After a regional qualifying competition at TPC Sawgrass last month, eight Florida and Georgia youth golfers – four boys and four girls – were crowned as national finalists and earned an invitation to compete in the fifth-annual Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals held on Sunday, April 1, 2018, prior to the start of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
Conducted in partnership between the Masters Tournament, the PGA of America and the USGA, the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship is a free, nationwide youth golf development program open to boys and girls, ages 7-15, in four age categories.
The regional qualifying competition held at TPC Sawgrass on Oct. 14 is one of 10 regional qualifiers across the United States.
Overall, 80 young golfers will advance to compete at Augusta National Golf Club. Tens of thousands seized the opportunity to participate in the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, which began with local qualifying events at more than 260 courses throughout the country. These qualifiers are open each year to young golfers of all skill and experience levels. The top finishers from each local qualifier advanced through sub-regionals and then regional competitions.
The four female national finalists from the TPC Sawgrass regional qualifier are:
· Jensi Krampel, Naples, Florida. (ages 7-9)
· Gloria Nip, Port St. Lucie, Florida. (ages 10-11)
· Alexandra Gazzoli, Palm Coast, Florida (ages 12-13)
· Loralie Cowart, Winston, Georgia (ages 14-15)
The four male National Finalists from the TPC Sawgrass regional qualifier are:
· Miles Russell, Jacksonville Beach, Florida (ages 7-9)
· Sahish Reddy, Duluth, Georgia (ages 10-11)
· Dazhou “David” Wu, Winter Garden, Florida (ages 12-13)
· Brendan Valdes, Orlando, Florida (ages 14-15)
For more information and full qualifying scores for each division, visit www.DriveChipandPutt.com.
