Chen Wins Women's Public Links In Playoff Over Maertz
Alice Chen of Neshanic Valley, the one of the most prolific female golfers in NJSGA’s annals, added yet another championship to her resume when she defeated Noelle Maertz of Hyatt Hills on the first playoff hole of the 11thWomen’s Public Links Championship at Knoll Country Club (West) in Parsippany on Tuesday, July 1.
Both players finished with even-par 70s to send the championship to a hole-by-hole playoff. Chen has won two NJSGA Junior Championships, the State Women's Amateur and now the Public Links.
Chen, 18, just completed her senior year at Montgomery High School, winning her second straight high school Tournament of Champions title, and will report to her next destination, Furman University, in late August.
Before then, she will compete in U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifier at Montammy on Monday and also compete in the U.S. Public Links Championship in Seattle on July 12.
It was Maertz’s tournament to win, as she approached the par-4 18th hole, holding a one-shot lead. It look great for Maertz, who won this event in 2012 at Knob Hill, when her iron shot landed four feet from the hole. Chen, meanwhile was 40 feet away on the green.
Chen promptly drained the 40-foot downhill, left to right putt, to put the pressure on Maertz, who now needed to make the birdie putt to win. She missed it and both players finished with 70s.
Then it was on to the hole-by-hole playoff, starting on the par-4 first hole. Chen’s drive split the fairway, but Maertz blocked hers to the right rough, alongside a huge pine tree. Chen’s approach ended 10 feet below the hole. Maertz’s second shot found a rightside bunker. Martz, however, made a beautiful sand shot that landed four feet from the hole.
When Chen left her putt on the right edge, Maertz had a chance to send it to a second playoff hole. But her putt hung on the edge and Chen had won her first Public Links championship in her first attempt.
“Noelle played great all day. She putted well until the 18thhole,” Chen said. “I was really stead all day and had all pars on my front nine. On the back nine, I had two birdies and two bogeys. Noelle made two birdies down the stretch , but I came back with that long putt on 18.”
“This was my best round ever,” Maertz, who is a rising senior at Wagner, said of her 70. “I really wanted that putt on 18 for a 69, but my hands were shaking and the same thing happened on the playoff hole. I couldn’t get that putt on 18 out of my mind.”
Maertz said putting her father, Gary, on her bag has helped.
“He’s a baseball coach and has played at the highest levels. He keeps me calm. He helped me shoot a 79 at qualifying that got me into the U.S. Public Links championship.”
Chen said the only part of her game that needs work is her putting.
“I’m still playing steady and consistent golf. I need to work on my putting. I just had a test at the AGJA Tournament of Champions in Nashville. I made the cut and tied for 26thwhich was pretty good in a very big field,” Chen said.
This past spring, Chen 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 her home course, 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 has committed to play at Furman University next fall, enjoyed a brilliant summer of golf in 2013. She won the New Jersey high school individual championship and earned player of the year honors. Chen then won the New Jersey State Golf Association’s Women’s Amateur and Junior Girls’ Championships, and tacked on a victory at the American Junior Golf Association’s Lessing’s AJGA Classic, also conducted in the Garden State.
Chen, who led New Jersey to its first title in the 10th USGA State Team Championship on September 19, 2013, was featured in the October 7 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine.
Chen was joined on the New Jersey State Team, sponsored by the NJSGA, by captain Tara Fleming of New Jersey National and Cindy Ha of Valley Brook. The team will be honored at the NJSGA/NJPGA Celebration of Golf on Thursday, October 24 at Trump National G.C. in Bedminster.
FLIGHT CHAMPIONS ON TUESDAY WERE:
FIRST FLIGHT: GROSS: Noelle Maertz, Hyatt Hills, 70. NET: Brittany Weddell, Spring Meadow, 69.
SECOND FLIGHT: GROSS: Jessica Kelley, Heron Glen, 81, NET: Haneen Anbarserri, Ovepreck, 66.
THIRD FLIGHT: GROSS: Soo Kyong Li, Green Knoll, 88. NET: Karen Stepsus, EWGA, North NJ, 68
