Battling the Bruins: Duke in second

OPELIKA, Ala. -- Going into this week's NCAA Championship Tournament, Duke head coach Dan Brooks was quick to identify UCLA as top-ranked Duke's biggest threat to derail its pursuit of a third national championship. At the midway point of the 72-hole event, Brooks' prediction has become a reality as UCLA and Duke are the only two teams under par.

With fans set up to dry the evidence of Tuesday night's rainstorm on some of the greens of the par-72 Grand National Lake Course at Auburn University, the Duke women's golf team performed well in the early warm, damp conditions Wednesday. Later in the day, another rainstorm would postpone play with 12 teams on the field. The Blue Devils faltered somewhat, however, when the temperature rose toward the end of their round.

        The team spent Wednesday shuffling around at the top of the chart, occupying the number one position for much of the midday before dropping to second place by the end of the round. At one point, Duke was seven-under-par on the day, but ended one stroke behind UCLA at four under.

"I'm thinking more about UCLA because they've had a great record and a great spring," Brooks said. "I haven't thought about the other teams that much.... I know that UCLA is going to be right with us and they're going to play well."

Competition proved to be a driving factor for Duke as a team, who paired with UCLA and Vanderbilt--a squad that recorded a four-under-par Wednesday round with only four golfers entered.

"I'm very impressed with Vandy," Brooks said of the third-place team. "It's amazing to come here with four people and lose probably their best player and play this well."

The strength of the Blue Devils' play has come on the par-five holes, where the team is 14 under during the first two days. Wednesday's play on par-five holes included an eagle and two birdies by fourth-ranked Brittany Lang. Both No. 1 Liz Janangelo and No. 6 Virada Nirapathpongporn were four under on par-five holes in the first two days of tournament action.

Despite impressive play thus far on par-five holes, however, the Blue Devils have struggled to maintain a consistent overall performance level.

Nirapathpongporn, who was the team leader at 71 strokes after Tuesday, had a double bogey on her first hole Wednesday morning. The 2002 NCAA Individual Champion concluded Wednesday at 72 strokes, finally maintaining some consistency, playing her final five holes at par.

Leigh Anne Hardin was able to avoid her teammates' fate for most of Wednesday, spending half the round at even par. Hardin's two bogies Wednesday both came on par-four holes, where Duke is shooting 15-over as a team. However, Brooks was not concerned with the up and down play thus far.

"It was good, solid golf," Brooks said. "We went quite a way under par there for a while and then gave a little bit of it back, so there were a few more birdies today than yesterday."

Brooks noted that Lang--who led the tournament at four under halfway through her first round but slipped during the final nine to end at a two under tie for third-- is striking the ball well and has a great attitude, although she was disappointed about her back nine.

On the final hole of the day, Lang had a long drive off the tee, putting her in position to finish her round with a birdie. However, with too much club on her second shot, the ball moved downhill from the hole, and Lang was only able to muster par.

"I started off really solid," Lang said. "I had a great front nine [with an] eagle and two birdies. I just couldn't really make a putt from there...I'm disappointed because I started off so strong. It leaves a good mindset for the next two days."

Disappointment was also evident for fellow freshman Anna Grzebien. Although able to better her position after the first day, moving into a tie for 37th with an even-par round, Grzebien dropped three strokes over her final four holes.

For Janangelo, however, her start with two bogies on the first four holes ended in a two-under-par performance spurred by two birdies on the final nine. With this, the top-ranked golfer jumped from 18th to eighth on the leaderboard.

"I played with [Vanderbilt golfer] Courtney Wood and she chipped in twice," Janangelo said. "That was good to see because it kind of pushed me to play better."

For a collegiate team which some golf experts consider to be the best ever, all the praise has the potential to create a lot of pressure. Both Brooks and the Blue Devils, however, calmly recognize the team's talent that has materialized into a confidence that has driven Duke all year long.

"I wasn't surprised [Tuesday] was around even for everybody just because you have to get used to the new environment," Brooks said. "But at some point I knew everybody would be going under par."

The Blue Devils are accustomed to come-from-behind wins in Auburn. The NCAA Fall Preview, a three-day tournament at the same venue, was the team's only three-day tournament victory of the year in which Duke was down for the first two days. The Blue Devils were able to pull off the win with a final day tournament-best three under par and a playoff win over the host school.

"You can't win it the first or second day, but you can definitely keep it in the ballgame," Janangelo said.