Blue Devils Claim Tar Heel Invitational Team Title

Friday, October 16

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Duke University

Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational

Day One Results Day Two Results Day Three Results

Duke Women's Golf Tar Heel Invitational Champions

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Blue Devils Claim Tar Heel Invitational Team Title

10/18/2026 9:36:00 PM | Women's Golf

Scoring Final Results Photo Gallery

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Duke women's golf team claimed the 2026 Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational Sunday with an impressive 11-under-par, 841, to win by 13 strokes at the 6,143-yard, par-71 Finley Golf Club in Chapel Hill.

The Blue Devils were the only team to shoot under par and finished ahead of three top-10 teams (No. 1 Wake Forest, No. 7 Miami and No. 9 Florida). Duke turned in rounds of 280, 282 and 279 for an 11-under, 841. Virginia Tech (853), NC State (858), Wake Forest (861) and Boston College (872) rounded out the top five teams.

It marks the 18th time Duke has claimed the Tar Heel Invitational title, all under the direction of Blue Devil head coach Dan Brooks.

Duke placed all five golfers in the top 20 in the field – Rianne Malixi (2nd), Mia Hammond (4th), Katie Li (T10th), Martina Navarro Navarro (T12th) and Avery McCrery (T18th).

The win marked the 146th of Brooks' career. He has led the Blue Devils to at least one victory in 41 of his 43 seasons at Duke.

HOW IT HAPPENED – ROUND THREE

Sophomore Rianne Malixi carded rounds of 69, 67 and 69 for an 8-under-par, 205, to finish second behind Virginia Tech's Valentine Delon (203). Malixi opened Sunday's final round with a bogey, but responded with three pars and then back-to-back birdies. She reached the par-5 fifth green in two and two-putted from 25 feet for birdie. Malixi, who hails from Manila, Philippines, hit a three-quarter 5-iron from 160 yards uphill to four feet for birdie on No. 6. After a bogey on No. 7, Malixi rolled in a 3-foot birdie on the par-5 eighth. She made the turn at 1-under, 34, but returned to even with a bogey on No. 11. Malixi closed strong with two birdies and five pars over her final seven holes to finish with a 2-under, 69. She hit 14 greens and 11 fairways.
Rookie Mia Hammond turned in her second top-4 finish in three tournaments to open her collegiate career as she placed fourth with rounds of 72, 69 and 67 for a 5-under, 208. She opened her day with a par and then registered her first birdie of the day on the 373-yard, par-4 second hole. After three pars, Hammond hit her 6-iron from 168 yards to six feet for birdie on No. 6. She holed out from a chip on No. 8 for birdie to move to 3-under. Hammond had her lone bogey of the day on No. 9 to make the turn at 2-under with a 33. On the back, she parred No. 10 and No. 11, before two-putted for birdie on No. 12. Hammond added another birdie on No. 14 as she drained a 15-foot birdie to get to 4-under. She parred the final four holes to finish with a 67. Hammond hit a team-high 17 greens and 12 fairways.
With a final round of 1-over, 72, senior Katie Li closed action with a 1-over, 214, to finish tied for 10th. She notched rounds of 69, 73 and 72 over the three days. It marked her third consecutive top-10 finish to open the regular season. In the final round, Li parred the first seven holes, before suffering a double-bogey on No. 8. She came back to hit her pitching wedge from 133 yards on No. 9 to six feet for her first birdie of the morning. After a bogey on No. 10, Li played her final eight holes at 1-under-par. She hit her 58-degree wedge from 56 yards on No. 12 to seven feet for birdie. Li hit 16 greens and 10 fairways.
Rookie Martina Navarro Navarro turned in her first top-15 finish as she collected rounds of 71, 73 and 71 for a 2-over, 215, which was tied for 12th. After back-to-back bogeys to open her day, Navarro Navarro responded with a pair of birdies on No. 3 and No. 5. She rolled in a 32-foot birdie on the third hole and then hit her 58-degree wedge from 55 yards to 10 feet for birdie on the fifth. Navarro Navarro dropped a couple of shots on No. 8, but finished strong by playing her final 10 holes at 2-under. She collected a birdie on the 404-yard, par-4 10th. Navarro Navarro hit 12 fairways and 15 greens, while adding 31 putts on the day.
With scores of 71, 73 and 73 for a 4-over, 217, sophomore Avery McCrery notched her fifth career top-20 finish as she tied for 18th. McCrery had a tough start with a triple-bogey, but was solid the rest of the way playing the next 17 holes at 1-under-par with four birdies. She had her putter working with birdie putts of 20 feet on No. 4, 25 feet on No. 9 and No. 11 and a 10-footer on No. 16. She hit 15 greens on the day.

HOW IT HAPPENED – ROUND TWO

Saturday's round was delayed due to rain, and all teams began play with a shotgun start at noon.
Duke carded a 2-under, 282, in round two and surged into the lead by four strokes with a 6-under, 562. NC State (566), Wake Forest (573), Virginia Tech (577) and Boston College (580) rounded out the top five teams.
Blue Devil sophomore Rianne Malixi carded an individual-best 4-under, 67, to move into the individual lead by one stroke with a 6-under, 136. She leads Virginia Tech's Valentine Delon (137) and Wake Forest's Benedicte Brent-Petersen (138).
Duke's Mia Hammond (T7) and Katie Li (T10) enter the final round in the top 10. All five Blue Devils were in the top 15, with Avery McCrery and Martina Navarro Navarro tied for 14th.
Malixi opened the day on No. 5 and had it dialed in from the start. She rolled in birdies on No. 8 from four feet, a 16-footer for birdie on No. 13 and a 1-foot birdie on No. 16 to get to 3-under. After a bogey on No. 17, Malixi came back and drained an 8-foot birdie on No. 2 and a 7-footer for birdie on No. 3 to get to 4-under. She closed with a 4-under, 67, converting six of seven up-and-down opportunities and recording a team-best 25 putts.
Hammond posted her third career round in the 60s as she signed for a 2-under, 69, Saturday to move up to a tie for seventh with a 1-under, 141. Opening her second round on hole No. 8, she had a par and then suffered a bogey on No. 9. Hammond played her next 15 holes at 3-under-par. She registered back-to-back birdies on No. 12 and No. 13 to get things started. Hammond hit her sand wedge on the par-5 No. 12 from 102 yards to three feet for birdie and then rolled in a 15-footer for birdie on No. 13. Following five pars in a row, Hammond had a bogey on No. 1, but responded by hitting her gap wedge from 94 yards to six feet for birdie on No. 3. She added her fourth birdie of the day on the 145-yard, par-3 sixth by hitting her 7-iron to 15 feet and made the putt. She hit 16 greens and 11 fairways on the day.
Li, Navarro Navarro and McCrery all carded a 2-over, 73, on the afternoon.
A product of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Li opened her day on No. 6. After two pars, Li hit her 3-wood from 233 yards and reached the green in two. She 2-putted from 40 feet for birdie. After a bogey on No. 9, Li parred 10 and 11, before reaching the par-5 12th green in two from 251 yards away and 2-putted for birdie from 33 feet. She dropped shots on No. 14, No. 16 and No. 17, but birdied No. 2 as she rolled in a 13-footer for birdie. Li parred No. 3 and No. 5, while bogeying the fourth hole to close action. She hit 11 greens and nine fairways.
Navarro Navarro kicked off her day on No. 6 by striping her 7-iron from 145 yards to seven feet for birdie. After a bogey on No. 7, she parred the next two holes and bogeyed No. 10. Navarro Navarro got a shot back on the par-5 12th as she rolled in a 7-foot birdie. She played the next nine holes at 3-over, but birdied the fourth and parred the fifth holes to close with a 73. She hit 12 greens and 11 fairways.
McCrery opened her day with a bogey on No. 7 and then parred the next 13 holes. She suffered a double-bogey on No. 3, but was able to get a stroke back on No. 5 as she made a 25-footer for birdie, before finishing with a 73. McCrery, who is from Wilmington, Delaware, hit 13 greens and 10 fairways.

HOW IT HAPPENED – ROUND ONE

The Blue Devils opened the first round on hole No. 1.
Duke carded a 4-under-par, 280, and sat fourth overall following 18 holes. NC State (278), Virginia Tech (279), Boston College (279) and Duke (280) were the top four teams through Friday's action.
The Blue Devils were leading with an 8-under score late in the round, but dropped four shots over the final two holes to finish with a 280.
Both sophomore Rianne Malixi and senior Katie Li led Duke with a 2-under, 69, in round one.
Li featured a terrific start to the day as she birdied four out of her first five holes and was 4-under early. She had her putter working at the start as she rolled in birdie putts on No. 1 of 12 feet, No. 3 of 13 feet and drained a 28-footer on No. 4 for birdie. Li reached the fifth green in two as she used her 5-iron from 198 yards to 45 feet and 2-putted for birdie. She dropped shots on No. 7 and No. 9, while playing the final nine holes at even par with seven pars, a 5-foot birdie on No. 16 and a bogey on No. 17. She hit 15 greens on the day.
One of three Blue Devils to birdie the opening hole, Rianne Malixi rolled in a 6-foot birdie at the start. She reached 2-under after rolling in an 8-footer for birdie on No. 5. She suffered a bogey on No. 6 and then connected on a 10-footer for birdie on No. 9 to make the turn with a 2-under, 33. She played her final nine holes at even par with seven pars, a 6-foot birdie on No. 12 and a bogey on No. 14 to finish with a 69. She hit 11 fairways and 14 greens, while registering two up-and-downs.
Duke rookie Martina Navarro Navarro carded her best round as a Blue Devil as she signed for an even-par, 71. A product of Alicante, Spain, Navarro Navarro had a bogey-free round through 17 holes. She reached the No. 5 green in two and 2-putted for birdie. Navarro Navarro parred the next seven holes and then hit her pitching wedge to seven feet for birdie. She reached 3-under for the day on the 368-yard, par-4 No. 16 as she hit her 50-degree wedge to seven feet and sank another birdie. Navarro Navarro suffered a triple-bogey on No. 18 to finish with a 71. She hit 14 greens and 10 fairways.
Avery McCrery also registered an even-par, 71, to go along with a team-best five birdies, tying for the team lead. She rolled in a 20-footer for birdie on the 160-yard, par-3 first hole, but suffered a bogey on No. 3. McCrery came back to collect back-to-back birdies on No. 4 and No. 5. She stuck her 48-degree wedge to four feet on No. 4 and made a 6-foot birdie on No. 5 to get to 1-under. After dropping shots on No. 7, No. 9 and No. 11, McCrery reeled off back-to-back birdies once again. She drained a 5-foot birdie on No. 12 and placed her 8-iron on No. 13 to a foot from 133 yards away for birdie. She closed with four pars and a bogey on No. 16. She had a team-best 28 putts on the day.
Rookie Mia Hammond opened her round with five pars and then suffered a bogey on No. 6. She responded in a big way hitting her pitching wedge on No. 7 from 117 yards to six feet and sank the birdie to get back to even. On the par-5 eighth, Hammond hit her approach into the greenside bunker and got up-and-down for birdie to get in the red. She bogeyed No. 10 and then holed out on No. 11 from the bunker just short of the green. Hammond closed with six pars and a double bogey on No. 13 to finish with a 1-over, 72. She hit 14 greens and 12 fairways.

NOTES

Duke's 11-under, 841, is the lowest score for the Blue Devils at the Tar Heel Invitational since 2018 (-14).
Duke led the field with a 4.02 scoring average on par-4 holes and 4.78 average on par-5 holes. The Blue Devils were 13-under-par on par-5 holes over the 54 holes.
Martina Navarro Navarro registered her first collegiate even-par score Friday in the first round and her second in the final round.
Rianne Malixi led the field with a 7-under score on par-5 holes and was tied for second with 14 birdies among the field.
Malixi collected three rounds in the 60s and now owns 13 in 11 career tournaments. She notched her sixth career top-five finish.
Mia Hammond posted her third and fourth career rounds in the 60s and totaled her third top-20 finish in three events. She had 12 birdies in the event.
Duke shot 7-under on par-5 holes in round one to rank second among the field and led the field through 36 holes with a 12-under ledger.
The Blue Devils' 20 birdies in round one ranked tied for first and 36 birdies through 36 holes led the field. Duke finished with 56 birdies on the weekend, which is a season high.
Duke has won the Tar Heel Invitational title 18 times – 2026, 2024, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2007, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 and 1988.

QUOTES

"We had four seasons in one tournament, with temps around 90 down to the 40s. And the team handled the wind and rain well. It blew hardest as the day went on today and that's when they seemed to play their best. I'm really proud of the way they handled the elements." -- Duke head coach Dan Brooks

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