By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
Charles Cai has been successful on the golf course at both the high school and college levels.
The West Windsor-Plainsboro High North graduate was a champion at the high school level and this past season, his final at Dartmouth College, he finished ninth at the Ivy League tournament.
Cai will be heading into the business world next month. But before heading to Arlington, Va. to do full-time consulting work, he was one last summer of tournament golf to get in. Cai played in some qualifiers for high level tournaments and last week turned in his best performance of the summer when he finished second at the New Jersey Men’s Public Links Championships, which were held at Mercer Oaks.
“Going into the tournament my goal was to win,” said Cai, who earned second team All-Ivy status this past spring while at Dartmouth. “At end of the day I was pretty happy. I played well. I would have liked to have won. During the second round I bogeyed my first hole of the day and made a bunch of pars in a row. I was hitting greens and had decent looks. I just didn’t make anything. I had a couple good saves in the second round. I just didn’t make too many putts.”
After shooting a 3-under par 69 in the opening round, Cai shot a 1-over 73 in the second round to finish 2-under for the tournament. He made five birdies in the morning opening round but just one in the afternoon second round. His 142 for two rounds was just two shots back of the winner, Robert McHugh.
Cai plans to play one more tournament this summer, the state Four-Ball Championship in Wayne beginning August 9.
“After graduation, this summer, I have been trying to play tournaments,” Cai said. “I played a U.S. Amateur qualifier last week and shot 78-73 and missed out on that. I played some qualifiers earlier this summer for the New Jersey Open and GAP Open and missed those. I have the Four-Ball in August hoping and I am hoping to do well there.”
After that tournament, Cai heads to Virginia and a new job. He still hopes to get out on the golf course, but will have to do so around his work schedule.
“The plan is to try to keep playing when I can on the weekends or after work, but the focus is on work right now,” Cai said. “Golf will always be a big hobby of mine and something I can be passionate about.
“I am excited to start working and hopefully I will have time to play. Once I realized turning pro wasn’t in the cards, I have looked up to some of the older guys who still compete as amateurs. They play statewide and at the national level and those are guys who have stayed amateurs their whole life and still find tine to compete at a high level.”
Cai hopes to be one of those players as well. he is coming off an outstanding career at Dartmouth and would like to be able to play enough to keep his game sharp.
“My last year was my best year,” Cai said of his Dartmouth career. “I was second team All-Ivy and as a team we were second in the Ivy Championship and only lost by four shits. It was good to end on a strong note. Overall it was a great experience and a great four years. I had tons of fun and made some great friends.”
