Chen, Seeking Third Title In Row, Leads By 2 In Junior Girls
Two-time and defending champion Alice Chen, who now plays out of Neshanic Valley, returned to her roots at Royce Brook Golf Club in Hillsborough on Wednesday and promptly left with a two-shot leading heading into the final round of the 60th Junior Girls Championship.
Chen, 18, who recently won her second consecutive state high school Tournament of Champions, fired a one-under-par 71 to take a two-shot lead over 13-year-old Anina Ku of Neshanic Valley.
Tied for third at 74 were 14-year-old Ami Gianchandani of Rock Spring, 17-year-old Christina Parsells of Baltusrol and 16-year-old Erica Han of Laurel Creek. The 36-hole event concludes on Thursday with Chen teeing off at 9:10 with Ku and Parsells.
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On July 1, Chen defeated Noelle Maertz of Clark in aplayoff to win the 11th Women’s Public Links Championship at Knoll Country Club (West) in Parsippany on Tuesday.
This past spring, Chen, who grew up playing at Royce Brook, fired a 7-under 65 to win her second Tournament of Champions at Cherry Valley Country Club. She also repeated as Group IV champ with a seven-under-par 65 at Cherry Valley, with the best score in the tournament’s 14-year history. She won her fourth Somerset County title at Neshanic Valley with a 71.
Chen, who lives in Montgomery, has committed to play at Furman University next fall.
“Winning this a third time would show how consistent I am and how much progress I have made,” she said after her round of two birdies and a bogey. “The field gets better every year. This year, there are some good players here who for one reason or another, didn’t compete last year.
“It’s a challenge to stick to my game plan and do well tomorrow. I just want to do my best.”
On Thursday night, Chen flies to Seattle to compete in the 38th U.S. Women’s Public Links Championship at The Home Course in Dupont, Wash. Two years ago, Chen lost in the first round of match play in 17 holes to Kim Kaufman of South Dakota. Kaufman is a rookie on the LPGA Tour.
“My best round here is 69, which I shot last summer,” Chen stated. “The one thing I rely on is my putting. I keep trying to work on it. It’s the easiest place to save shots.”
Chen last summer became the first golfer to win the NJSGA Women’s Amateur, Junior Girls and state high school championship in the same season. Later in the summer of 2013, she led New Jersey to its first title in the 10th USGA State Team Championship on September 19, 2013, and was featured in "Faces in The Crowd" in the October 7 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine.
Ku will be a freshman at Ridge High School in Basking Ridge. She is a scratch golfer who in 2010 won her age group in the World Championships held at Pinehurst.
“I shot a very lucky 63,” said Ku, whose sister, Anina, is a rising sophomore at Princeton University.
On Tuesday, Ku had difficulty with her putter and was three-over-par after five holes. Over the final 13 holes, however, she shot one-under par with two birdies and a bogey.
“I had to adjust my putting. Everything was going too long,” Ku said.
Gianchandani last summer was one of two girls who played with 10 boys on the New Jersey team that won the NJPGA John Pritsch Cup over Pennsylvania. At that event at Shore Gate Golf Club in Oceanview, she shot a career-low 69.
