The Duke women’s golf team is back on the road this week, heading to Glencoe, Illinois, for the Windy City Collegiate Classic at Lake Shore Country Club on Oct. 5-6.
The sixth-ranked Blue Devils are part of a loaded field that also includes Purdue, Virginia, Tulsa, Northwestern, Iowa State, Arizona State, Stanford, Columbia, Oregon, Arizona and Illinois.
Duke has reason to like this event. A year ago, the Blue Devils came away as co-champions after finishing the 54-hole tournament tied with host Northwestern at 13-under-par 851. Duke posted rounds of 283, 287 and 281 to claim the share of the title and give head coach Dan Brooks the 145th win of his career.
This will be Duke’s 10th appearance in the Windy City Collegiate Classic.
The Blue Devils’ lineup features senior Katie Li, junior Carla De Troia, junior Anna Cañado Espinal, sophomore Avery McCrery and freshman Mia Hammond. Rianne Malixi will not play after competing in the Asian Games in Japan.
Several of those names already have strong history at this event. Li tied for sixth last year, Cañado Espinal tied for fourth and McCrery tied for 18th.
Duke enters the tournament after opening the 2026 regular season at the Folds of Honor Collegiate in Michigan, where it finished third. The Blue Devils made a late push and ended up just two strokes behind the winner.
Hammond, from New Albany, Ohio, impressed in her collegiate debut by winning the individual title with rounds of 70, 71 and 69 for a 6-under 210. Li also delivered, tying for third with a final-round 68.
The tournament format calls for 36 holes Monday and the final 18 on Tuesday. Duke is set to tee off at 8:30 a.m. ET from hole No. 10 alongside Arizona and Oregon.
In Other News...
Duke's Newcomers Already Created The Roster Battle Fans Wanted
Dukes annual Countdown to Craziness scrimmage did exactly what fans hoped it would do: create a little early-season noise around a roster that suddenly looks a lot more interesting. The white team edged the blue team 29-24, and the event offered a first real glimpse at a mix of newcomers who already seem ready to push for minutes. Freshman Deron Rippey Jr., Patrick Ngongba and transfer John Blackwell all flashed in ways that should only sharpen the competition heading into the season.
There will be some growing pains along the way, especially for freshmen like Joaqim Boumtje Boumtje and Cameron Williams, who are still adjusting to the speed and physicality of college basketball. But that is part of the appeal of this group, too. Duke wanted roster tension, internal pressure and a reason for fans to lean in early, and the scrimmage suggested the Blue Devils may have all three before October is even over. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Season Kickoff Hinted At Two Dangerous ACC Contenders
Dukes annual Countdown to Craziness did what it is supposed to do: turn an offseason showcase into an early look at a program that expects to matter. The men and women both got their moment in front of the Cameron crowd, with Jon Scheyer and Kara Lawson front and center as the school leaned into the kind of optimism that comes after recent NCAA tournament runs and enough returning buzz to make the ACC race feel very real.
The intrigue, though, is different on each side. Scheyers group looks built to be in the national conversation again, even if it does not have an obvious singular face yet, while Lawsons team arrives with a sharper edge after her latest international success with Team USA. Between the scrimmage flashes and the coach-driven confidence, Duke left the building looking less like a school opening a season and more like one with two teams already measuring themselves against the leagues best. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Fans Got Their First Real Clue About This Roster
Dukes annual Countdown to Craziness offered the first real look at this years group inside Cameron Indoor Stadium, with the Blue-White scrimmage giving fans a chance to size up the rotation and get a feel for how the pieces fit. It was the kind of early October snapshot that does not answer every question, but it does at least start to show which players are ready to make an impression before the games count.
The scrimmage had the usual mix of energy and experimentation, and the evening ended with Team White coming out on top in the Elam ending format, thanks to a three-pointer from Deron Rippey Jr. Duke will not have long to sit on the exhibition notes, either, with a scrimmage against Belmont coming up as the next opportunity to see whether the early flashes translate into something more reliable. [Read more 🡒]