There's a way for local junior golfers to not only tee it up on the legendary Augusta National Golf Course, but get some national TV air time as well, and it's not by finding a loophole into The Masters.
Local qualifiers for the 2019 Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, a youth golf event made possible by the United States Golf Association, the PGA of America and the Masters Tournament, will tee off at 288 host sites around the country beginning this spring, giving boys and girls from age 7 to 15 the opportunity to compete for a spot in the finals at Augusta on the eve of the 2019 Masters. Local Long Island qualifiers will be held in July at three facilities — Harbor Links in Port Washington on July 6, Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park on July 26, and the private Colonial Springs Golf Club in Farmingdale on July 16.
The top performers at these local qualifiers will advance to a sub-regional competition at Bethpage State Park on August 16. Regional competitions to determine the final 80 juniors advancing to Augusta will be announced later this year.
Participation in the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship is free. Players accumulate points for performance in driving, chipping and putting challenges. Registration for the upcoming qualifiers will open this week on Thursday, January 25.
Complete competition rules, eligibility requirements and scoring outlines are available at the Drive, Chip and Putt website.