The Franklin Street Partners Invitational title has belonged to the Duke women's golf team for so long, it has more in common with Ninth Street than with Chapel Hill's famous thoroughfare.
The Blue Devils have won the Invitational, held at Chapel Hill's Finley Golf Course, for the last six years; head coach Dan Brooks' squad will try to go for lucky number seven today and throughout the weekend.
The top-ranked Duke unit will take on eight other teams, including the second-ranked Auburn Tigers. The Tigers took the Devils to a playoff in the NCAA Fall Preview before falling to a strong Duke team effort and a great individual performance by sophomore Liz Janangelo.
Rounding out the field will be ACC squads from UNC, NC State and Wake Forest, as well as Tennessee, Florida, Texas and Oklahoma State. While the Tigers and Blue Devils are the only top-10 teams in the field, all nine squads are ranked in the top 40.
Although the field is tight, the Blue Devils are certainly the favorites.
Still, the Duke women are more concerned with their procedure than any end result, especially so early in the year.
"The ultimate goal for this team is to win," Brooks said. "But what I am watching for is to see that we are being patient, we are thinking well, and we are recovering mentally from a bad shot."
The Blue Devils will look for good performances from Janangelo as well as seniors Leigh Anne Hardin and Virada Nirapathpongporn, its usual top three. But freshmen Brittany Lang and Anna Grzebien are also poised to contribute strong rounds this weekend.
"I really think that any one of them could win the tournament," Brooks said.
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