Public Links Champion Madeline Jin Wins Second Tournament In Two Years
A 16-year-old, Madeline Jin of Mattawang, won her second championship in as many years on Monday, July 17, when her round of even-par 73 earned her the 14th NJSGA Women’s Public Links Championship at Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth.
Jin’s 73 was two shots better than the 75 recorded by 19-year-old Sayaka Carpenter of Royce Brook, and four shots clear of 23-year-old Kelsey Solan of Moggy Brook. Hilary Abramowitz of Rutgers was fourth with a 78.
A year ago, Jin won the 62nd Junior Girls Championship at Colts Neck Golf Club in Colts Neck when she shot rounds of 69 and 68. In 2015, Jin lost the Junior Girls title in a playoff to Ami Gianchandani of Montclair.
The net champion was Colleen Rafter of Eagle Ridge (80-12-68). In the First Flight, Solan won the gross and Abramowitz the net (78-10-68) on a match of cards.
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The Second Flight gross winner was Patricia Moore of Wessex WGA at 87 while Lynn Hull of Galloping Hill took the net at 90-19-71. In the Third Flight, Cynthia Wikander of Galloping Hill took the gross at 97 while Jane Ryan of Galloping Hill won the net at 100-29-71.
“Last year when I won the Junior Girls was a turning point for me. After that, I shot four under and won the Maureen Orcott Tournament at White Beeches and got two second places in AGJA events,” said Jin, who lives in Belle Mead and will be a sophomore at Montgomery High School.
“When I start winning and playing well, I get that confidence. I want that good feeling to continue to build up. My focus now is on my driver. I want to get longer and straighter. The strength of my game is my short game. I work on it a lot at Galloping Hill,” Jin said.
She said her familiarity with Galloping Hill helped.
“I play there a lot. The strategy today was just to be aggressive. I should have taken more birdie opportunities. The conditions were nice. The rough was thick and hard to get out of, It’s a challenge from the back tees,” she said.
She failed to defend her Junior Girls title this year, instead playing in the AJGA event in Killington, Vt., where she placed sixth. In coming weeks, she will play AJGA events in Maryland and in Sugarloaf, Maine.
She will play an AJGA event at Redding Country Club in Connecticut in October.
She also tries to qualify for Rolex and Polo junior events whenever possible.
“They are a really good learning experience for me. There are longer yardages and you’re playing against the best of the best,” Jin said.
Carpenter attended East Brunswick High school in her hometown and three times won the Greater Middlesex Conference championship.
This past year, she played golf at Keio University in Japan and advanced to the Japan college regionals. This year, she has transferred to Cal State at Monterrey Bay where she will have four years of college eligibility.
She saw that area of the country in 2015, when she represented the First Tee of Raritan Valley and qualified for the Nature Valley First Tee Championships at Pebble Beach.
“I fell in love with that area when I went out there. I’m excited about going to college there,” Carpenter said.
Solan, a 2016 graduate of James Madison University who attended Rancocas Valley High School, now works for the USGA.
