DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — Under bright blue skies and in the warmth of the North Carolina May sunshine, Duke junior Andie Smith wraps her finger slowly, methodically, gripping her club – a sleek extension of her intent. Her eyes fixated on the white ball resting delicately on the tee mere inches away from her feet.
Time slows as she begins her backswing, her body twisting slowly, hips turning, shoulders winding. Then, in one rapid, yet planned, motion, she brings the club down and the crisp crack of impact comes with it. In the silence and calm of the greens, it’s displaced and jarring, yet to Andie, it’s familiar and calming. The sound of her childhood.
Andie Smith first picked up a golf club at the tender age of three.
“My dad played golf growing up and it was always just a family affair,” Smith said. “We would always just go out on the golf course, have fun playing holes.”
Those fun family outings quickly turned into a lifelong passion, and by seven, Andie was competing seriously. By the time she competed in her first American Junior Golf Association tournament, she realized not only was golf her past, but it could have a place in her future, too.
“Seeing what it’s all about and seeing all these college golf coaches recruiting, I realized that’s where I want to be,” Smith recalled, “I want to be playing at one of the best schools in the country.”
That dream became reality when she was offered a scholarship to play for the Duke University Women’s Golf Team, where she not only achieved her dream of playing collegiate golf at an elite university but, in her first three seasons, joined an exclusive group of student-athletes.
Andie became only the 11th Blue Devil to register top-20 finishes in their first three NCAA Regional Championships. Smith also qualified for the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open for the first time in her career after totaling rounds of 67 and 74 for a 3-under, 141, at the Duke Golf Club in Durham.
“I’m going into the tournament with an appreciation for the stage that I’ll be on and staying grounded throughout the whole week knowing that I earned my spot to get there,” she said.
This weekend’s competition represents the culmination of years of dedication and passion for all 156 golfers who qualified for the event. For Andie, it means more than just playing among the best women golfers in the nation— it’s a chance to share this achievement with the people who introduced her to the game.
“I’m capable of playing against the best in the world and my family is going to be out there, so I’m really excited to have them,” she says with a smile.