At the Drive, Chip and Putt Finals, golf’s future looks great

Madelyn Dickerson’s chip hits the quick putting surface, checks on the second bounce, and spins to less than two feet from the cup. She is 9-years-old.

To her right, Levi Swanson takes two quick practice swings, steps behind the ball, and then sends it soaring 235 yards down Augusta National’s driving range. He is 13.

On the 18th green, surrounded by patrons and with the fabled clubhouse as a backdrop, Simon White studies a 15-footer from every conceivable angle.

It’s a slick, curling, putt and as it arcs its way into the hole the Colorado Springs teenager fist pumps in celebration. He is 14.

At the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals, the skill on show from people so young is absolutely remarkable.

Eighty junior golfers from 31 American states, Canada, and Australia earned an invitation to Augusta National to play in the 10th running of the competition.

It’s a free, youth development programme, that’s open to boys and girls in four age categories – ranging from 7 to 15.

Those who made it came through local qualifying, held at 345 clubs close to a year ago, and 61 sub-regional qualifiers through the summer.

Then two victorious youngsters in each age group and gender competed at 10 regional qualifiers – with TPC Deere Run, Chambers Bay, and Aronimink among the hosts.

Only the top finisher earned a place in the finals.

At Augusta National, they’re put to the test in three areas. They have two drives to record a longest yardage that remains in bounds.

They then chip twice and the culminative distance from the hole is recorded. Finally, they take on a putt from around 15 and 30 feet and the overall distance from the hole is taken down and added together.

There is a winner in each age group for each discipline, and overall winners of each age division.

“Our mission is for Drive, Chip and Putt to encourage very participant to continue their personal journey in the game,” says Masters chairman Fred Ridley, along with USGA president Fred Perpall and PGA of America President John Lindert.

That these youngsters can perform in the way they do, defying nerves and the watching public, is worthy of all our applause.

Augusta National Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals:

Some of them went on quite a journey to tee it up too. McKenna Nelson became the youngest ever winner of the Wisconsin Women’s State Match Play Championship last summer.

But the 14-year-old’s racing heart wasn’t down to the excitement of her success. She was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), a condition that causes a very fast or erratic heartbeat.

Nelson had a procedure known as an ablation to fix the faulty electrical signals that caused the irregular beats.

And on this massive stage, she drove it a shade under 264 yards – with a fade – and produced two wonderful putts as she won the National Championship in the Girls 14-15 age group.

“You should be proud of what you have accomplished,” Ridley told the competitors at the closing ceremony. “You are now in the company of all the game’s legends who have competed at Augusta National.

“We hope you will cherish your memories for the rest of your lives. But today was about much more than competition.

“It was about celebrating your love for the game of golf and the joy that it brings to all of us. Thank you for the inspiration you provided to everyone watching here and around the world.”

If this is the future of golf, the game looks very good indeed.

Drive, Chip & Putt National Final Winners

Girls 14-15: McKenna Nelson

Boys 14-15: Connor Holden

Girls 12-13: Karis Reid

Boys 12-13: Kipp Madison

Girls 10-11: Lily Wachter

Boys 10-11: Texas Terry

Girls 7-9: Madison Pyatt

Boys 7-9: Parker Tang

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