Move over, basketball. Duke has built a new sports dynasty: women’s golf. With last week’s top finish at the NCAA Championships, the team earned its third national title in seven years, bringing Duke’s total championships to seven.
In an individual sport like golf, a handful of talented performers can draw national attention and build a program’s reputation, making it easier for one school to repeatedly dominate. Non-revenue teams have an additional advantage once they are on top, as their players benefit from media publicity rarely found outside of the major money-making sports.
In fact, next fall the Blue Devils will welcome two of the top women’s golfers in the country, proof that a stellar reputation—and a full scholarship to Duke—can lure the talent necessary to ensure a team’s future success.
Still, Duke’s continued dominance in women’s golf indicates more than excellent recruiting and scholarship funding. Head coach Dan Brooks, who has led the team for 21 seasons, is one of few golf coaches who can tally his success by tournaments won in a sport more frequently gauged by average place on the leaderboard.
He has been named National Coach of the Year four times over the last seven years and next year will likely become the winningest coach in women’s golf history.
With its stellar recruits and coaching, the women’s golf team is primed to dominate for years. And as the school’s focus shifts from exclusively revenue-generating sports to give non-revenue sports more support, we hope that other teams follow that lead.
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