Maguire helps Duke stay ahead of the pack in Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational

   Duke put a little distance between itself and some very talented chasers with a brilliant 17-under 271 Saturday to take a 10-shot lead after two rounds of a loaded Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational at the University of North Carolina’s Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, N.C.

   Duke’s Leona Maguire, a senior from Ireland, looked like the No. 1 player in the Women’s World  Amateur Golf Ranking that she is with a 6-under-par 66 over the 6,739-yard, par-72 Tom Fazio design at Finley to take a two-shot lead in the individual standings at 9-under 135.

   North Carolina sophomore Brynn Walker, a two-time PIAA Class AAA champion at Radnor, is where she belongs – under par – after two rounds as she added a 2-under 70 to her opening-round 71 and is tied for 15^th at 3-under 141.

   More importantly, Walker helped the Tar Heels card a 5-under 283 that has them tied for fifth with their rivals from Raleigh, North Carolina State, at 4-under 572.

   That’s not bad considering the four teams ahead of the Tar Heels and the Wolfpack might be four of the best teams in women’s college golf right now.

   The reigning ACC champion Blue Devils had held a one-shot lead after opening with a 5-under 283 Friday. Their 271 Saturday leaves them at 22-under 554.

   Alabama, No. 2 in the latest Golfweek rankings, fired a 9-under 279 and is 10 shots behind Duke at 12-under 564. South Carolina added a 7-under 281 to is opening round of 4-under 284 and is third at 11-under 565.

   Then came red-hot Arkansas, a deserving No. 1 team in the country. Maria Fassi, a junior from Mexico, fired a sensational 7-under 65 Saturday to help the Razorbacks match Alabama’s 9-under 279 and move into fourth alone at 9-under 567.

   It’s another five shots back to host North Carolina and N.C. State tied for fifth at 572.

   Backing up Maguire for the Blue Devils was Virginia Elena Carta, the junior from Italy who won the 2016 NCAA title and was the 2016 runnerup in the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Rolling Green Golf Club. Carta added a 4-under 68 to her opening-round 71 to join a group of five players tied for fifth at 5-under 139.

   Jaravee Boonchant, Duke’s talented freshman from Thailand, is tied for 10^th at 4-under 140 after firing a 4-under 68. Ana Belac, a sophomore from Slovenia, gave Duke its fourth under-par counter with a 3-under 69 that left her tied for 21^st at 2-under 142. Miranda Wang, a redshirt freshman from China, had a 3-over 75 and is tied for 40^th at 2-over 146.

   North Carolina was led, as it has been all fall, by Ava Bergner, a freshman from Germany. Bergner carded her second straight 2-under 70 and is in the group along with Duke’s Boonchant tied for 10^th at 4-under 140. Walker is another shot behind Bergner in the group tied for 15^th at 3-under 141.

   Kelly Whaley, a junior from Farmington, Conn., matched par with a 72 and is tied for 40^th at 2-over 146. Bryana Nguyen, a senior from Columbia, Md., posted a 73 and is tied for 48^th at 3-over 147. North Carolina’s fourth counter, though, came from Mariana Ocano, a sophomore from St. Petersburg, Fla. who bounced back from an opening-round 81 with a solid 1-under 71 that left her tied for 73^rd at 152.

   South Carolina’s Ainhoa Olarra, a senior from Spain, is alone in second  place in the individual race at 7-under 137, two shots behind Maguire, after firing a 5-under 67.

   But the low round of the day belonged to Fassi, who had opened with a 1-over 73, but came roaring back with that 65 to get a share of third at 8-under 138.

   She was joined at that figure by Virginia’s Anna Redding, a junior from Concord, N.C. Redding, a perennial contender in the Women’s North & South Amateur at the Pinehurst Resort, always seems to save her best stuff for her home state. She added a 4-under 68 to her opening-round 70.

   Another talented North Carolinian, Wake Forest’s freshman phenom Emilia Migliaccio of Cary, N.C., joined Duke’s Carta in the group tied for fifth at 5-under 139. Migliaccio added a 2-under 70 to her opening-round 69.

   Migliaccio’s teammate, junior Jennifer Kupcho, the Westminster, Colo. resident who is No. 2 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking, is also in the group at 139. She had opened with a flawless 66, but fell back with a 1-over 73.

   The other first-round co-leader, Louisville’s Molly Skapik, a senior from Miamisburg, Ohio, couldn’t sustain her momentum from an opening-round 66 either and also had a 1-over 73.

   Last but not least in that quintet tied for fifth was Michigan State’s Sarah Burnham, a senior from Maple Grove, Minn. Burnham added a 2-under 70 to her opening-round 69 to get to 5-under 139.

   The scene is set for some serious final-round fireworks Sunday.