Six separate regional venues will host the NCAA regionals, which will involve 12 teams (72 in total) and six individuals (36 total). From each regional site, the top four teams and top two individuals (not on an advancing team) will progress to the finals, which will be hosted for the second consecutive year at Grayhawk Golf Club (Raptor Course) in Scottsdale, Ariz., from May 20-25.
The Blue Devils will receive their 29th consecutive NCAA Regional bid on Wednesday and will travel to either the UNM Championship Course in Albuquerque, New Mexico, hosted by New Mexico, the University of Michigan Golf Course in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Oklahoma, hosted by Oklahoma State, the Seminole Legacy Golf Club in Tallahassee, Florida, hosted by Florida State, or the Stanford Golf Course in Stanford, California, hosted by Stanford and Vanderbilt.
Duke enters regional play after a strong showing in the ACC Championship on Pawley’s Island, South Carolina. The Blue Devils finished third in stroke play before losing 3-0-2 to second-seeded Florida State in match play. Phoebe Brinker and Erica Shepherd led the way for Duke, finishing first and second in the stroke play portion, respectively.
Brinker, a Wilmington, Delaware native, became the 16th Blue Devil to win an ACC Individual title with rounds of 70, 65, and 71 for a 10-under-par 206. The second round 65 of 7-under par equaled an ACC Championship record. Shepherd, a resident of Greenwood, Ind., signed for rounds of 75, 68, and 69 for a 4-under-par 212. She was the only golfer in the field to have two rounds in the 60s and earned her season’s third top-five finish.
