Blue Devils Down Washington to Win East Lake Cup

DUKE TEAM

From the Duke coach
November 2, 2016

ATLANTA, Ga. – In the second annual East Lake Cup at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga., the Duke women’s golf team took down Washington, 3-1-1, Wednesday to win the championship.  The Blue Devils received victories from Virginia Elena Carta, Sandy Choi and Lisa Maguire to close the fall campaign with their first win of the 2016-17 season.

With the victory, Duke head coach Dan Brooks earned his 126th victory all time, which continues to be the most of any Division I women’s golf coach in history.

Duke set the tone early with leads in four of the five matches on the course.

Taking charge for the Blue Devils with a commanding lead was Carta, who registered birdies on No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 6 to take a 5-up lead through six holes.  All four birdies were from under five feet as she dialed in her approach shots.  After a key six-foot par putt went in on the seventh hole, Carta continued to put the pressure on Ellen Takada.

Carta, the 2016 NCAA Individual Champion, won holes No. 9 and No. 10 to go ahead, 7-up with eight holes remaining.  She dropped the 11th hole, but was able to close out her match on the 372-yard, par four 12th hole with a par by a 7&6 mark.  A native of Udine, Italy, Carta improved her career match play record to 6-2.

With Duke leading 1-0, three of the other matches were very tight, while Choi held a 2-up advantage.

Lisa Maguire, a junior from Cavan, Ireland, led for 10 of the first 14 holes against Eunwon Park, but the match went to all square with three holes remaining.  She collected an up-and-down par on No. 16 to take a 1-up lead, but dropped the 17th hole to head to the 480-yard, par five all square.  Maguire was able to hit the green in regulation, but had a 60-foot birdie putt, while Park missed the green.  After a two-putt par, Maguire registered the 1-up victory to put Duke ahead, 2-0.

Following Maguire’s victory, the Blue Devils needed one more win to take the East Lake Cup.  Choi, who hails from Seoul, South Korea, would birdie No. 14 to go 3-up on Washington’s Sarah Rhee and then had a five-foot birdie putt on the 145-yard, par three 15th conceded to clinch the Duke title.  Choi moved to 8-5-1 in match play over her Blue Devil career.

When the match was clinched Leona Maguire was all square against Julianne Alvarez on the 16th and freshman Ana Belac trailed 2-down to Wenyung Keh with four holes left.

ALSO
See this article from the Golf Channel:  Frustration pays off for Lisa Maguire and Duke | Golf Channel