The CSGA Links Volume 2 Issue 3 May, 2014

DRIVE CHIP & PUTT CHAMPIONSHIP R oughly 17,000 junior golfers vied to gain entry into the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, which began with local qualifying last year at courses across the country. From there, the top finishers advanced to one of 11 regional qualifiers, with the winners in each of the four age divisions for boys and girls earning a trip to Augusta National. A field of 88 youngsters participated in the National Finals on Sunday, April 6th, on the eve of Masters Week, as some of their heroes, including Bubba Watson and Adam Scott, looked on. Also cheering on the competitors were patrons who had purchased badges for the day. Each entrant competed in all three skills, accumulating points in each. The driving and chipping portions of the competition were held at the Tournament Practice Facility. Then came the putting stage, which began with two delicate rolls, of 6 and 30 feet, on the practice putting green just off the first tee. For the third and final putt, each participant walked down the hill to the 18th green, where they attempted roughly the same putt that Adam Scott made on the 72nd hole at last year’s Masters en route to his playoff victory. Two of the eight winners on Sunday matched Scott’s feat and made the putt: Leo Cheng, 11, of Northridge, Calif., and Patrick Welch, 14, of Providence, Rhode Island. A joint initiative of the Masters Tournament, the United States Golf Association and the PGA of America, the Drive, Chip and Putt will be expanded next year to nearly triple the number of available spots at local qualifiers. More than 50,000 boys and girls will have the opportunity to compete at 256 host sites throughout all 50 states from May through July. Sub-regional and regional qualifiers will follow in August and September. Registration for local qualifying is now open at www.DriveChipandPutt.com. 36 Connecticut State Golf Association Conner Willett from Wellesley, Mass. (boys’ 10-11 divis during the National Finals of the 2014 Drive, Chip and

The CSGA Links Volume 2 Issue 3 May, 2014 | Page 36