Morris County set to host trio of Women's Championships

July 24, 2020 - Thanks to the benevolence and adaptability of the membership of the Morris County Golf Club, the New Jersey State Golf Association is conducting three simultaneous women’s tournaments at the prestigious Morristown venue during the week of July 27-30.

The NJSGA 66th Junior Girls’ Championship and the NJSGA 7th Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship are both set for July 27-28. The NJSGA 95th Women’s Amateur Championship will begin with stroke play on July 27-28, and conclude with two days of match play, July 29-30. The stroke play portion of the Women’s Amateur coincides as the 36-hole Junior Girls’ and Mid-Amateur (ages 25+) Championships.

“The NJSGA is very grateful to Morris County Golf Club for accommodating three women’s events at the same time. It has been a bit of a struggle to reorganize the entire schedule and get all of our events in,” NJSGA president Eric Houseknecht said.

“We’re so pleased that Morris County is able to make the course available. The club was founded as a women’s club so it is symbolic that we are holding our most important women’s championship and a total of three tournaments here. We are very thankful to Morris County Golf Club.”

“There is one truth about operating in a COVID-19 world: Adaption is key,” said Carol Graybeal of the NJSGA Board of Trustees and member of the Tournament Committee. “With fewer dates and fewer courses available, Morris County graciously agreed to host the Junior Girls’ simultaneously with our Mid-Am and Amateur championships. It is actually rather serendipitous to have this generational confluence as Morris County Golf Club was started by women.”

Morris County, opened by women, had its first 18-hole configuration in place by June of 1895 and hosted U.S. Women’s Amateur in 1896. In 1900, it was the site of the first Women’s Metropolitan Golf Association championship and in 1905, it again hosted the U.S. Women’s Amateur. The course was redesigned in 1916 by Seth Raynor, who worked under renowned golf architect Charles Blair MacDonald.

“Morris County Golf Club has an extraordinary golf course. The elevation changes are pronounced and the green complexes are interesting. Often the player is presented with a tee shot that must be directed sharply to one side of the fairway or the other. It could be called a ‘fun’ course to navigate. I am sure all competitors will relish their rounds,” Ms. Graybeal noted.

Anina Ku of Neshanic Valley, last year’s Women’s Amateur champion and a member of the Harvard University women’s team, is spending her summer in Florida and will not be on hand to defend her title. Runner-up Christina Parsells of Baltusrol, a 2019 graduate of Georgetown who lost in the final to Ku, 2 & 1, will be among the favorites.

“After losing such a close match, especially after having a hole-in-one on the 17th hole, I became mentally stronger. Getting experience and more comfortable in match play is so important, especially when the matches are so competitive. I’m not sure I can guarantee another hole-in-one this year, but my plan is to maintain my competitive mindset,” Parsells said.

She does have some knowledge of Morris County.

“I’ve played the front nine a few times during high school matches. It’s really fun and challenging with its layout. I specifically remember the greens always being especially tough. I know there is a lot of women’ golf history at Morris County so it will be special to compete there.”

Katie Li, 15, of Fiddler’s Elbow, was the stroke play co-medalist in 2019 and match-play semifinalist in 2018.

“I have not played Morris County, but I am going into the championship with a positive outlook and an open attitude. I will take everything shot by shot. I want to prepare well and play to the best of my ability and see what comes of it,” Li said.

Megan McLean of High Bridge Hills recently concluded a standout career at Penn State and earned All-Academic Big Ten honors in 2019. She is another capable challenger for the title.

“I feel I have a good chance to win every year. My approach this year will be the same …. to go low. The NJSGA Women’s Amateur is a well-run tournament that I look forward to playing. I’m really looking forward to playing at Morris County,” McLean commented.

Last year’s Mid-Amateur champion, Noelle Maertz of Ridgewood Country Club, also reached the quarterfinals of the Women’s Amateur. She looks to defend her Mid-Amateur title, while also seeking the bigger prize: the Amateur crown. (Mid-Amateur players have the option of continuing on into the Women’s Amateur if they are among the low 16 players over the two days of stroke play in the concurrent events.)

“The ultimate goal is to win the Women’s Amateur. I’ve reached the semifinals four times, so I know what it takes to get there. When I put too much pressure on myself to win, it gets in my way. This year, I will take a different approach and kind of enjoy everything while I’m out there,” said Maertz, who teamed with Ridgewood pro David Reasoner to finish second in the New Jersey PGA Pro-Scratch Championship this week. She shot 3-under-par on her own ball at Hamilton Farm and was one of only two women in the event.

“Because my long game is my strength, I’m always work on chipping and putting. I’m feeling pretty good. I’m looking forward to defending the Mid-Amateur title. I would love to go back-to-back and hopefully come home with the big one, the Women’s Amateur Championship,” Maertz said.

Junior Girls’ defending champion Grace Lu of Plainfield West is ready for the challenges of Morris County.

“I’ve been working on my short game. I am more confident around the greens with my chipping and putting this year,” said Lu, 16, a rising junior at Wardlaw-Hartridge School. “The key to my success last year were my second shots into the green. I feel I’ve gotten better. I have struggled with my confidence in the past, but this year I feel more confident because I know what it takes to win.”

Live scoring and full coverage of all three championships will be available at NJSGA.org, as well as through the NJSGA’s social media outlets: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr.