Drive, Chip and Putt celebrates 12th playing of the National Finals
| AUGUSTA, Ga. – Eight junior golfers – four boys and four girls – were crowned champions at the 12th Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals held today, Sunday, April 5, at Augusta National Golf Club and broadcast live on Golf Channel. Conducted in partnership with the Masters Tournament, USGA and the PGA of America, Drive, Chip and Putt is a free youth golf development initiative for junior golfers of all skill and ability levels, aimed at sparking a lifelong interest in the game. The three-pronged competition welcomes boys and girls, ages 7-15, in four age categories, and tests the skills essential to golf: accuracy in driving, chipping and putting. Tens of thousands of participants seized the opportunity to qualify for the event, which began with hundreds of local qualifiers at courses across the country in the summer of 2025. From there, the top finishers advanced through subregional qualifying events to one of 10 regional qualifiers at some of the nation’s most acclaimed venues and championship sites. Finally, the 80 regional winners across the four age divisions (40 boys and 40 girls) earned a trip to Augusta National Golf Club to participate in the 12th Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals. The four girl champions were: Riley Huang of Palo Alto, Calif. (7-9); Ava Chen of Brooklyn, N.Y. (10-11); Lucy Cui of Honolulu, Hawaii (12-13); and Nirvika Koduru of Boca Raton, Fla. (14-15). The four boy champions were: Roy Moon of Bellevue, Wash. (7-9); Stephen Sanders of Grand Prairie, Texas (10-11); Texas Terry of Austin, Texas (12-13); and Arno Wehle of San Jose, Calif. (14-15). Click here for all final competition 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. Players were also awarded with an extra half point for each shot that they completed in 40 seconds or less. 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 No. 18 green where they attempted two putts – from 15 and 30 feet – and used the cumulative distance from the hole to determine the score. Below are the individual age group summaries: Girls 7-9In a thrilling playoff, Riley Huang of Palo Alto, Calif., sunk two 15-foot putts to claim first place overall, edging out Patricia Kittivat of Schaumburg, Ill. When asked how she mastered her putting, she said, “I did practice putting a lot, and my dad reminded me to take my time and not worry about winning.” Girls 10-11Ava Chen of Brooklyn, N.Y., also clinched first place overall in a playoff on the No. 18 green against competitor Perri Harris of Bowling Green, Ky. After three attempts to qualify for the National Finals in past years, Chen reflected, “I was extremely nervous, but I pushed through it. It was very special.” Girls 12-13Lucy Cui of Honolulu, Hawaii, steadily climbed the leaderboard on Sunday, placing sixth in driving and fourth in chipping before taking first overall in the putting discipline by draining both putts. “It is really unimaginable because I never thought I’d actually do that,” she shared after the win. Girls 14-15With strong performances across all three disciplines, Nirvika Koduru of Boca Raton, Fla., tallied a total score of 30 points for a first-place finish overall. She credited her parents and their support, saying, “Without them, I wouldn’t be here and wouldn’t have won today.” Boys 7-9Roy Moon of Bellevue, Wash., kicked off the day with first place in the driving discipline, followed by second place in chipping. When put to the test on the green, Moon’s second putt was within one foot of the hole, securing his overall victory in the Boys 7-9. “It was always my dream to play at Augusta National,” he said. “It is such a great opportunity.” Boys 10-11In his debut appearance at the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, Stephen Sanders of Grand Prairie, Texas, won first place overall. He opened the day with a 245-yard drive and continued the momentum throughout the day, culminating in a second putt that rolled within one foot of the hole. “It means the world to me,” he said of winning at Augusta National. Boys 12-13Texas Terry of Austin, Texas, won the Boys 12-13 division thanks to consistency across all disciplines: second in driving, first in chipping and second in putting. With a six-point total edge over the runner-up, Terry became a Drive, Chip and Putt National Champion for the second time, having previously won the 2024 National Finals. Terry said it wasn’t easy, but trusting himself made all the difference to “bring home another trophy to Texas.” Boys 14-15After competing in the National Finals in 2024, Arno Wehle San Jose, Calif., came ready to win on Sunday. With a chip that landed within a foot of the hole and two consistent putts, he tallied a total score of 26 points to win first place overall. Chipping and putting helped him “get the job done today,” he said. |
| About Drive, Chip and PuttA joint initiative founded in 2013 by the Masters Tournament, USGA and the PGA of America, Drive, Chip and Putt is a free, nationwide junior golf development competition aimed at growing the game by focusing on the three fundamental skills employed in golf. By tapping the creative and competitive spirit of girls and boys ages 7-15, Drive, Chip and Putt provides aspiring junior golfers an opportunity to play with their peers in qualifiers around the country. Participants who advance through local, subregional and regional qualifying in each age/gender category earn a place in the National Finals, which is conducted at Augusta National Golf Club the Sunday before the Masters Tournament and broadcast live by Golf Channel. For more information, please visit: www.DriveChipandPutt.com. About the Masters TournamentThe Masters Tournament Foundation, inspired by the enduring philosophies of Masters Tournament founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, is committed to promoting golf’s domestic and international development through financial investment and active participation in initiatives aimed at preserving the traditions of the game and sharing its many virtues. The Masters Tournament – since its very beginning – strives to provide added exposure to the game of golf and inspire interest in the sport worldwide. For more information about the Masters, visit masters.com. About the USGAThe USGA is a mission-based golf organization whose purpose is to unify the golf community through handicapping and grassroots programs; to showcase the game’s best talent through the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally and 13 other national championships and our museum; to provide unbiased global governance with The R&A through the playing, equipment and Amateur Status rules; and to advance issues important to golf’s future, with a focus on driving sustainability, accessibility and inclusion. The USGA also manages day-to-day operations for the U.S. National Development Program, the country’s first unified pathway for American talent, and the World Golf Hall of Fame, preserving and celebrating the legacies of the game’s greatest figures. As a nonprofit association, our work and our team are driven to act for the good of the game. For more, visit usga.org. About the PGA of AmericaThe PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals who love the game, are expert coaches, operators and business leaders, and work daily to drive interest, inclusion and participation in the sport. The PGA of America owns and operates numerous championships and events, including major championships for men, women, seniors and the Ryder Cup, one of the world’s foremost sporting events. For more information, visit PGA.com and follow us on X, Instagram and Facebook. |
