Returning from a stress fracture in his back to compete in his first tournament of the spring, Ryan Blaum helped lead the Blue Devils to their first victory this season. The men's golf team captured the Courtyard by Marriot Intercollegiate by 15 strokes over Kansas at the MacGregor Down Country Club in Cary, N.C.
"It was probably the finest team effort that I've had from a team and this is my 31st year at duke," Duke head coach Rod Myers said. "Our guys just played superbly over there."
Blaum, who just last week played his first round of golf in months, struggled in Friday's opening round, shooting a 79. However, once he settled down and got used to being out on the course again, his scores dropped. He carded a 65 Friday afternoon and followed it with a round of 68 Saturday, good enough to take seventh place overall.
"Our team had played very well in the last two tournaments," Myers said. "Our hope was that once we got Ryan back in the lineup we'd really be strong."
Sophomore Alex Wilson had Duke's best performance, stringing together three rounds--all under par. After shooting a first-round 68, he played the next 36 holes two-under and finished tied for third. He was nine strokes behind the winner, Bill Haas, who compiled a three-round total of 201.
Coming off last weekend's first-place finish at Augusta, Nathan Smith hit the ball well again. His 211 earned him a sixth-place finish and his first-round 65 was just one stroke off the course record set by Haas that same round.
Seniors Mike Castleforte and Rob Beasley also shot well and placed 12th and 55th, respectively.
Entering the last 18 holes three strokes behind Kansas, Duke put together an incredible final round, receiving strong contributions from each of its golfers en route to a 280.
"In the first round when we shot 280, which was the best score in the morning, we had to count a 78. We shot 280 the final round, but with a lot more consistency. We had everybody at even par or better."
While the tournament was the first time the Blue Devils had won this spring, their play has shown steady signs of improvement. Heading into the ACC championships next weekend, their confidence is as high as it has been all year.
"We really went into the tournament feeling really good about all of our games, and we expected to win and it turned out that way for us," Blaum said. "We're just getting ready for next week's ACC Championships and our games are priming at the correct time right now."
Duke has not been beaten by any team in its region in the last three weeks, including third-ranked Clemson or No. 14 Wake Forest.
"If we were to play golf like we played this weekend, we're going to give anyone a run for their money," Myers said. "We're just excited to be on a roll and are anxious to tee it up again."
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