Erica Shepherd, a Duke sophomore from Greenwood, Indiana, owns two USGA titles. Now, she owns a college title, too. Shepherd turned in rounds of 69-70-70 at the Gamecock Intercollegiate for a 7-under 209 total that left her with her first first collegiate title. Shepherd led the field with 14 birdies, five of which came in the final round.
Shepherd’s performance was instrumental in Duke’s win as a team. The Blue Devils finished three shots ahead of fellow ACC power Wake Forest.
Entering the Gamecock Intercollegiate, Shepherd had competed in seven college tournaments and totaled five rounds of even or under par while posting one top-5 finish. She now has a third-place and first-place finish in two tournaments in 2021. The ACC did not compete in the fall season.
“After being in contention last week, it feels really good to come out on top,” said Shepherd. “I had a few things from the last tournament that I wanted to sharpen up, which I did and just those few adjustments allowed me to play some pretty good golf this weekend. I saw a lot of putts drop the last three days and I hope to carry that confidence into the rest of the season. Winning a college tournament this spring was a big goal of mine, so I am really proud of that but I’m even more proud of how our team came together and got the win. All of the girls on the team learned from the last tournament and came ready to play to win this weekend and it’s just special to be a part of.”
Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Women’s team | Women’s individual
College golf blog: The Road to Grayhawk