Cai crowned MCT champ for third time in her career
WEST WINDSOR » The next time the Cais get together for dinner, Jacquelyn is going to make sure her family knows who has the most Mercer County Tournament golf titles.
The West Windsor-Plainsboro North senior captured the girls championship for the third time in four years by shooting a four-over 76 to win by one stroke over Lawrenceville’s Serena Chen at Mercer Oaks on Tuesday afternoon.
Jacquelyn is one of two Cai children to lift the county’s top high school golf tournament after her brother, Charles, fired an MCT-record 65 en route to victory in 2012.
“Oh, he’ll know,” Jacquelyn said with a laugh.
“I was playing pretty well, but toward the end the greens kind of got me. I’m happy with the result.”
Cai’s round featured birdies on four, eight and fifteen, which had her at even par heading into the last three holes and poised to join Ewing’s Sara Kokotaljo (71 in 2013 at Mountain View) as the only other girls player to finish a round under par.
But Cai recorded bogeys on 16 and 18 and a double bogey on 17 and Chen nearly took advantage with pars on the final five holes.
“I’m always aiming for something lower,” said Cai, whose 76 was still four shots better than her previous low at the MCT. “A round of golf could always be better or could always be worse. I think 76 is pretty reasonable.”
Chen, a junior, is now a three-time runner-up.
“I think Jackie really gives me a lot of competition and makes me a better player,” Chen said. “I think next year, hopefully, I can play better and win, but we’ll see. It’s definitely motivation.”
Cai’s WW-PN teammates Katherine Lu and Hannah Trinh both finished with an 81 as did WW-PS’s Isabella McCloskey.
The Knights placed three golfers in the top seven and won their third straight team title with a score of 325.
“Every year we get some new girls and they have lots of golf experience and tournament experiences in the summer,” Cai said. “We work really hard during the season, and that leads to improvement.”