Oakland Hills Country Club (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) – Eight area golfers – four boys and four girls – were crowned as National Finalists and earned an invitation to compete in the eighth Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, on Sunday, April 3, 2022, prior to the start of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Conducted in partnership with the USGA, Masters Tournament and PGA of America, Drive, Chip and Putt is a free, nationwide youth golf development program open to boys and girls, ages 7-15, in four age divisions. The three-pronged competition tests the skills essential to playing the game – accuracy in driving, chipping and putting.

The regional competition held at Oakland Hills Country Club – site of 11 USGA championships, including six U.S. Opens, and host of three PGA Championships and the 2004 Ryder Cup – on Saturday, Oct. 16, was the final of 10 qualifying events across the United States to determine the field of 80 young golfers advancing to the National Finals.

Tens of thousands seized the opportunity to participate in Drive, Chip and Putt this year, which began with local qualifying at hundreds of courses throughout the country this summer. These qualifiers are open each year to young golfers of all skill and experience levels. The top finishers from each local qualifier in 2021 advanced to subregionals in August and then regional competitions in September and October, concluding with yesterday’s regional qualifier at Oakland Hills Country Club.

The four girl National Finalists from the Oakland Hills Country Club regional qualifier are:

  • Calista Han, 8, Lewis Center, Ohio (ages 7-9)
    • Calista Han was proud of her powerful swing that drove the ball 135 yards for 23 points. “It was my best today,” she said. “I hit it straight out there.” She continued the momentum by placing second in both chipping and putting to take first overall in her age division with 103 total points.
  • Maya Keuling, 10, Carmel, Ind. (ages 10-11)
    • Maya Keuling was born in Japan and moved to the United States with her parents following an earthquake when she was five months old. Now 10 years old, she is on her way to Augusta National as a Drive, Chip and Putt National Finalist. On Sunday, she placed first in driving and putting and tied for second in chipping, totaling 135 points and ultimately winning the Girls 10-11 age division by a 27-point margin.
  • Athena Singh, 12, Morehead, Ky. (ages 12-13)
    • With 134 total points, Athena Singh edged out the second place finisher in her age group by two points to secure her spot at Augusta National for the second time. Singh, who placed 10th in the 2021 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, said she hopes to play even better this time around.
  • Mia Hammond, 13, Crooksville, Ohio (ages 14-15)
    • Mia Hammond’s 62-point drive put her in first place following the driving discipline. She maintained her position on the leaderboard by tying for first in chipping (41) and taking seventh in putting (37)—tallying 140 total points for first place overall. With her eyes set on Augusta National next April, she said, “I’m so excited to go there. It will be such an honor to be part of it, but also to see it and see the golfers.” She added, “It’s like a dream.”

The four boy National Finalists from the Oakland Hills Country Club regional qualifier are:

  • Matthew White, 8, Lexington, Ky. (ages 7-9)
    • Matthew White started the day strong, scoring 36 points to win the driving discipline. After then placing fifth in chipping (30) and second in putting (50), he topped the overall leaderboard in his division to become a National Finalist. “Just being out there having fun is why I like golf,” White said. “The winning is fun, too.”
  • Bentley Coon, 11, Horton, Mich. (ages 10-11)
    • Horton, Mich.’s Bentley Coon said he loves practicing at his local golf course with anyone at any time. “Grandpa, Dad, Mom, Grandma, anybody,” he said. “I don’t care if they play with me. I just like to go out there and have fun.” The practice paid off on Sunday as he took first place in the driving discipline (58) and overall in the Boys 10-11 division with 144 total points.
  • Jacob Thompson, 13, Louisville, Ky. (ages 12-13)
    • After placing second in both driving (57) and chipping (36) and tying for third in putting (55), Jacob Thompson won his age division with 148 total points. He attended the Masters Tournament as a fan back in 2018, but he’s now preparing to return to Augusta National as a Drive, Chip and Putt National Finalist. “That will be amazing,” Thompson said of competing there in April.
  • William Redden, 14, Evansville, Ind. (ages 14-15)
    • William Redden posted a total score of 158 points—the highest of any competitor in Sunday’s field—to win the Boys 14-15 age division by a 10-point margin. To celebrate, he planned to dine at the nearest Texas Roadhouse. “I’m going to have an eight-ounce ribeye, medium rare,” Redden said.

Click here for final results.

All scoring at the local, subregional and regional qualifiers is based on a 25-point-per-shot basis, with each participant taking three shots per skill. Each participant accumulated points per shot in all three skills (maximum of 75 points per skill = 25 points per shot x 3). The overall winner in each age category was determined by the participant with the most points accumulated across all three skills (maximum of 225 points = 75 points per skill x 3).

Photos of the event are available at www.gettyimages.com.

For more information and full qualifying scores for each division, visit www.DriveChipandPutt.com.

 

About Drive, Chip and Putt

A joint initiative founded in 2013 by the Masters Tournament, USGA 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, subregional 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 broadcast live by Golf Channel. For more information, please visit: www.DriveChipandPutt.com.


About the Masters Tournament

The Masters Tournament Foundation, inspired by the enduring philosophies of Masters Tournament founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, is committed to promoting golf’s domestic and international development through financial investment and active participation in initiatives aimed at preserving the traditions of the game and sharing its many virtues.

The Masters Tournament – since its very beginning – strives to provide added exposure to the game of golf and inspire interest in the sport worldwide. For more information about the Masters, visit masters.com.

 

About the USGA

The USGA celebrates, serves and advances the game of golf. Founded in 1894, we conduct many of golf’s premier professional and amateur championships, including the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. With The R&A, we govern the sport via a global set of playing, equipment and amateur status rules. Our operating jurisdiction for these governance functions is the United States, its territories and Mexico. The USGA Handicap System is utilized in more than 40 countries and our Course Rating System covers 95 percent of the world’s golf courses, enabling all golfers to play on an equitable basis. The USGA campus in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, is home to the Association’s Research and Test Center, where science and innovation are fueling a healthy and sustainable game for the future. The campus is also home to the USGA Golf Museum, where we honor the game by curating the world’s most comprehensive archive of golf artifacts. To learn more, visit usga.org.

 

About the PGA of America

PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of nearly 28,000 PGA Professionals who work daily to grow interest and inclusion in the game of golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.