Duke sweeps the titles in North Carolina
Duke University's women's golf team won the 2026 Landfall Tradition on October 23–25 at the Country Club of Landfall's Dye Course in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States. The Blue Devils posted a three-round team total of 869 strokes (+5) to beat joint runners-up Wake Forest and South Carolina, each on 877 (+13), by eight. Duke sophomore Rianne Malixi secured the individual title at 204 (−12) over 54 holes.
The distinction between venue, team affiliation and nationality matters. This was a US college event in North Carolina, won by a university from the same state. The individual champion, however, is from Manila, Philippines.
Duke's team victory: 286, 290, 293
Duke's scores of 286, 290 and 293 added to 869, delivering its sixth Landfall Tradition team championship and first since 2023. Eighteen college teams competed. Only the best four scores from each five-player team counted each day, so the 869-stroke team total must not be directly compared with Malixi's individual 204.
Final team top five: Duke — 869 (+5); Wake Forest and South Carolina — 877 (+13) each; Florida State — 886 (+22); SMU — 887 (+23). Duke led by six entering the final round and finished eight ahead.
The Blue Devils had also won the Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational a week earlier. Duke Athletics said this was the program's first pair of successive fall tournament wins since October 2018.
Malixi's record 64 and final-hole chip-in
Malixi recorded 68, 64 and 72 for 204 (−12). Her second-round 64 (−8) set a Landfall Tradition tournament record; a back-nine 30 (−6) was central to that performance. She began the final round ten strokes clear of the field.
Strong winds tested the players on Sunday. Malixi dropped strokes but still closed with an even-par 72, chipping directly into the hole for a birdie at No. 18. The shot was a hole-out, not a hole-in-one: she did not hole the ball with her first stroke from the teeing area.
Macy Pate, of Wake Forest, finished second at 213 (−3), nine behind the winner. Cathryn Brown (Kentucky) and Eila Galitsky (South Carolina) shared third at 216 (even par). Duke's Katie Li tied for fifth at 217 (+1).
Why this result matters
Malixi dominated the individual leaderboard, but Duke's team success depended on contributions across the lineup. Li also finished in the top five, and the four-counting-scores format rewarded consistency across several golfers. UNC Wilmington hosted the event at Country Club of Landfall.
Landfall Tradition concluded Duke's fall 2026–27 season. Its next scheduled tournament is the Sea Best Intercollegiate in Florida on January 25–26, 2027.
Verified sources: Duke Athletics official report (October 25), UNC Athletics (October 25), AmateurGolf.com results (October 25).
