HILTON HEAD, S.C. – For the second straight season, the Duke women’s golf team took home the team and individual titles at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate on Sunday at the 6,142-yard, par 71 Long Cove Club in Hilton Head, S.C.
Freshman Leona Maguire won the individual title on a one-hole playoff, while the sixth-ranked Blue Devils shot a two-under, 282, to finish with a nine stroke victory.
As a team, Duke shot a tournament-record 282 in the final round to close the weekend with a 54-hole tournament record, 858. four strokes better than the Blue Devils’ ledger in 2014. Rounding out the top 10 were LSU (867), Southern California (867), Tennessee (889), South Carolina (890), Wake Forest (890), Mississippi State (892), Virginia (900), Arkansas (901) and Furman (902).
“We got important contribution from everyone this weekend,” said Duke head coach Dan Brooks. “I’m real proud of all three freshmen. Leona’s back-to-back birdies on 18, for the individual win, were outstanding. One of the most impressive things I’ve seen as a coach.”
Maguire, who held a one-stroke lead heading into the final round on Sunday, was one-over-par through 12 holes in the final round to fall behind LSU’s Madeline Sagstrom by two strokes. Maguire rolled in her third birdie of the day on 14 to cut the lead to one, but Sagstrom netted a birdie on 15 to go back up by two shots. Leona birdied 16 and went into the final hole needing a birdie to force a playoff.
Maguire hit a five-wood from 202 yards to within 12 feet got the required birdie to take the match to extra holes. The two golfers headed back to the 18th tee box, Leona hit an excellent tee shot, she then knocked her 4-iron from 167-yards to 12 feet on the green, and sank the putt to claim her first collegiate title.
After struggling the first two days, Lisa Maguire settled down and closed with a solid three-over-par, 74, on Sunday. Lisa, had six straight pars to kick off her day, before suffering bogeys on three out of her next four holes. She had six consecutive pars and then totalled her second birdie of the tournament on 17 finishing with a bogey on 18.
• Leona Maguire is the second straight Duke freshman to win the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate as Yu Liu won a year ago.
• Two Duke golfers have won a tournament this season as Sandy Choi took home the Cougar Classic title in the fall.
Duke Results
1 T1 Leona Maguire Duke 73 65 69 207 -6
5 T3 Sandy Choi Duke 74 70 70 214 +1
T21 T7 Gurbani Singh Duke 72 76 69 217 +4
T9 15 Celine Boutier Duke 74 72 74 220 +7
83 T72 Lisa Maguire Duke 81 81 74 236 +23
