Duke battled through illness and injury during its midweek trip to the West Coast. Despite these challenges, the Blue Devils scrapped for an eighth-place finish among some of the best teams in the country.

Back for its first action of 2025, the Duke men’s golf team posted a total score of 864 to secure eighth place at the Southwestern Invitational in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Despite posting an undesirable 12-over 296 in the first round, head coach Jamie Green’s squad improved over the next two rounds to remain at 12-over by the time their scorecards were turned in on the final day.

“We were pleased that we got through each tournament round without really shooting ourselves in the foot,” Green said. “Truth be told, I’d probably give us about a B.”

Three Blue Devils finished even or better during the final round, headlined by senior Kelly Chinn, who finished with a 3-under 68 when all was said and done. In a feat reflective of a broader trend within the team, Chinn overcame flu-like symptoms to perform at his best level when the lights were brightest.

“He was one of the guys that had the most severe cold symptoms and virus symptoms,” Green said of Chinn’s condition. “That last day to pull his boots up and put together a very solid round that helped our team maintain where we were, that’s a highlight.”

Chinn wasn’t the only Duke golfer struggling physically. The team as a whole was plagued by illness, and senior Luke Sample was also playing through an injury to his shoulder.

“Luke [had] a muscular injury that really incapacitated him for a couple of days; he couldn’t play the practice round,” Green said.

Despite the setback, Sample managed to shoot a solid 3-over for the tournament, good for a respectable 26th-place finish individually.

The team lineup will return to action March 8-10, traveling to Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., for The Hayt.