Blue Devils Open NCAA Championship in Fourth Place

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Duke turned in one of the strongest opening rounds in the field Friday, carding a 2-under-par 286 to sit tied for fourth place after the first day of the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa.

Competing against a 30-team national championship field on the par-72, 7,538-yard North Course, the Blue Devils were one of only nine teams to finish under par through 18 holes. Duke trails leader UCLA (-8) and sits within striking distance of the top of the team leaderboard heading into Saturday's second round.

Senior Ethan Evans and junior Bryan Kim paced the Blue Devils with matching 1-under-par 71s and are tied for 25th individually. Senior William Love and sophomore Ollie Mukherjee each added even-par 72s, while senior Daniel Choi rounded out Duke's scoring with a 74.

The Blue Devils generated 20 birdies during the opening round, the second-highest total among all teams in the field, and were the only squad to play the course's par-4 holes under par.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Starting on the 10th tee, Duke came out firing as Mukherjee eagled the 355-yard par-4 11th hole, his second hole of the day.
The Blue Devils quickly climbed the leaderboard and were 5-under par as a team through their opening five holes.
After encountering trouble at the par-5 18th, where Duke surrendered five strokes to the field, the Blue Devils responded immediately. Each of Duke's top four scorers birdied the first hole after making the turn to the front side.
Duke continued to gain ground late in the round, playing holes five and six at a combined 4-under par. The Blue Devils remained firmly among the tournament leaders before giving back five strokes over the final three holes.

NOTES

Duke was one of nine teams to post an under-par score during Friday's opening round.
Mukherjee's eagle on the par-4 11th hole was his fourth of the season, tying him for the team lead.
The Blue Devils played the par-4 holes in 2-under par, making them the only team in the championship field to finish under par on par 4s.
Mukherjee and Kim each played the par-4s in 2-under par, tying for sixth among all competitors.
Duke's 20 birdies ranked second among all teams after the opening round, trailing only UCLA's 21.

UP NEXT

Duke returns to action Saturday for the second round of the NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa.
The Blue Devils will tee off from the first hole alongside Louisville and UCLA beginning at 12:45 p.m. PT.
Babygrande Golf will continue its live-stream coverage throughout the championship, while live scoring is available through Scoreboard powered by Clippd.

For more information on Duke men's golf, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching @DukeMGOLF.

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