every time they have teed it up this season, claiming team titles at the Fall Preview, the Tar Heel Invitational and the Collegiate Championships.
Yet, one of the most impressive facets of the winning streak is the fact that Duke has been led by four different players in its three victories. Last month at the Fall Preview, it was Nirapathpongporn and sophomore Kristina Engstrom; at Chapel Hill a week ago it was another freshman, Leigh Anne Hardin, and Hannemann who paced the Blue Devils; and this weekend, it was once again the girl nicknamed "Oui," who is rapidly becoming a leading force among her teammates.
"For this team right now, I think we have a lot of leadership," Brooks said. "I think Candy is helping to lead this team and Kalen has a lot of natural leadership ability, but we are also getting leadership from our freshman. No one is pulling anybody along. We're walking side by side this year, and it has really been a fun year."
The Blue Devils have the rest of the month off, until an early-November tournament in Hilton Head, S.C.
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