Amanda Blumenherst

Amanda Blumenherst (born November 4, 1986) is an American amateur golfer who currently plays for Duke University. Blumenherst, who will be a senior during the 2008-09 academic year, has helped Duke to two NCAA Championships in 2006 and 2007. She has been the NCAA Player of the Year each of her three seasons at Duke and on August 10, 2008, defeated Azahara Muñoz of Spain, 2 and 1, in to win the 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship at Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Oregon.

High School and early life

Blumenherst was born in Scottsdale, Arizona, and began playing golf at the age of four. She attended high school at Xavier Prep in Phoenix, where she was a four time Rolex All-American and was the third ranked national recruit as a senior. She led Xavier Prep to the 5A state championships for four straight years. She holds Arizona's 5A High School Girl's Golf State Tournament record with a score of 69-66=135 (-9). After graduating in 2005, she chose Duke over perennial Pac-10 powerhouses, and chose to major in history.

College career

2005-06 (Freshman)

Blumenherst was named the National Freshman of the Year by numerous publications. She had the lowest stroke average by a Duke freshman, 71.62. She became just the second freshman golfer at Duke to win her first collegiate tournament. She set a Duke freshman record with a 54-hole total of 208 at the Mason Rudolph Championship.

2006-07 (Sophomore)

She was named the NGCA National Player of the Year for the second year in a row. She won the Golfstat Cup joining only LPGA great Lorena Ochoa as the only two-time winners. She set a school-record 71.00 stroke average. She tied an NCAA record with a nine-under-par, 63, at the NCAA East Regionals.

2007-08 (Junior)

Blumenherst won her second consecutive Honda Sports Award for golf as the best collegiate female golfer, which puts her in the running for the Honda-Broderick Cup award as the collegiate Female Athlete of the Year. She was named the ACC Player of the Year for the third consecutive year. She owns 30 career top 10 finishes. She won her third straight individual ACC championship in Daytona Beach, Florida. She finished fifth in the nation at the individual NCAA championships. She helped her squad to a second place finish at the NCAA East regional and a third place national finish.

Tours

In 2008, she finished 30^th at the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship, and in 2006 and 2008 helped the United States win the Curtis Cup, most recently in 2008, helping them win 13-7 over Great Britain. In the summer of 2007, she finished tied for 50^th at the U.S. Women's Open and was one of four amateurs to make the cut. She advanced to the second round of match play at the WAPL. At the North and South Women's Amateur, she made it through to the semifinals of match play and was the runner-up at the 2007 U.S. Women's Amateur, falling 1 up to Maria José Uribe of Colombia in 36 holes. On August 10, 2008, she defeated Azahara Muñoz of Spain, 2 and 1, to win the 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur.

Collegiate Awards

*2008 U.S. Women's Amateur Champion
*Three time NGCA National Player of the Year (2006-08)
*Two time Nancy Lopez Award winner (2007-08)
*Two time Honda Sports Award winner for golf (2007-08)
*Two time Golfstat Cup winner (2006-07)
*Three time NGCA First Team All-American (2006-08)
*Three time "Golf Week" First Team All-American (2006-08)
*Three time ACC Player of the Year (2006-08)
*Three time ACC First Team (2006-08)
*2008 "Golf World" Player of the Mid-Year
*2008 "ESPN The Magazine" Academic All-District III
*2007 "Golf Week" National Player of the Year
*2007 NGCA Scholar All-American
*2007 "ESPN The Magazine" Academic All-American
*2006 Honda Sports Award nominee for golf
*2006 NGCA National Freshman of the Year
*2006 "Golf Week" National Freshman of the Year
*2006 Edith Cummings Munson Golf Award winner
*2006 ACC Freshman of the Year

High School Awards

*Four Time Rolex Junior All-American
*Two time Arizona 5A State Player of the Year (2003-04)
*2005 Arizona Female H.S. Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year
*2004 Phoenix Women’s Sports Association H.S. Scholar-Athlete of the Year

External links

* [http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22564&SPID=1838&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=153303&Q_SEASON=2007 Blumenherst biography at GoDuke.com]
* [http://www.theacc.com/sports/w-golf/spec-rel/062607aaa.html Amanda Blumenherst Q&A]