Andie Smith Maximizes Every Moment at Duke

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Andie Smith Maximizes Every Moment at Duke

5/10/2026 7:30:00 AM | Women's Golf

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Balancing elite golf and an accelerated academic path, Andie Smith has defined her Duke career through discipline, leadership and intentional choices.

By: GoDuke The Magazine

Duke golfer Andie Smith is one of those unique people who can multi-task with the best.

In the classroom, she graduated from Duke in three years with a degree in economics, while on the golf course she played college/amateur golf at the highest level, playing in the US Women’s Open, US Women’s Amateur, twice in the Augusta Women’s National Tournament and two NCAA Championship events.

She has been able to balance an incredible academic schedule with a demanding golf schedule, giving her a great understanding of the value of time.

“I knew I wanted to take finance classes coming into Duke,” explained the Hobe Sound, Florida, native. “My interest in economics was piqued in high school. I took AP Micro and AP Macro with Mr. Wick, who was my high school teacher, and he still emails me, like, once a semester about my golf, which is great. I knew I wanted to take these classes, and so coming in, I really set out a schedule of what my academic roadmap would look like.”

While she enjoyed the financial world, she also possessed a love for golf and was very good at the game. This is where the multi-tasking took effect.

“If I was really interested in a class and I knew the professor was going to be great, I would make up for it and essentially work my schedule around to make sure that I would be able to partake in our practice times,” she explained. “I had to maximize my academic times to fit with my golf practice and travel schedule.”

With a plan in place, Smith graduated in three years last May with a degree in economics along with a markets and management certificate and is now pursuing a master’s in management through Duke’s MMS: Foundations of Business program.

“I embraced that I could take on more of an academic load while still balancing the golf aspects,” said Smith, who was named to the All-ACC golf team in 2025.

“Andie is special,” said veteran head coach Dan Brooks. “I say this for a few important reasons. First off, she’s a natural leader — leading by example, on and off the golf course, in every way. By graduating in three years, Andie gained an ‘extra senior year,’ essentially, this past season, and absolutely stepped up and helped lead our team. Second, she was blessed with abundant energy, passion and intelligence. No one fills up a day like Andie Smith.

“Third, no one explores options and makes thoughtful choices like Andie — sometimes even when convincing her coach is part of that process. Graduating in three years and pursuing an MMS is an example. Andie has been such a selfless leader that I haven’t minded bending for her when possible. It’s been loads of fun having her passion and leadership on our team.”

While she excelled in the classroom, Smith has always excelled on the golf course as well. In high school she captured six AJGA tournaments

Smith loves being a part of the Duke golf family and finds carrying a Blue Devil golf bag to be something very special.

“I think in one word, it’s an honor,” said the first Duke women’s golfer to graduate in three years. ”I think being able to represent Duke on the golf course, we begin to see how tight-knit the Duke University community is, whether it’s spectators coming up to me and saying ‘Go Duke’ or ‘I was class of 87,’ or class of 60-something, and they’re always there to help you and lend a helping hand.

“On the golf course, being able to carry that Duke bag, being able to play for a coach that has seven national championships, it’s something that every kid looks forward to growing up, saying I want to play for that team, I want to represent that legacy.”

And playing for the coach who made the program legendary can be intimidating, Smith admitted.

“What’s it like playing for a guy that’s a legend himself?” she began to explain. “I mean, when you look at him from the outside in, it is this incredibly successful man on a pedestal and being at the forefront of women’s golf for 40-something years now. And really, I mean, honestly, at first glance, he is intimidating. And, oh, it’s Dan Brooks, you know? But when you get to know him and you get to realize how supportive he is and how encouraging he is of his players, it was a no-brainer to commit for him and to play for him and to be on his team for the past four years.”

She has used the knowledge of a veteran coach like Brooks, talent and hard work to become one of the top women’s collegiate golfers.

“I’ve developed into a player that I’m proud of and made leaps and strides in my game, both physically and mentally, where I wouldn’t be without Coach Brooks and Coach Whithaus,” said the three-time ACC Academic and Honor Roll selection. “What’s it like with him? Because he’s been around for so long, and I hate to bring this up, but when you shoot 68 and when you shoot 81, what’s he like? Is that the guy who helps you both ways? Yeah, yeah, he is.

“I think the great thing about Coach Brooks, whether we have a great day or a bad day, he’s always there to pick out the positives, and he’s there to tell us when something’s not our level. He’s there to tell us. But it comes from a place of love,” she continued. “It comes from a place of encouragement that he knows that we can do it, and he knows that we can make the switch going into the next hole or the next round to get better.”

For the second year in a row, Smith was invited to the prestigious Augusta Women’s National but missed qualifying for the final round by just a few strokes. But afterward she was still able to walk the hallowed ground of Augusta National Golf Club and play a practice round with her teammates and her family.

Last year she played with Phoebe Brinker and Avery McCreary, this year Rianne Malixi and her brother, Jackson, carrying her bag.

“After missing a chance to play in the final round, the whole goal of that day was to just enjoy every minute of it,” said Smith, who walked off the final hole each time with a huge grin on her face. “I got to play with my teammate and I got to walk down the fairway with my brother. It’s just something that we’ve always talked about — going to Augusta National one day, and here I was playing the golf course.”

Last year she topped the day off with a hole-in-one on No. 8 of the par-3 course.

“I think the best piece of advice that I received about playing golf, with it being an individual sport but on a team, was the best way that you can help your team is being selfish,” said Smith. “And what that means to me is that when it’s time to go and compete, I am fully focused on my process and my routine and my shots, and that’s the best way that I can help my team so that at the end of the round I can contribute well to my team score.”

April and May are whirlwind times for women’s college golf. ACC Championship, US Open qualifying and of course final exams in the classroom.

“I think it’s something that we as Duke student-athletes are better off than the rest of the schools because we’ve been grinding and balancing everything for the entire year maintaining our golf and then also staying on top of our academics,” she explained. “That’s where we’re able to get an advantage, and I think we train so well for that, and we encourage each other and uplift each other when we have exams coming up. You can tell your teammates’ stress. We’re there to lift each other up and make sure that they still get a laugh in and they’re still having fun or goofing around or watching a funny movie or whatever it is. That’s perfect.”

Down the road Smith knows that she will be able to look back on these years at Duke with pride and smile at what she was able to accomplish.

“I think looking back ten, 20 years from now, it’s going to be really cool to say I played in the US Open or I played at Augusta National,” she said. “I got to represent my team at the National Championship and compete for Duke University.

“I think those are all things that I’m going to take with me for the rest of my life. And like how everybody says that golf is the game of a lifetime, and we are just gifted such an incredible opportunity to be able to compete on such a stage that Duke has, a national stage, and compete against the best players in the world at every event. Looking back in the future, I think it’s something that I’m going to take to heart and just cherish it.”

This story originally appeared in the 17.9 issue of GoDuke The Magazine. Dedicated to sharing the stories of Duke student-athletes, present and past, GoDuke The Magazine is published for Duke Athletics by LEARFIELD with editorial offices at 3100 Tower Blvd., Suite 404, Durham, NC 27707. To subscribe, join the Iron Dukes or call (336) 831-0767.