Middle Atlantic Junior Golfers Compete for Trip to Augusta National in Drive, Chip, & Putt Championship

(Stafford, Va.) – The Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA of America will host a regional qualifier for the inaugural National Drive, Chip, & Putt Championship at River Bend Golf & Country Club in Great Falls, Va., August 26. A creation of The PGA of America, United States Golf Association and the Masters Foundation, the Drive, Chip, & Putt Championship welcomes junior golfers ages 9-15 as of April 6, 2014 to earn a trip to Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters, and play the 18th hole on the Sunday before the 2014 Masters Tournament. Contestants to play in this competition have made it through local qualifying and need to finish at the top of their group in the regional to advance to Augusta National.

160 junior golfers are expected to compete in the regional at River Bend and only eight will earn a spot to the national championship at Augusta National. Competitors will be divided into groups by age and gender and will compete at the following times: 3-4 – Boys & Girls 14-15; 4-5 – Boys & Girls 10-11; 5-6 – Boys & Girls 7-9; 6-7 – Boys & Girls 12-13.

Top Contenders
In the girls division, Sydney Mills of Severna Park, Md., who is in the 14-15 age division, had the highest point total (142) of any girl in the 10 local competitions.  Karsen Rush of Chambersburg, Pa. will be one to watch in the boys division.  Rush is in the 12-13 age group and scored 159 points at his local qualifier.  For complete results of the local qualifiers, visit the Drive, Chip, and Putt page on MAPGA.com (www.mapga.com/drivechip-putt).

All in the Family
Eight families will have more than one child competing at River Bend next Monday.  The Zambruno family from Mount Pleasant, Pa. will have daughters Ella, Meghan, Abby and Olivia competing in three of the four age divisions.  In their local qualifier at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lorton, Va., Ella and Meghan finished first and second, respectively, in the 7-9 division while Abby finished second in the 12-13 division and Olivia finished first in the 14-15 division.  Traveling all the way from Greenville, SC will be siblings Mayan and Nicole Shah.  Mayan finished second in the boys 14-15 division at the River Bend qualifier and his sister Nicole won the girls 10-11 division.  Joining the Zambruno’s and the Shah’s in this family-filled event are Addison and Barrett Butler (Bristow, Va.); Queenie and Fiona Madrid (Washington, DC); Victoria and Winston Matthews (Great Falls, Va.); Shaun and Riley Mazzalupi (King of Prussia, Pa.); Thomas and Alexia Sanders (Blacklick, Ohio); and Megan And Alyssa Yoder (Narvon, Pa.)

Scoring for Drive, Chip, & Putt Championship
Scoring is based on a maximum 25-point-per-shot basis, with each participant taking three shots per skill. The winner in each group is determined by the participant with the most points (maximum of 225 points).

For more information about the Drive, Chip, & Putt Championship, including official rules, qualifying sites or to register, please visit www.DriveChipandPutt.com.

A complete list of players can be accessed through the Drive, Chip, and Putt area on MAPGA.com.

Contact: NEOhioGolf@yahoo.com