Duke Trio Place in Top 20 of Landfall Tradition

Friday, October 24

Wilmington, N.C.

Duke University

Landfall Tradition

Photo by: Andy Mead

Duke Trio Place in Top 20 of Landfall Tradition

10/26/2025 6:59:00 PM | Women's Golf

Scoring

WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Duke women's golf trio of Avery McCrery, Katie Li and Andie Smith closed action at the Landfall Tradition Sunday with top 20 placements, which was contested at the 6,109-yard, par-72 Country Club of Landfall.

McCrery, playing as an individual, turned in a career-best finish as she placed 10th with a 2-under, 214, while Li was 12th (1-under, 215) and Smith was tied for 18th (2-over, 218). As a team, Duke turned in a sixth-place finish with rounds of 295, 288 and 290 for an 873.

HOW IT HAPPENED – ROUND THREE

Both Katie Li and Andie Smith signed for under-par rounds to close the weekend.
Li had one bogey and three birdies en route to a 2-under, 70, while Smith had five birdies and posted a 1-under, 71.
In the final round, Li had 14 pars and birdies on No. 4 (from two feet) and No. 12 (from 15 feet) over her first 16 holes.After a bogey on No. 17, she missed the green with her 5-iron from 194 yards and then flopped to 21 feet for birdie.
Smith was 1-under through five holes as she drained a 15-foot birdie on No. 1.She had four bogeys over the next 10 holes to go along with two birdies and four pars.Smith registered a 2-foot birdie on No. 16 as she hit her 8-iron from 145 yards into the wind and then 2-putted for birdie on No. 18.
Avery McCrery had the best start of the day with three straight birdies on the first three holes. She sank putts from 10 feet, eight feet and 20 feet to open the morning. After dropping a couple of shots, McCrery hit her pitching wedge from 119 yards to eight feet for birdie on No. 10. She closed the day with two bogeys and a par to finish with an even-par, 72.
Carla De Troia and Anna Cañado Espinal singed for rounds of 74 and 75, respectively, as they both notched one birdie.
Freshman Rianne Malixi was held without a birdie and finished with a 79.
As a team, Duke shot a 2-over, 290, in the final round.

HOW IT HAPPENED – ROUND TWO

Avery McCrery totaled a career-best 2-under, 70, in the second round to lead the Blue Devils, while Carla De Troia added a 1-under, 71.
McCrery birdied the first hole of the day as she hit her 48-degree wedge from 97 yards to eight feet.She then parred seven holes in a row, before suffering her lone bogey on No. 9.On the back nine, McCrery hit her 4-iron on the par-5 No. 12 from 196 yards to the right fringe and 2-putted for birdie.She then chipped her 60-degree wedge from 40 yards to eight feet for birdie on No. 18.
De Troia was even par through 13 holes with nine pars, two birdies and two bogeys.She then connected on a birdie on the par-4 No. 14, had two pars, one bogey and another birdie on No. 18 to finish with a 71.
Both Andie Smith and Rianne Malixi carded even-par rounds of 72.
Smith parred the first eight holes and then bogeyed No. 9 and No. 13.She turned things around on No. 15 as she hit her 54-degree wedge from 102 yards in the rough to four feet for birdie.Smith then hit her 5-iron from 202 yards to the greenside and got up-and-down for birdie to finish with a 72.
Malixi had a slow start as she was 2-over through seven holes, but closed strong with a 2-under ledger over her final 11 holes.She birdied back-to-back holes on No. 14 and No. 15 and then birdied No. 18 to close the day with a 72.
Katie Li was 3-over through her first seven holes, but had a solid finish with a 2-under score over her final 11 to finish with a 73. She had the putter rolling on the back nine as she drained birdie putts of three feet on No. 12, 12 feet on No. 13 and 20 feet on No. 17. Li 2-putted from 20-feet on No. 18 for her fifth birdie of the day.
Anna Cañado Espinal had one birdie and finished with 75.
Duke jumped to tied for fourth on the team leaderboard with a 288 in round two and held a 36-hole score of 583.

HOW IT HAPPENED – ROUND ONE

Rianne Malixi, Avery McCrery and Katie Li paced the Blue Devils in round one as the duo signed for an even-par, 72.
Malixi opened the day with two bogeys over the first three holes, while rolling in a 6-foot birdie on No. 2.She played the final 15 holes at 1-under-par with birdies on No. 9 and No. 10.
Li parred the first five holes and then rolled in a birdie on No. 6.After five pars, Li dropped two shots, before hitting her 8-iron from 153 yards to four feet for birdie.She also hit her pitching wedge from 124 yards on No. 18 to four feet for birdie as well.
McCrery was 1-under through 12 holes as she rolled in a 4-footer for birdie on No. 6 and drained a 25-foot birdie on No. 10.She had three bogeys, two birdies and a par over her final six holes to finish with a 72.
Andie Smith carded three birdies on No. 6, No. 10 and No. 18, but a pair of double-bogeys dropped her score to 74.
Carla De Troia (76) and Anna Cañado Espinal (78) each registered two birdies on the day. De Troia was even par over her final 11 holes and Cañado Espinal was 1-over over her final 10 holes to close the day.
As a team, Duke was tied for 10th after day one with a 295.

NOTES

North Carolina (857) claimed the team title, while UCF (862), Wake Forest (868), SMU (870), South Carolina (872) and Duke (873) rounded out the top six teams.
Kent State's Veronika Kendronova won the individual title with a 203.
Duke finished with 39 birdies over the 54 holes and led the field with 174 pars.
Andie Smith tied for lead among the field with a 1-under, 2.92, scoring average on par-3 holes.
Katie Li led Duke with a 7-under ledger on par-5 holes.
Avery McCrery led Duke with 11 birdies.

WHAT IS NEXT

Duke closed action for the fall and will next compete Jan. 26-27 at the Sea Best Intercollegiate in Jacksonville, Fla.

To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's golf, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWGOLF".

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Duke Results
Katie Li   72-73-70=215 (-1, T12)
Andie Smith 75-72-71=218 (+2, T18)
Carla De Troia 76-71-74=221 (+5, T33)
Rianne Malixi   72-72-79=223 (+7, T41)
Anna Cañado Espinal 78-75-75=228 (+12, T64)
Team   295-288-290=873 (+9, 6^th)