Author: Jesse Dodson
After four Local Drive, Chip & Putt Qualifiers held at courses throughout Utah, 16 available qualifying spots were up for grabs at the 2018 Sub-Regional Qualifier at Promontory Club on August 25th in Park City, Utah. Local Utah juniors took advantage of home turf and secured 10 of the 16 spots to advance to the Regional Qualifier held at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington.
Juniors as young as seven-years old and as old as 15, traveled from Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, Arizona, Montana, South Dakota and from all regions of Utah to hit just three drives, three chips and three putts. That’s a total of nine shots, which only takes about 10 minutes for each participant from start to finish.
“Drive, Chip & Putt is such an incredible program that is getting juniors more passionate about the game because they participated in a local event where they only hit nine golf shots,” said Utah Section PGA Operations Director Annie Fisher. “They are then able to see some of those same kids that were at their local qualifier on TV in April at Augusta; it sparks a desire to play more and plants that seed for the love of the game.”
Drive, Chip & Putt is doing wonders for the next generation of golfers throughout America. Some of our own Utah juniors have seen the benefits of making it to the Final round at Augusta National.
“I have loved watching our local kids advance over the years,” Fisher continued. “We have seen kids like Victoria Romney, Cooper Jones and sisters Aadyn and Berlin Long make it to Augusta. They come home and spread enthusiasm to the other kids in Utah which encourages them to work harder for that goal to make it all the way to Augusta National.”
Jones and Aadyn long have once again passed through the Sub-Regional stage and will have another chance on September 9th at Chambers Bay to compete to play in the Final at Augusta. Other Utah juniors to make it through Promontory include Cort Boman (photo), Kaylee Koch, Ryan Liechty, Saydie Wagner, Sean Lampropoulos, Toatele Ofahengaue, Preston Smithson and Cheyenne Hansen.
“It is such a great opportunity for the Utah Section PGA to provide the next step on the road to Augusta right in our back yard,” said Fisher about having the Sub-Regional in Utah. “The Utah Section staff has the chance to see kids we’ve watched all season compete at the next level. We love cheering them on through the whole process.”
The PGA of America, the USGA and Augusta National have truly provided an outlet and venue unlike any other for the future of golf. Many lifetime golfers dream of opportunities to play and visit courses like Chambers Bay and Augusta National; today’s juniors are taking advantage of that opportunity and it’s benefiting the game we all love.
You can follow along the road to Augusta and keep up with our Utah qualifiers through Drivechipandputt.com.
Sub-Regional Qualifier results HERE.