The Masters, the prestigious golf tournament, and the first of the four majors that are played each year, began on April 10 at the famous Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.
A week before the best golfers in the world teed off for the tournament that will run until Sunday, April 13, a Bridgewater-Raritan High School sophomore played the fairways and the greens at the pristine course.
Yashvi Shah, a member of the Bridgewater-Raritan High School girls’ golf team, competed in the 11th Drive, Chip, and Putt National Finals held on Sunday, April 6.
She had qualified at a subregional tournament earlier in 2024 to compete in this national event that was broadcast live on April 6 on the Golf Channel.
Yashvi placed 10th in her 14-15 age division for girls on that Sunday, when she was accompanied at Augusta National by her high school coach, Steve Kline, and her family.
That day was a memorable one for her at Augusta National.
“It was a great experience that I enjoyed with my family and coaches,’ Yashvi said. “Playing at Augusta National was a dream come true. It was an honor to compete there. I hope in the future I will earn my way back.”
Here is the official press release from Augusta National Golf Club on the tournament.
Eight junior golfers – four boys and four girls – were crowned champions at the 11th Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals held today, Sunday, April 6, at Augusta National Golf Club and broadcast live on Golf Channel across North and South America.
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 2024. 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 11th Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals
The four girl champions were: Ellie Kim of Danville, Calif. (7-9); Bella Simoes of Lake Worth, Fla. (10-11); Alexandra Phung of Forest Hills, N.Y. (12-13); and Abigail Henriksen of DeForest, Wis. (14-15).
The four boy champions were: Joshua Hooper of Wildwood, Mo. (7-9); Dawson Dial of Cedar Park, Texas (10-11); Hudson Justus of Gainesville, Ga. (12-13); and Anthony Wu of Mission Viejo, Calif. (14-15).
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. 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.