Carta helps Duke remain atop the leaderboard in Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational

   Despite a score that was 19 shots worse that its sizzling opening round, Duke increased its lead to eight shots Saturday after two rounds of the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational at the University of North Carolina Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, N.C.

   The reigning two-time Atlantic Coast Conference champion Blue Devils had opened with a 17-under 271 over the 6,379-yard, par-72 Finley layout in Friday’s opening round, but backed off with a 2-over 290 Saturday for a 15-under 561 total.

   But the Finley layout seemed to play a lot tougher Saturday and nobody was able to make a big move on the Blue Devils. Their ACC rival, Virginia, remained in second place at 7-under 569 after adding a 4-over 292 to its strong opening-round 277.

   Reigning Southeast Conference champion Arkansas did sneak up the leaderboard into third place as the Razorbacks added a 1-under 287 to their opening round of 3-under 285 for a 4-under 572 total that left them just three shots behind Virginia and 11 behind the front-running Blue Devils.

   Another ACC power, Wake Forest, behind individual leader Emilia Migliaccio, a sophomore from Cary, N.C., matched Arkansas for the low round of the day, carding a 1-under 287 that got the Demon Deacons into fourth place at even-par 576. They had opened with a 1-over 289.

   South Carolina, which fell to Arkansas in the SEC’s match-play title match last spring, matched par with a 288 and moved into fifth place at 2-over 578. The Gamecocks had opened with a 2-over 290 Friday.

   North Carolina and Brynn Walker, a two-time PIAA Class AAA champion at Radnor, couldn’t make any headway on its home course as the Tar Heels are tied for 10^th in the loaded 18-team field with reigning two-time Big Ten champion Michigan State at 17-over 563.

   North Carolina improved by just a shot from its opening-round 297 with an 8-over 296.

    Duke was led by Virginia Elena Carta, a senior from Italy who was the NCAA individual champion as a freshman in the spring of 2016. Carta carded a 2-under 70 after opening with a 68 and is in second place in the individual chase at 6-under 138, three shots behind Migliaccio.

   Backing up Carta for Duke was Ana Belec, a junior from Slovenia who cooled off a little from her opening-round 68 with an even-par 72 and is tied for sixth at 4-under 140.

   Jaravee Boonchant, a sophomore from Thailand, had grabbed the opening-round lead with a sizzling 6-under 66, but fell back with a 76. She remained in the top 10 in the individual standings as her 2-under 142 left her in the group tied for ninth.

   Miranda Wang, a redshirt sophomore from China, also had a 4-over 76 after opening with a 69 and is in the group tied for 20^th at 1-over 145.

   The Blue Devils got a big boost from freshman Gina Kim, playing in her home town of Chapel Hill. Kim struggled in the opening round with a 79, but matched par with a 72 Saturday to pick up the team. Her round left her among the group tied for 56^th at 151.

   Migliaccio was part of a spectacularly talented freshman class all over the country a year ago and she has picked up right where she left off. On a day when many players in a field that includes Migliaccio’s teammate Jennifer Kupcho, the reigning NCAA individual champion and the No. 1 player in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), and Arkansas’ Maria Fassi, the reigning Annika Award winner, struggled, Migliaccio fired a 4-under 68, the low round of the day. Combined with her opening-round 67, it left Migliaccio at 9-under 135, three shots clear of Carta.

   Kupcho had a 3-over 75 and is tied for 25^th at 2-over 146 while Fassi creeped up the leaderboard with a 2-under 70 that left her just outside the top 10 in the group tied for 11^th at 1-under 143.

   A talented trio of senior standouts that includes Virginia’s Anna Redding of Concord, N.C., Arkansas’ Dylan Kim of Plano, Texas and Furman’s Haylee Hanford of Leavittsburg, Ohio are tied for third at 5-under 139. Redding and Kim each added a 1-under 71 to their respective opening rounds of 4-under 68 while Harford matched par with a 72 Saturday after opening with a 5-under 67.

   Also in the tie for sixth with Duke’s Belac at 4-under 140 was South Carolina’s Lois Kaye Go, a junior from the Philippines. All systems were Go for the Gamecock standout as she carded a 3-under 69 after opening with a 71.

   Arkansas’ Cara Gorlei, a senior from South Africa, is alone in eighth place at 3-under 141. Gorlei matched par with a 72 after opening with a 3-under 69.

   North Carolina was led by Jennifer Zhou, a freshman from China who added a 1-under 71 to her opening round of 73 and is in the group tied for 15^th at even-par 144.

   Senior leader Kelly Whaley of Farmington, Conn. added a 74 to her opening-round 72 and is in the group tied for 25^th at 2-over 146. Zhou’s fellow freshman, Nicole Lu of Taiwan, added a 73 to her opening-round 74 and is in the group tied for 32^nd at 3-over 147.

   Walker, who plays out of St. Davids Golf Club, continued to struggle on her college home course, carding a second straight 78 that left her among the group tied for 76^th at 156. Rounding out the North Carolina lineup was Mariana Ocano, a junior from St. Petersburg, Fla. who added a 79 to her opening-round 78 and is tied for 78^th at 157.

   Ava Bergner, a sophomore from Germany, is competing as an individual. She carded a solid 1-over 73 after opening with a 75 and is among the group tied for 40^th at 4-over 148 as she makes her bid to return to North Carolina’s first five.

   Also competing as individuals for North Carolina were Rashnee Sharma, a junior from Charlotte, N.C. who is among the group tied for 91^st at 160 after a second straight  80, and Clementina Rodriguez, a senior from Venezuela who is in 96^th place at 176 after posting an 81.