Duke WGOLF: Four Blue Devils Named All-ACC; Maguire Earns Player of the Year

 

Four Blue Devils Named All-ACC; Maguire Earns Player of the Year

May 11, 2017

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Atlantic Coast Conference announced the 2017 All-ACC Women's Golf Team and individual awards Thursday with four Duke University Blue Devils earning honours, while junior Leona Maguire was named ACC Player of the Year for the second time in her career, following a vote of the 12 league's head coaches.

Duke, which captured its 20th ACC Championship in April and is coming off a second place finish at the NCAA Albuquerque Regional, featured senior Sandy Choi, junior Gurbani Singh, sophomore Virginia Elena Carta and Maguire on the All-ACC team.  The Blue Devils and Florida State each led the league with four selections on the 15-member squad.

A native of Cavan, Ireland, Maguire became this sixth Blue Devil to earn multiple ACC Player of the Year honors as she also won the award as a freshman in 2014-15.  She joined the company of Lindy Duncan, Amanda Blumenherst, Beth Bauer and Jenny Chuasiriporn. 

Maguire is currently having one of the best seasons in Duke and NCAA history sporting a 70.0 stroke average to go along with three victories and nine top 10 finishes.  Her 70.0 stroke average is currently one of the lowest in NCAA history and would be a new ACC record if the season ended today. 

Maguire is currently the No. 1 ranked golfer in Golfweek Individual rankings and in the World Amateur rankings.  She received All-ACC accolades for the third straight season.  She claimed the ACC Individual title in April for the second time in her career with a six-under-par, 210. 

Choi, a senior from Seoul, South Korea, was named All-ACC for the third consecutive season, after registering a 73.52 stroke average entering the NCAA Championship.  She has collected three top-five finishes on the year, including a season-best tied fourth placement at the ACC Championship.  Choi turned in rounds of 71, 73 and 71 for a one-under-par, 215, in Pawleys Island, S.C.  It marked her second top-five finish in the ACC Championship over her career.  Choi will enter the NCAA Championship ranked 74th nationally. 

For the second straight year, Carta was voted All-ACC with a 72.72 stroke average and is coming off a tied 18^th finish at the NCAA Regional in Albuquerque, N.M.  Carta, who hails from Udine, Italy, featured a season-best second place finish at the LSU Tiger Golf Classic with a six-under-par, 210, and tied for 17^th at the ACC Championship.  The reigning NCAA Individual Champion, Carta is currently ranked 63rd in the Golfweek ledger. 

Singh, a junior from New Delhi, India, received All-ACC accolades for the first time in her career, after totaling a career-best 72.81 stroke average with three top 10 and five top 20 finishes.  She tied for 17^th at the ACC Championship and registered a tied sixth placement at both the Tar Heel Invitational and Darius Rucker Intercollegiate.  In the latest Golfweek rankings, Singh is listed 59th.

Louisville's Lauren Hartlage was named the ACC Freshman of the Year and Florida's State' Amy Bond was selected ACC Coach of the Year. 

On Wednesday, Duke finished second in the NCAA Albuquerque Regional to earn its 29^th selection in the NCAA Championship, which will take place May 19-24 at Rich Harvest Farm in Sugar Grove, Ill.  The Blue Devils have collected three team wins on the season and have finished no lower than second over the last five stroke play events.