Junior Golfers Tee it Up at Augusta Days Before the Pros at 2016 Drive, Chip and Putt Championship

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By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  AUGUSTA, Ga. – Waiting nearly seven months after qualifying for the 2016 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, a total of 80 boys and girls took to Augusta National Golf Club Sunday, looking to claim their own piece of history one week before golf’s most prestigious event.

The third annual event has grown in participation to tens of thousands of junior golfers in four age groups from across the United States and Canada, competing in three aspects of the game: driving, chipping and putting.

Competition began last summer with 250 local qualifiers before getting trimmed to 50 sub-regionals in August. Following 10 regional qualifiers in September, the final field of 80 boys and girls, ranging in age from seven to 15, advanced to the same course that many of their idols will tee it up beginning Thursday.

In the Boys’ 7-9 Division Sunday, Stephen Robert Hernandez, of Houston, Texas, won both the driving and chipping competitions to earn a three-point victory after finishing the championship by taking five points in the putting competition.

Sam Udovich, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., advanced from the Hazeltine National Golf Club Regional in September, getting off to a great start by taking second in the driving competition with a drive of 174.5 yards. Udovich finished tied for fifth overall after taking fourth in the chipping event before earning just one point for putting.

Kathryn VanArragon, Blaine, Minn., also advanced from the Hazeltine qualifier last fall and began Sunday’s championship by ripping a 170-yard drive during the first leg of completion, earning nine points before taking sixth in the chipping event.

VanArragon earned two points during the final portion of the championship Sunday to finish fifth overall with 16 points.

Emerson Blair, West Point, Miss., edged Georgia’s Mary Miller by a half point to win the Girls’ 7-9 Division, while Christian Kim won the Boys’ 10-11 age group with a total of 26 points.

California native, Ty Griggs, earned a tournament-high 28 points as he won the driving competition before finishing second in both the chipping and putting events to earn a one-point victory in the Boys’ 12-13 Division.

Kayla Sam, Anaheim Hills, Calif., notched a victory in the driving competition Sunday en route to taking the Girls’ 12-13 Division title, while Michael Thorbjornsen won the Boys’ 14-15 Division with a total of 23 points.

Alyssa Montgomery, Knoxville, Tenn., sank her first putt attempt before rolling her second to inside of four feet to claim the Girls’ 14-15 Division by three and a half points with a total of 26.5 points.

Registration for the 2017 tournament opened in late February as Minnesota will host a total of eight local qualifiers. The 2017 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals will take place Sunday, April 2 at Augusta National Golf Club. For more information go to www.drivechipandputt.com 



2016 DRIVE, CHIP AND PUTT NATIONAL FINALS
AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
AUGUSTA, GA.


SUNDAY'S FINAL RESULTS
BOYS 7-9 DIVISION
1. Stephen Robert Hernandez, Houston, Texas, 10-10-5—25
2. Hugh Faulkner, Greenville, S.C., 7-5-10—22
3. Colin Norton, Jackson, Mich., 8-9-2—19
4. Ryan Light, Loganville, Ga., 6-3-9—18
T5. Adriel Abaoag, Burbank, Calif., 5-6-6—17
T5. SAM UDOVICH, INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MINN., 9-7-1—17
7. Charlie Danuloff, Mansfield, Ohio, 1.5-8-7—16.5
8. Jayden Lizama, Elk Grove, Calif., 4-2-8—14
9. Jack St. Ledger, Little Falls, N.J., 3-4-4—11
10. Weston Miller, Jackson, Ky., 1.5-1-3—5.5


GIRLS 7-9 DIVISION
1. Emerson Blair, West Point, Miss., 9-5-10—24
2. Mary Miller, Skidaway Island, Ga., 8-6.5-9—23.5
T3. Kyla Layman, Traverse City, Mich., 7-8-7—22
T3. Avery Zweig, Dallas, Texas, 10-10-2—22
5. Vanessa Borovilos, Toronto, Ontario, 5-6.5-8—19.5
6. Gianna Papa, Foster, R.I., 6-3-6—15
7. Angelina Tolentino, Mount Laurel, N.J., 1-9-4—14
8. Lauryn Olivia Leonard, Montgomery, Ala., 4-2-5—11
9. Aadyn Long, Lehigh, Utah, 2-4-3—9
10. Caitlyn Chin, Denver, Colo., 3-1-1—5


BOYS 10-11 DIVISION
1. Christian Kim, Vernon Hills, Ill., 9-9-8—26
2. Nolan Haynes, Barberton, Ohio, 8-7-10—25
3. Nashawn Tyson, North Palm Beach, Fla., 6-6-9—21
4. Owen Bright, Roanoake, Va., 4-10-5—19
5. Bach Ngo, Frederick, Md., 10-5-2—17
6. Nathan Sampson, Temecula, Calif., 7-2-6—15
7. Cooper Jones, Highland, Utah, 3-4-7—14
8. Miguel Flores-Acton, San Angelo, Texas, 2-8-1—11
9. J.P. Hepler, Overland Park, Kan., 5-1-3—9
10. Sam O’Hara, New York, N.Y., 1-3-4—8


GIRLS 10-11 DIVISION
1. Alexa Pano, Lake Worth, Fla., 10-9-7—26
T2. Mia Raines, Galena, Ohio, 8-1-10—19
T2. Morgan Guepet, New Orleans, La., 3-8-8—19
4. Leigh Chien, Irvine, Calif., 6-10-1—17
5. KATHRYN VANARRAGON, BLAINE, MINN., 9-5-2—16
6. Paris Fieldings, Suffolk, Va., 7-2-6—15
T7. Emily Duan, Schaumburg, Ill., 5-4-5—14
T7. Siena Minor, Columbia, Mo., 4-7-3—14
9. Nicole Criscone, Clifton Park, N.Y., 1-3-9—13
10. Jayla Kucy, Camrose, Alberta, 2-6-4—12


BOYS 12-13 DIVISION
1. Ty Griggs, Manteca, Calif., 10-9-9—28
2. Skyler Fox, Beaver Falls, Pa., 7-10-10—27
3. Daniel Adkins, Holly Springs, N.C., 4-8-8—20
4. Jay Nimmo, Benton, Ky., 8-6-5—19
T5. Michael Derienzo, Southbury, Conn., 6-3-7—16
T5. Tate Herrenbruck, Salina, Kan., 9-5-2—16
7. Eric Doyle, San Diego, Calif., 5-4-6—15
8. Jones Free, Marion Junction, Ala., 2-7-1—10
T9. Ryan Hailey, Mansfield, Texas, 2-1-4—7
T9. Eric Klutke, Crystal Lake, Ill., 2-2-3—7


GIRLS 12-13 DIVISION
1. Kayla Sam, Anaheim Hills, Calif., 10-9-7—26
2. Elle Fox, Copperas Cove, Texas, 7-10-8—25
3. Nicole Adam, Pinehurst, N.C., 9-8-3—20
4. Stephanie Su., South Barington, Ill., 4-5-10—19
T5. Malia Schroeder, Arlington, Wash., 3-3-9—15
T5. Sophia Burnett, Bluffton, S.C., 5-4-6—15
T5. Tiya Chowdary, Montgomery, N.J., 8-2-5—15
8. Kynadie Adams, 6-6-1—13
9. Elaine Giantsopoulos, Richmond Hill, Ontario, 1.5-7-2—10.5
10. Kaitlyn Hanna, Omaha, Neb., 1.5-1-4—6.5


BOYS 14-15 DIVISION
1. Michael Thorbjornsen, Wellesley, Mass., 9-10-4—23
T2. Daniel Uranga, Wilder, Idaho, 8-4-10—22
T2. Chase Venn, Colombia, Mo., 7-8-7—22
T2. Marco Punzo, Prosper, Texas, 10-9-3—22
5. Johnny Wright, Orlando, Fla., 2.5-7-9—18.5
6. Luke Trujillo, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2.5-5-8—15.5
7. Tommy Sullivan, Grosse Pointe, Mich., 6-3-5—14
8. Caleb Kimmel, Olathe, Kan., 5-6-2—13
9. Andrew Lacongo, Holland, N.Y., 2.5-1-6--9.5
10. Brian Feinstein, McLean, Va., 2.5-2-1—5.5


GIRLS 14-15 DIVISION
1. Alyssa Montgomery, Knoxville, Tenn., 9-7.5-10—26.5
2. Skylar Thompson, 5-9-9—23
T3. Kyra Cox, South Salem, N.Y., 4-6-7.5—17.5
T3. Anika Dy, Traverse City, Mich., 6-4-7.5—17.5
5. Sophie Guo, Bluffton, S.C., 8-5-4—17
6. Arielle Keating, Colorado Springs, Colo, 3-7.5-6—16.5
7. Julia Gregg, Dallas, Texas, 10-3-3—16
8. Megan Whittaker, Elkhorn, Neb., 7-2-5—14
9. Natalia Sompolvorachai, West Chester, Ohio, 1-10-2—13
10. Sofia Young, Benicia, Calif., 2-1-1—4


For complete tournament results go to: www.drivechipandputt.com/finals/2016-leaderboard