Eight junior golfers – four boys and four girls – were crowned champions at the ninth Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals held today, Sunday, April 2, at Augusta National Golf Club and broadcast live on Golf Channel across North and South America.

Drive, Chip and Putt, a free initiative to develop junior golfers of all abilities and skill levels, is being conducted in partnership with the Masters Tournament, the USGA and PGA of America. The competition is open to boys and girls aged 7-15 years old in four age groups and tests their fundamental golf skills: driving, chipping, and putting.

Tens of thousands of people took advantage of the opportunity to qualify for this event. It began with 342 local qualifiers at courses throughout the country in the summer 2022. From there, the top finishers advanced through 60 subregionals to one of 10 regional qualifiers at some of the nation’s most acclaimed venues and championship sites.

Finally, the 80 regional winners in each of the four age divisions, 40 boys and 40 girls, were granted a trip for the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club.

These were the four girl champions: 

The four boy champions were: 

“Drive, Chip and Putt is an annual showcase of the next generation for the game of golf,” said PGA of America President John Lindert, the Director of Golf at the Country Club of Lansing in Lansing, Michigan. “We are proud that PGA Professionals nationwide support Drive, Chip and Putt on the grassroots level in hosting local, subregional and regional qualifiers. Congratulations to the girls and boys champions and all the competitors for their performance in this year’s National Finals. We’re proud to work alongside the Masters Tournament and the USGA to bring about this amazing event and present the future of golf every year. I have had the pleasure to attend the Finals on several occasions and the future of the game is bright.”

“We are extremely proud of these 80 boys and girls who have gone through three stages of qualifying to get here. To watch them here with their parents and grandparents, with the smiles on their faces, is really gratifying,” said Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament. “We could not do this without our partnership with the USGA and PGA of America. The 10th anniversary of Drive, Chip and Putt is next year. We hope this is an inspiration for all these young boys and girls and that more of them than ever will try to qualify next year, which starts in a few short days.”

“It’s days like today that make me proud to be a part of this great game, watching young people from around the world come together to showcase their skills and passion,” said USGA CEO Mike Whan. “From investing in local and national junior programs with industry partners to launching the U.S. National Development Program to grow the pipeline of emerging talent, the USGA is excited to prioritize initiatives that are helping to break down barriers of entry into the game and foster the next generation of golfers.”

Click here for all final results.

Points were awarded in three individual skill categories (driving, chipping and putting), with the winner in each skill receiving 10 points, second place receiving 9 points, and so on, all the way down to 1 point. The player with the most points following all three competitions was declared the overall winner of the age group.

For the drive portion, the better of two distances was used for the score. Each golfer then took two chips; the closest cumulative distance to the hole determined the winner. Players then moved to Augusta National’s 18th green where they attempted two putts – from 15 and 30 feet – and used the cumulative distance from the hole to determine the score.

In her first Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals appearance, Ashley Kim of Cerritos, Calif., started the day with a 171-yard drive that put her in first place. She kept the momentum, placing third in the chipping discipline. Out on the famed 18th green at Augusta National, her 15-foot putt attempt rolled within three feet of the hole, securing her overall win.

Alexandra Phung of Forest Hills, N.Y., is no stranger to Drive, Chip and Putt. This year marked her third appearance at the National Finals, and she said having past experience at Augusta National made her feel “a lot calmer” this time. Following her third-place finish in the driving discipline, a first-place chipping performance gave her a three-point lead. In the end, she scored 22 total points to take first place among Girls 10-11.

After placing third in driving and second in chipping, Maya Palanza GaudinEast Falmouth (Mass., stayed consistent on the 18th green to climb to the top of the leader board. Her 30-foot putt was just over one foot from the hole. She took second place in putting and first for her age group. “Just coming here was surreal,” Gaudin said. “Winning is on a whole other level.”

Martha Kuwahara of Northbrook, Ill. – in her second Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals appearance – won by a one-point total margin. Her winning day was capped by a 241-yard drive. Her putting performance was also noteworthy. She hit her second putt within two inches of the hole, scoring 24 points and taking first place overall.

Knox Mason, Portland, Tenn., was victorious. He won first in driving and ninth in chipping. Mason and Jacob Eagan from Castle Rock, Colo. tied for the overall lead in putting discipline. Mason won the playoff and sunk his 15 foot putt for the win.

Nealson Manutai from Laie (Hawaii) drove his ball 237yards, more than 40 yard further than the second place competitor. He kept the momentum going with a second place finish in the chipping discipline and his consistent performance across board led to him taking first place overall. He said the best part of the experience was “coming over here to Augusta National and winning this for Hawaii my first time here.”

Leo Saito, from Hilo, Hawaii, finished third at the 2022 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals. His strong skills on the green saw him tie for first with Aarav Lavu, Wellesley, Mass. To win his age group, he drained a 15 foot putt in the playoff.

Jake Sheffield from Knoxville, Tenn. started his day with a 259-yard drive to take second place in the discipline. He was then fourth in chipping, and he secured his spot at the top of the leaderboard with a 30-foot attempt at putting that stopped just two feet from the hole. Reflecting on the day, he said, “I’ve been trying to calm my nerves. It’s such a large stage. It’s the biggest stage in junior golf.”

Register now for the 2023-24 Drive, Chip and Putt qualifying seasons, which offers 345 free local qualifiers across all 50 states for boys and females ages 7-15. drivechipandputt.com.

For more information about Drive, Chip and Putt, please see drivechipandputt.comFollow @DriveChipPutt Twitter and @DriveChipAndPutt on Facebook and Instagram.