The last time Duke failed to win an ACC title in women’s golf, Hootie and the Blowfish and TLC topped the Billboard charts. O.J. Simpson was on trial for murder, and Forrest Gump was on its way to a Best Picture Oscar.
Nearly a decade later, the top-ranked Blue Devils will be gunning for their 10th consecutive ACC Championship this weekend.
When Duke’s impressive run began, the ACC field was comprised of only four teams. But with the addition of Miami to the mix in 2005, the Blue Devils will be competing against seven other teams in the largest ACC Championship ever.
Adding to the challenge, No.15 Wake Forest has risen to national prominence this season, even defeating Duke at the Lady Gator Invitational earlier this year.
“Wake played really well at Florida and has shown they’re capable of good things,” head coach Dan Brooks said. “The ACC as a whole is just getting better and hopefully we’ll have a very competitive tournament this weekend.”
Of the six other teams, two are also ranked in the top 50. Virginia sits at 29th in the Golfweek poll and N.C. State comes in at 37th.
But even with the Demon Deacons’ victory over the Blue Devils this year and the improved ACC, Duke enters the tournament as the clear favorite.
Since starting the spring with consecutive third-place finishes, the Blue Devils have found their stride. At the Bryan National Collegiate April 1-3, Duke won by 10—its largest margin of the season—and freshman Jennifer Pandolfi turned in her best collegiate performance.
“It felt really good,” Pandolfi said of her third-place finish. “I’ve been working really hard on my game and I feel like I can help the team win this weekend.”
Sophomore Brittany Lang took home the individual title and junior Liz Janangelo finished in fifth place. At the end of the regular season, Lang and Janangelo were ranked second and third in the nation, respectively. After winning the conference tournament her freshman year, Lang will be shooting for her second consecutive ACC individual title.
Rounding out Blue Devils in the top-25 is Anna Grzebien, who crept up to 24th in the individual rankings. The sophomore has played exceptionally well in the last two tournaments, and her second-place showing at the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational in early March was a personal best.
Duke’s final player, Niloufar Aazam-Zanganeh, has been sidelined with tendonitis, but Brooks said she will be back for the ACC Tournament. The senior’s wrist is still weak, however, and Brooks will monitor her condition closely.
After winning the last three ACC Championships, each at the Salem Golf Club in Clemmons, N.C., Duke will now have have to master the Carmel Country Club. Duke has never competed at the Charlotte, N.C., course, which will host its first ACC Championship.
“I’ve heard it’s a great course,” Brooks said. “It has great greens, and with the way my team plays, I expect great things.”
Though no player on Duke’s roster has ever lost a tournament held at the Salem Country Club, the whole team is enthusiastic about the opportunity to play the new course.
“It’s going to be like freshman year for me again,” Janangelo said. “It’s going to take a little bit of time to get used to the course, but I feel like the whole team can get comfortable with it during our practice round.”
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.