The Road to Augusta Ends Here

This past weekend, seven Carolinas juniors made the journey to Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, to compete in the 2024 Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals – the competition’s tenth anniversary. Each junior, accompanied by their family, earned a ticket to Augusta, Georgia in last September’s regional qualifier at the Golf Club of Tennessee.

Sunday’s competition was secondary to the world-class experience the juniors were able to have including a Saturday night banquet. “It was a great experience for the juniors to connect with their friends & competitors, hear from leaders of the game, and celebrate how far they have come”, REACH Carolinas Coordinator, Mia Hayasaki, reflected while accompanying the group in Augusta.

As an only child, Gayatri Arora, the Girls 12-13 representative for the Carolinas was determined to make the most of her experience. “I’m looking forward to meeting all of the competitors and making new friends”, she said. Owen Atkinson, the Boys 14-15 representative, shared similar excitement. “It means everything, I have always wanted to compete at Augusta for Drive Chip & Putt…maybe one day playing at the Masters is my main goal.” He chose the man who introduced him to the sport he loves – his grandfather, Steve Zimmerman – to be his caddie during the Final.

During Sunday’s Final, 4 juniors (Gayatri Arora, Riley Grimm, Kipp Madison, and Berck Phipps) placed Top 3 overall in at least one of the three skills. Arora, Grimm, and Phipps scored first place in putting and top 3 overall for their divisions. Madison took home the gold for chipping.

Along with first place for chipping, Kipp Madison became the first Augusta native to win first place overall at the National Finals. Yes, you read that right – Kipp Madison is the Boys 12-13 Drive, Chip & Putt national champion! You may remember his brother, Zane, who competed in the 2022 Final. With this accomplishment, both Madison brothers have competed at Augusta National. For his celebratory post-competition snack, his family went to get ice cream.

The REACH Carolinas Foundation would once again like to congratulate every junior on this monumental achievement. We are so proud of your accomplishments this year!

(Girls 7-9) Isabelle Chandler – 7th Overall
(Girls 12-13) Gayatri Arora – T2 Overall, 1st in Putting
(Girls 14-15) Riley Grimm – 2nd Overall, 1st in Putting
(Boys 7-9) Berck Phipps – 3rd Overall, 1st in Putting
(Boys 10-11) Simon Myers – 7th Overall
(Boys 12-13) Kipp Madison – 1st Overall, 1st in Chipping
(Boys 14-15) Owen Atkinson – 7th Overall

About Drive, Chip & Putt

A joint initiative founded in 2013 by the Masters Tournament, United States Golf Association and The PGA of America, Drive, Chip and Putt is a free nationwide junior golf development competition aimed at growing the game by focusing on the three fundamental skills employed in golf.

By tapping the creative and competitive spirit of girls and boys ages 7-15, Drive, Chip and Putt provides aspiring junior golfers an opportunity to play with their peers in qualifiers around the country. Participants who advance through local, sub-regional and regional qualifying in each age/gender category earn a place in the National Finals, which is conducted at Augusta National Golf Club the Sunday before the Masters Tournament and is broadcast live by Golf Channel.

 About PGA REACH Carolinas

The PGA REACH Carolinas Foundation is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization and philanthropic arm of the Carolinas PGA Section, the largest of the 41 sections in the United States of America. Our 2,200+ members across North and South Carolina are committed to serving our communities and growing the game of golf through our three pillars- Youth, Military, and Diversity & Inclusion. For more information, please visit carolinas.pga.com/foundation/. You can also find PGA REACH Carolinas on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram @REACHCarolinas.