2017 Women's Golf NCAA Championship

[sagegrouse]

The Duke women tee off this afternoon at 1:36 CT at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, IL -- just west of Chicago. Four other ACC teams join Duke in the 20-team field -- UNC, Clemson, FSU and Miami. Scoring link is here (http://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/nonav.cfm?pg=team&tid=12853).

Four days of stroke play, Friday through Monday, determine the individual champion and qualifies the top eight teams for the championship bracket. The quarterfinals are Tuesday, and both semis and finals are on Wednesday. For the final two teams there are seven rounds of golf in six days. Oh, yum!

Duke's top-ranked player is Leona Maguire, ranked the world's number one amateur golfer. She is joined by defending NCAA champion Virginia Elena Carta (#17 in the world), freshman Ana Belac, senior Sandy Choi, and Leona's twin, Lisa Maguire.

Let's go Duke!

Sage Grouse
'Who would be playing today except for the two feet of snow that has fallen on Steamboat in the past 36 hours'
"Uh, no. The ski mountain closed in April"

[Bluedog]

Thanks for starting this thread. The team definitely has a chance to make some major noise in this tourney as they seem to always do. Looking forward to a strong outing! Note that it has dropped literally 40 degrees in temperature from yesterday in Chicagoland...It's a chilly 45 with rain expected on and off throughout the day (stopping around 5pm). And thunderstorms hitting tomorrow, but then a very golf-friendly Sunday and Monday in the 60s and 70s with sun and some cloud cover. So, I wouldn't be surprised if there are some delays today/tomorrow. I assume if that occurs they just extend the day of the final round(s) or do they legimitately try to fit even MORE rounds of golf into the packed schedule?

[sagegrouse]

Scores look like they will be high today. About one-half the teams are out on the course, and everyone is at least +6 -- teams on holes 7-10 (the teams get spread out in the course of play) are +9 to +14. Scoring is the best four of five scores on an 18-hole basis (not hole-by-hole).

[flagellaman]

Why didn't Gurbani Singh play in ACC championship and also not playing in NCAA?

[sagegrouse]

Why didn't Gurbani Singh play in ACC championship and also not playing in NCAA?

I dunno. Gurbani played in the ACC's and in the Northwestern Quad, but did not play last week at the Albuquerque Regionals.

[flagellaman]

Ugh sorry I stand corrected. She did play ACC and not the NCAA regional.

[sagegrouse]

Rough start for the ladies. We have played 18 holes and are, collectively, 15 over par. Bogey city. Taking our best four players, we are at +11 with our team having played two, three, four or five holes.

The leader from this AM's round is Ohio State at +23.

I guess the afternoon round won't be any easier for the teams.

[sagegrouse]

Just piling on I guess. Collectively, we parred the first four holes played (Lisa 2, Sandy and Virginia 1). Since then, we have bogeyed every single hole played (including one double bogey). we will need a major rally to qualify for the playoffs or compete for the individual championship.

[SoCalDukeFan]

Just piling on I guess. Collectively, we parred the first four holes played (Lisa 2, Sandy and Virginia 1). Since then, we have bogeyed every single hole played (including one double bogey). we will need a major rally to qualify for the playoffs or compete for the individual championship.

and the weather seems to be awful for golf. Lots more golf to go. This is a very good team. Hopefully the weather will improve.

SoCal

[sagegrouse]

We have a great team... but we are in a big hole, tied for 19th among the 24 teams, with a score of +37 after 18 holes. The afternoon weather was mid-forties and "felt like" mid-30's according to Weather.com. Leona Maguire leads the Duke team with a +5, but parred the last ten holes after struggling over the first few holes. Everyone else scored in the 80's. The median score for the 132-player field was 80, +8.

I am looking for a big comeback today, where the morning weather will be 55-60, which is, at least, golf weather. The challenge is to make the top eight teams and qualify for the team matches on Tuesday and Wednesday. The leader, hometown Northwestern, is at +13, no doubt benefiting from winter golf rounds on the shores of Lake Michigan. The current eighth-place team is UNC at +26. The margin Duke must make up is 11 shots, which isn't a huge amount, except for the other teams in the field playing as hard as they can. Time to crank it up, ladies!

The ACC has five teams among the 24 in the tournament:
UNC +26
Miami +28
Clemson +33
Duke +37
FSU +37

The 72-hole match play tournament, in addition to selecting the best eight teams for the playoffs, crowns the individual champion. The leaders this morning are at even par -- August Kim from Purdue and Elodie Van Dievoet from Michigan. Leona Maguire is tied for 19th, five shots back. Duke's Virginia Elena Carta is defending champion, but trails by 11 shots as play begins on Saturday.

[duketaylor]

My rally cap is on, both for the women and Lax men!! GO DEVILS!!

[sagegrouse]

Posted:
We are currently in a weather delay. Once severe weather has cleared the area, tee times will be determined.

Ugly weather map. (https://weather.com/weather/today/l/USIL0828:1:US)

[SoCalDukeFan]

The second round was rounded out and the stroke portion shortened to 54 holes.

So there is less golf to be played and less opportunity for the Blue Devils to make up for yesterday.

Weather looks much better for tomorrow.

SoCal

[sagegrouse]

The second round was rounded out and the stroke portion shortened to 54 holes.

So there is less golf to be played and less opportunity for the Blue Devils to make up for yesterday.

Weather looks much better for tomorrow.

SoCal

Lots of Duke tweets and pictures (http://www.ncaa.com/news/golf-women/article/2017-05-19/di-womens-golf-championship-northwestern-has-two-stroke-lead) on the NCAA web site. Need to scroll.

[duketaylor]

Bad luck with the weather, just sucks. Now have to play even better next two days, but not outta reach. This team is very good and can win it all!!
Very possible to get to match play. Will not be an individual champ like last year (I don't think). No worries, win the team NC!!! Get to match play!!

[Bluedog]

Weather is supposed to be good today, but winds are picking up to about 17mph this afternoon, so hopefully it will serve Duke well having an 8:36 tee off time and avoiding those winds (although it will be a bit cooler, 10-14 mph winds so maybe not much different). Ground to make up but definitely possible. Let's go Duke!

[grossbus]

Any reports?

[sagegrouse]

Any reports?

Sure. Duke is having an OK round, going with one-half of the field. Our stalwarts are +6 through nine holes (minus a couple), which is one of the better rounds. No change in position, but if we play around +10 for the day, we will pass some teams that haven't teed off as yet.

Our first player off the tee, Virginia, made a "snowman" on the first hole -- +4 -- but has since made two birdies to finish the first nine at +2.

Yesterday's leader, Northwestern, is also the low score for today -- minus three (-3) for the front nine and a 13-shot lead on the rest of the field. The second-best score this AM is South Carolina at +2 and then Stanford and Duke at +6.

[grossbus]

We may be done. :(

Heading down the list, not up.

[Rich]

Seems we are now 22nd out of 24 teams with #2 seed Alabama dead last. Cold weather seems to have affected many of the warm weather schools.

Leona Maguire only bright spot as she's moved up 15 spots and is now tied for 4th.

Team and individual leader board can be found at http://www.ncaa.com/di-w-golf-leaderboard-2017.

[sagegrouse]

Seems we are now 22nd out of 24 teams with #2 seed Alabama dead last. Cold weather seems to have affected many of the warm weather schools.

Leona Maguire only bright spot as she's moved up 15 spots and is now tied for 4th.

Team and individual leader board can be found at http://www.ncaa.com/di-w-golf-leaderboard-2017.

I agree that we are done. We were +6 after nine holes but scored +15 on the second nine. Virginia's problems were palpable -- started with a quadruple bogey and ended with two double bogeys. She also had a triple bogey on 14. The other 14 holes she was one under par.

Leona is tied for eighth, four shots behind Wake's Jennifer Kupcho, who is competing as an individual qualifier. Leona shot 71 (-1) today.

[Rich]

Leona is tied for eighth, four shots behind Wake's Jennifer Kupcho, who is competing as an individual qualifier. Leona shot 71 (-1) today.

How many individual players move on?

[sagegrouse]

How many individual players move on?

All players play tomorrow, which is the end of medal play and will (a) crown the individual winner and (b) qualify the eight teams for the match play tournament.

In past years with a full 72 holes, there was a pared down field on Monday -- 15 of 24 teams and nine of 12 individual players. With yesterday's cancellation, everybody plays Monday,

[duketaylor]

Golf course must be hard as all get out. Huge numbers are being shot. Our women still are going to have a lot of work to do tomorrow, I think. Losing a day of play is just awful when your first round sucks. Need a big performance tomorrow!!

GO DUKE!!

[Rich]

Golf course must be hard as all get out. Huge numbers are being shot. Our women still are going to have a lot of work to do tomorrow, I think. Losing a day of play is just awful when your first round sucks. Need a big performance tomorrow!!

GO DUKE!!

Duke finished the day T-17, 15 shots out of the 8th spot. Will need a monumental effort tomorrow and some faltering at the top to keep playing.

[sagegrouse]

Duke finished the day T-17, 15 shots out of the 8th spot. Will need a monumental effort tomorrow and some faltering at the top to keep playing.

Median team score today was +21. (Yesterday it was +28!) Duke needs a heroic performance with a score in the +5 range.

[duketaylor]

Median team score today was +21. (Yesterday it was +28!) Duke needs a heroic performance with a score in the +5 range.

Gonna be a tough road tomorrow, for sure. Can be done.

Gotta believe!!

GO DUKE!!

[sagegrouse]

Duke gets an AM tee time, playing in threesomes with Michigan and Michigan State. Duke starts on the very tough back nine. Virginia Elena Carta is on the tee at 7:51 AM, with the other players going off at 11-minute intervals. Weather is decent in the morning, predicted to be 53 degrees at 8 AM, rising to mid-sixties by noon. Rain is forecast in the late afternoon.

[grossbus]

+7 so far today.

[duke79]

Looks like we're done. Well back of the 8th place team. Not a good tournament for the Duke women's team. Ugh.

[InSpades]

Leona is making a run for the individual win. 2 under through 17 and only 2 back of the 1st place golfer who hasn't started play yet. She's put some pressure on the other ladies to come up w/ good afternoon rounds.

[sagegrouse]

Leona is making a run for the individual win. 2 under through 17 and only 2 back of the 1st place golfer who hasn't started play yet. She's put some pressure on the other ladies to come up w/ good afternoon rounds.

... While sitting in the clubhouse. InSpades has it exactly right. Leona is the only one of today's leaders to play the morning round. The other contenders are on the course this afternoon. Leona, who shot a splendid -2 (70) today, is two shots behind Jennifer Kupcho from Wake Forest, who has yet to tee off.

Leona posts a really good score on a challenging course and puts the pressure on the other players. There's a decent chance she wins.

Go Duke!
Sage Grouse
'Oh, and if its a tie, she gets to play the extra holes after sitting out for five hours'

[sagegrouse]

Here was one insuperable problem this week for Duke -- awful, awful starts every single day for our five-woman team.

Day 1: First two holes -- +7: seven bogeys and three pars
Day 2: First hole -- +7: a quadruple bogey (Virginia), three bogeys and one par
Day 3: First two holes -- +7: a double bogey, five bogeys, and four pars

Lessee.... that's +21 over three days in only five total holes. Duke will probably miss the match-play event by 12 strokes, so +2 or +3 each day would have made a hu-u-u-ge difference.

I mean, what was the pre-game meal? Was that decaf?

[duke79]

Here was one insuperable problem this week for Duke -- awful, awful starts every single day for our five-woman team.

Day 1: First two holes -- +7: seven bogeys and three pars
Day 2: First hole -- +7: a quadruple bogey (Virginia), three bogeys and one par
Day 3: First two holes -- +7: a double bogey, five bogeys, and four pars

Lessee... that's +21 over three days in only five total holes. Duke will probably miss the match-play event by 12 strokes, so +2 or +3 each day would have made a hu-u-u-ge difference.

I mean, what was the pre-game meal? Was that decaf?

LOL, my guess would be that the Duke players are not used to playing in cooler weather and, even with a pre-round warm-up session, they were just not physcially ready to play golf . Living in the Northeast and having played golf on many cool (even "cold") days, I can sympathize with their plight.

[CameronBlue]

You can find an argument both for and against the match play format in this year's results. To this point Northwestern has beaten the field like the proverbial rented mule on a course that is 60 miles from its central campus. Match play, a measure of relative strength 1 to 5 can nullify the advantage of a team playing on a familiar course. But NW has so thoroughly dominated the tournament to this moment it would be tough to call it anything but a colossal buggering should they lose over the next two days in match play.

Just one weekend duffer's point of view.

[Bluedog]

LOL, my guess would be that the Duke players are not used to playing in cooler weather and, even with a pre-round warm-up session, they were just not physcially ready to play golf . Living in the Northeast and having played golf on many cool (even "cold") days, I can sympathize with their plight.

It's 74 and sunny in Sugar Grove, IL right now -- although I realize it was much cooler when they teed off at 7:30 this morning. (And I understand it was cooler and windy/rainy the other days). Basically, my point is no excuses and Dan Brooks agrees (below quote was after the rounds on Sunday):

"It’s like I told the team: We’re playing bad. That’s it. The sentence stops right there. If someone else has anything to say, don’t say it around me, because the sentence that needs to be said is that we’re playing bad, period. It’s not wrong tee times or they cut a day away. If they gave us five days and we played like this, it’s not going to make any difference."
http://www.golfchannel.com/news/ryan-lavner/conditions-turning-womens-ncaas-test-survival/

Not trying to pick on your quote as I get that you're trying to rationalize the poor starts, which absolutely does make sense to me. But if that's the case, the team should have better warmup routines in these types of situations. Sometimes a tourney goes your way and sometimes it doesn't. Clearly didn't go Duke's way this year unfortunately.

[sagegrouse]

You can find an argument both for and against the match play format in this year's results. To this point Northwestern has beaten the field like the proverbial rented mule on a course that is 60 miles from its central campus. Match play, a measure of relative strength 1 to 5 can nullify the advantage of a team playing on a familiar course. But NW has so thoroughly dominated the tournament to this moment it would be tough to call it anything but a colossal buggering should they lose over the next two days in match play.

Just one weekend duffer's point of view.

CameronBlue, we have the stuff for a bet. I was about to observe that Northwestern would likely lose in the quarters. The team isn't that good -- ranked 12th -- and will come crashing back to earth in the next two days. Probably tomorrow.

Duke beat Northwestern 7-5 (morning [5-1] and afternoon [2-4] matches) last month at Duke.

By the way, UNC has a halfway decent chance of sneaking into the match play field. The Tar Heels are 13th, but every team in front of them is in the first nine of its afternoon round, while the Heels played this AM and had a respectable +8. Miami is also in the hunt, sitting in tenth, needing to make up five shots to edge into 8th. Florida State and Clemson will join Duke on the sidelines for match play.

[flagellaman]

Disappointment for sure. I still wonder where is Gubani (would she have made a difference...dunno but probably not in the larger scheme of things)?

So next season we lose Choi, but gain Boonchant, Wang and O'Sullivan. If Leona goes pro, we'd still have a mondo team. But if she sticks around for her senior year, look out!!

Don't want to get into the hyped prognostication about freshmen contributions to all sorts of theoretical / anticipated success (like this board tends to do with men's ball) but next year's roster could look like the 2005-6-7 rosters that rolled to natties!

[duke79]

It's 74 and sunny in Sugar Grove, IL right now -- although I realize it was much cooler when they teed off at 7:30 this morning. (And I understand it was cooler and windy/rainy the other days). Basically, my point is no excuses and Dan Brooks agrees (below quote was after the rounds on Sunday):

"It’s like I told the team: We’re playing bad. That’s it. The sentence stops right there. If someone else has anything to say, don’t say it around me, because the sentence that needs to be said is that we’re playing bad, period. It’s not wrong tee times or they cut a day away. If they gave us five days and we played like this, it’s not going to make any difference."
http://www.golfchannel.com/news/ryan-lavner/conditions-turning-womens-ncaas-test-survival/

Not trying to pick on your quote as I get that you're trying to rationalize the poor starts, which absolutely does make sense to me. But if that's the case, the team should have better warmup routines in these types of situations. Sometimes a tourney goes your way and sometimes it doesn't. Clearly didn't go Duke's way this year unfortunately.

Yea, pure speculation on my part. I have no clue why the team started off so badly on the first few holes. I was just guessing that maybe they were not fully warmed up and ready to play, given the much cooler weather than what the team usually plays in. Again, this could be completely off base.

[SoCalDukeFan]

You can find an argument both for and against the match play format in this year's results. To this point Northwestern has beaten the field like the proverbial rented mule on a course that is 60 miles from its central campus. Match play, a measure of relative strength 1 to 5 can nullify the advantage of a team playing on a familiar course. But NW has so thoroughly dominated the tournament to this moment it would be tough to call it anything but a colossal buggering should they lose over the next two days in match play.

Just one weekend duffer's point of view.

Since they started this match play format I am think that the stroke play winner has never won the match play, both men's and women's.

SoCal

[SoCalDukeFan]

Disappointment for sure. I still wonder where is Gubani (would she have made a difference...dunno but probably not in the larger scheme of things)?

So next season we lose Choi, but gain Boonchant, Wang and O'Sullivan. If Leona goes pro, we'd still have a mondo team. But if she sticks around for her senior year, look out!!

Don't want to get into the hyped prognostication about freshmen contributions to all sorts of theoretical / anticipated success (like this board tends to do with men's ball) but next year's roster could look like the 2005-6-7 rosters that rolled to natties!

Heidi O'Sullivan is a top ranked player. Leona seems set on graduating from Duke.

However nothing is for sure in sports. Virginia Elena Carta battled illness in the Fall and injury in the Spring. Leona had her own issue last year at Nationals with vertigo or something. While I am sure Dan Brooks is right, Duke just played bad this year at Nationals, weather can affect golf tournaments.

SoCal

[Rich]

Virginia Elena Carta battled illness in the Fall and injury in the Spring. Leona had her own issue last year at Nationals with vertigo or something. While I am sure Dan Brooks is right, Duke just played bad this year at Nationals, weather can affect golf tournaments.

I think it's time to dissect their playing time and Brooks' approach to recruiting. :rolleyes:

[Indoor66]

I think it's time to dissect their playing time and Brooks' approach to recruiting. :rolleyes:

He needs to play a deeper bench.

[flagellaman]

Heidi O'Sullivan is a top ranked player.

It's Hannah and not Heidi, by the way, with stress on first syllable and pronounced Hohn-na instead of short "a" Han-nah.

[BD80]

I think it's time to dissect their playing time and Brooks' approach to recruiting. :rolleyes:


He needs to play a deeper bench.

He shouldn't have had the top golfers playing so many holes. Obviously wore them out by the end of the year.

Additional benefit: lowers scores. I have consistently shot in the seventies for years, it is just a matter of how many holes I play.

[SoCalDukeFan]

Will be interesting to see who wins the player of the year awards.

On Golfstat Leona was rated number 1. Jennifer Kupcho was ranked 3 and was in position to win the NCAA individual, but triple bogeyed her next to last hole to finish 2nd and tied with Leona. Jennifer is quite a story as she suffered a freak concussion in February.

SoCal

[DukieInKansas]

I think it's time to dissect their playing time and Brooks' approach to recruiting. :rolleyes:


He needs to play a deeper bench.


He shouldn't have had the top golfers playing so many holes. Obviously wore them out by the end of the year.

Additional benefit: lowers scores. I have consistently shot in the seventies for years, it is just a matter of how many holes I play.

Have they started measuring the distance in cinderblocks yet?

[awhom111]

I must say that I am already missing the annual debate of the merits of rolling carts versus carrying them.

Has anyone heard if any coaches or teams have complained about cutting one round from the tournament? I am trying to think of any other sporting events that have changed formats in the middle of the championship.

[Rich]

Has anyone heard if any coaches or teams have complained about cutting one round from the tournament? I am trying to think of any other sporting events that have changed formats in the middle of the championship.

There's talk of moving it indoors next year to avoid this very thing.

[Bluedog]

Silver lining: UNC missed heading to match play by one stroke, finishing in ninth place.

[SoCalDukeFan]

There's talk of moving it indoors next year to avoid this very thing.

Next year is Stillwater, OK and 2019 is Fayetteville, Ark.

This time of year the weather is "iffy" in most places except maybe the Best Coast. The NCAA now holds the men's and women's championships on the same site(to accommodate The Golf Channel I think) and that means that many clubs just don't want to give up their course for the time it takes to prepare the course and then 2 weeks of play, so locations are limited.

I guess teams need to be prepared to play in wind and rain. If the weather is good, so much the better.

SoCal

[Olympic Fan]

Will be interesting to see who wins the player of the year awards.

On Golfstat Leona was rated number 1. Jennifer Kupcho was ranked 3 and was in position to win the NCAA individual, but triple bogeyed her next to last hole to finish 2nd and tied with Leona. Jennifer is quite a story as she suffered a freak concussion in February.

SoCal

Leona McGuire just won the Ping Women's Golf Association National Player of the Year Award. From the release:

SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Duke University junior Leona Maguire was named the winner of the PING Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) National Player of the Year Tuesday morning, which was announced live via the Golf Channel at the NCAA Championship in Sugar Grove, Ill. Maguire earns the award for the second time in three years and becomes just the fifth collegiate golfer to earn the award multiple times.

“It’s an incredible feeling,” commented Maguire. “It is a special award to win. To get the vote of the coaches to say that I was the best player in college golf this year, it is a very humbling feeling and something I am very proud of.”

A native of Cavan, Ireland, Maguire collected one of the best stroke averages in NCAA history this past season with a 70.29 ledger. It was the lowest since Lorena Ochoa collected a 70.13 stroke average in the 2002 campaign. Maguire broke her own Duke and ACC record from her freshman campaign of 70.78.

[53n206]

Next year is Stillwater, OK and 2019 is Fayetteville, Ark.

This time of year the weather is "iffy" in most places except maybe the Best Coast. The NCAA now holds the men's and women's championships on the same site(to accommodate The Golf Channel I think) and that means that many clubs just don't want to give up their course for the time it takes to prepare the course and then 2 weeks of play, so locations are limited.

I guess teams need to be prepared to play in wind and rain. If the weather is good, so much the better.

SoCal

Have you ever seen how a golf ball moves in a tornado? (ref to Stillwater,OK in mid May)

[Bluedog]

Next year is Stillwater, OK and 2019 is Fayetteville, Ark.

This time of year the weather is "iffy" in most places except maybe the Best Coast. The NCAA now holds the men's and women's championships on the same site(to accommodate The Golf Channel I think) and that means that many clubs just don't want to give up their course for the time it takes to prepare the course and then 2 weeks of play, so locations are limited.

I guess teams need to be prepared to play in wind and rain. If the weather is good, so much the better.

SoCal

Looks like the men are likely to be treated to much better weather than the women. Forecasts are for a high of 75 Friday, 78 Saturday, 74 Sunday, 75 Monday, 72 Tuesday, 72 Wednesday. And partly cloudy every day. Pretty ideal conditions although winds can always pick up to make things interesting.

[Pghdukie]

Have you ever seen how a golf ball moves in a tornado? (ref to Stillwater,OK in mid May)

Yes ! When John Daly hits his driver after having 1 too many !

[flagellaman]

Leona McGuire just won the Ping Women's Golf Association National Player of the Year Award.

If Leona comes back next year, she could match Amanda Blumenherst's three POY awards!!!