Eighty junior golfers, who are representing 34 U.S. states and one Canadian province, have earned an invitation to compete at Augusta National Golf Club for the 12th annual Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals on Sunday, April 5, 2026. The event will be held before the start of the 90th Masters Tournament.
Drive, Chip and Putt is held in partnership with the USGA, the Masters Tournament and the PGA of America. It is a free youth golf development program open to boys and girls, ages 7-15, in four age divisions nationwide. The competition tests the accuracy of the driving, chipping and putting skills of the participants.
The results of the 10 regional qualifiers – the third and final stage leading to the 2026 National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club – led to 12 returning competitors:
- Callen Cronin (2024 National Finalist), of Haverhill, Mass.
- Caroline Cui (2023 National Finalist), of Redwood City, Calif.
- Dawson Dial (2025 Boys 10-11 National Champion), of Cedar Park, Texas
- Perri Harris (2025 National Finalist), of Bowling Green, Ky.
- Adalyn Lupton (2023 National Finalist), of Tega Cay, S.C.
- Emery Johnson (2024 National Finalist), of Sandy, Utah
- Amber Lee (2022 National Finalist), of San Diego, Calif.
- Kipp Madison (2024 Boys 12-13 National Champion), of Evans, Ga.
- Karis Reid (2024 Girls 12-13 National Champion), of Carmel, Ind.
- Texas Terry (2024 Boys 10-11 National Champion), of Manor, Texas
- Arno Wehle (2024 National Finalist), of San Jose, Calif.
- Lucy Wiertel (2024 National Finalist), of Oswego, Ill.
The local qualifying for the 12th annual Drive, Chip and Putt began in May and occurred at hundreds of sites across the country over the summer. The top three scorers per location, in each of the four age categories in both the boys and girls divisions, moved on to subregional qualifiers in July and August. The top two juniors in each age/gender division went on to compete at the regional level in September and October. Regional qualifying was held at 10 courses across the country, including several U.S. Open and PGA Championship venues.
The top finishers from each regional site’s age/gender divisions, for a total of 80 finalists, earned a place in the 2026 National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club. The finals will be broadcast live on Golf Channel.
All scoring at qualifying 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). For each skill, the point system is based on incremental distance measurements, rewarding accuracy and distance in the drive skill, and proximity for chipping and putting skills.
At the 12th annual National Finals, one champion will be named from each age/gender division. Each National Finalist will be scored based on a 30-point system, offering the player with the best drive 10 points, the player with the closest cumulative chips 10 points and the player with the nearest cumulative putts 10 points. The highest total composite score will determine the winner.
The full list of 2026 National Finalists can be found by clicking here.
For more information about Drive, Chip and Putt, please visit DriveChipandPutt.com.
