May 21, 2002

AUBURN, WASH.-- The top-ranked Duke women's golf team turned in a six-over-par 294 on Tuesday in the first round of the NCAA Championship at the Washington National Golf Club and head into Wednesday's action in tied for second place. Arizona leads the competition with a three-under-par score of 285 with Duke (294), Georgia (294), Auburn (298), California (298), Florida (298), South Carolina (298) and Wake Forest (298) round out the top eight teams.

Blue Devil freshman Virada Nirapathpongporn leads the individual competition after firing a bogey-free round of 68. The Bangkok, Thailand native registered birdies on holes four, six, 12 and 15. Nirapathpongporn leads the individual race by one stroke over Summer Sirmons (69). Only 13 players turned in sub-par scores on Tuesday, which was cloudy with occasional rain.

The defending individual champion, Candy Hannemann, was even through the first 15 holes before going in the water on holes 16 and 17 to drop three strokes. The Rio de Janeiro, Brazil product finished with a 75 with two birdies, three bogies and one double-bogey on hole 16. Freshman Niloufar Aazam-Zanganeh (Lausanne, Switzerland) posted a 75 as she tied with a team-best four birdies on the day. Both Hannemann and Aazam-Zanganeh are tied for 43rd individually.

Sophomore Leigh Anne Hardin (Martinsville, Ind.) finished with a 76 and junior Kristina Engstrom (Djursholm, Sweden) struggled with an 83.

Duke will tee off beginning at 8:00 AM on the 10th tee on Wednesday looking to make up some ground on Arizona. (team ranking listed is by Golf World)

Duke Individual Results

Virada Nirapathpongporn   68 (-4, 1st)
Candy Hannemann           75 (+3, T43rd)
Niloufar Aazam-Zanganeh  75 (+3, T43rd)
Leigh Anne Hardin             76 (+4, T55th)
Kristina Engstrom             83 (+11, T122nd)

Duke Notes
- The Blue Devils had 12 birdies on the day, but also had 16 bogies, three double-bogies and two triple bogies
- Both triple-bogies came on hole three by Hardin and Engstrom.
- Duke's best hole was 15 with three birdies
- The trio of Engstrom, Hannemann and Aazam-Zanganeh all bogied hole five and 17
- Duke's Hannemann and Nirapathpongporn each have relatives that traveled great distances to watch their children play this week. Hannemann's parents Lutz and Lu came have been in the U.S. since May 10 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Nirapathpongporn's father, Dr. Apichart, came from Bangkok, Thailand.

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