Ami Gianchandani Wins 61st Junior Girls In Playoff
Ami Gianchandani of Rock Spring overcame a bogey on the final hole that cost her an outright victory, then rallied with a birdie in a one-hole playoff on the same hole to win the 61st NJSGA Junior Girls Championship on Wednesday, July 8, at the par-70, 5,290-yard Bella Vista Country Club in Marlboro.
Gianchandani, who turns 16 in December, is a rising sophomore at Pingry School and placed second last month at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls Tournament of Champions which is sponsored by the NJSGA.
“Finishing second in the TOC provided motivation. I’ve been second and third at some recent tournaments and I really, really wanted to win this.”
FINAL SCORING VIEW PHOTO GALLERY
Gianchandani and first-day leader Madeline Jin of Royce Brook, who played together Wednesday, each finished at 143. But Gianchandani, who lives in Short Hills, shot 71 on Wednesday after trailing Jin (68-75) by four shots heading into the final round.
Tied for third at 148 were Cassandra Lee of Preakness Valley (77-71), Christine Shao of Neshanic Valley (78-70) and Erica Han of Laurel Creek (77-71). Nicole Totland of Hollywood, who won last year’s NJSGA Tournament of Club Champions, rebounded with a two-under 68 after an opening round 83, to tie Jin for the low round of the championship.
It was the first NJSGA championship ever conducted at Bella Vista, which is celebrating its 20thanniversary.
“Going into the playoff, I’m thinking I had just bogeyed the 18thhole with a three-putt and blew a two-shot lead. I just wanted to play it safe and not try to do too much. The first time, I hit a gap wedge from the same spot and it was 35-feet short. This time, I hit a pitching wedge and I was worried I hit it too far. But it was 15 feet past and I was able to sink the birdie putt,” Gianchandani said.
The winner carded a 2-under-par 32 on the front nine to draw even with Jin, her best front nine ever.
“I played the back nine with a different strategy. On Tuesday, I was more risky and went for the long par fives, but today I played more conservative with the lead, and I had a two-stroke lead heading into 18.”
But Jin managed to make up the two strokes with a birdie from eight feet on No. 18, a par-4, 306-yard hole. She hit a wedge to eight feet from 73 yards.
“I just didn’t have my A game today. I didn’t have the right mindset, but I learned a lot. Playing with Ami was a lot of fun today,” said Jin, 14, who is a rising freshman at Montgomery High School.
Gianchandani moved to Short Hills from New York City at age eight and was guided into golf by her father, Alkesh, and grandfather, William Rauscher.
She attended golf camps for girls 12 and under at Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth and recently has played on Galloping Hill’s team for girls 16 and under. Last summer, she was ninth in the Junior Girls but was a member of Team New Jersey vs. Team Pennsylvania at Shore Gate when she shot her lowest round.
“My drives are always solid. I hit them longer than most girls my age. All parts of my game are pretty strong, but my putting and my longer irons, over 100 yards, are probably my strongest parts,” said Gianchandani, who has qualified for the U.S. Girls Junior in two weeks in Oklahoma.
“It was important to win this because it is one of the biggest tournaments in the state. It is really well organized. They pick tough courses to play. It’s just great to win any tournament.”
