Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club now has become a Masters Tournament staple.
Young competitors from across the nation spent a year in local, regional and national competitions to qualify for the Drive, Chip & Putt final. Girls and boys, all ages 7-15, competed Sunday in front of their families, friends and patrons. Even a few in the 2025 Masters field were on hand to honor the winners, including two-time champ Scottie Scheffler and Akshay Bhatia.
Notably, Bhatia was the first former DCP finals competitor to play in the Masters a year ago. There's a good chance several of these names will be back on the scene years down the road, with some even returning to Augusta to fight for a green jacket or women's amateur title.
Here's everything we saw during the 2025 Drive, Chip & Putt national finals at Augusta National.
Buttlerflies aplenty at Augusta National
Stepping foot on the grounds at Augusta National Golf Club is enough to make even the most experienced players flinch.
That’s no different for DCP finalists. Whether a 12-year-old competitor or returning Masters champion, there’s always that moment when it clicks. The game they know and love is the same, it’s just a venue change.
“Yeah, I think after my first drive, I got a lucky bounce. It hit a tree and then came back in. I think it should have been out if it hadn't hit the tree,” girls 14-15 champ Abigail Henricksen said. “But I think that really just settled me in, like, 'OK, we're good.' Like, we got a drive in, you know, let's just enjoy the rest of the day.”
“I'd say like driving up here it was, but I was pretty relaxed, like the first few days when I just got here,” girls 14-15 competitor Victoria Davis added. “But then when we started warming up for the drive, getting, like, right into it, I was kind of like, I need to lock in, you know.”
Players have lofty goals after winning DCP
There’s no one path to take after the Drive, Chip & Putt national finals. Some will play golf only for recreation value, while others have goals of playing in college and eventually making it to the professional ranks.
Alexandra Phung, winner of the girls 12-13 age group, is a rare two-time national champion. She has plans to eventually return to Augusta National and take her game around the world.
“Definitely to play the ANWA, I mean, for the next few years. And I'm looking forward to potentially playing overseas, maybe in like Australia and Asia because really great golfers out there and I would love to visit those countries,” she said.
“Maybe for this year I'll be heading to the UK next for the R&A under 16 Junior Championship. And I would like to maybe show a good showing for the US because I'll be one of the few to be there.”
Emma June Hannant, who won here when she was eight, placed ninth in the girls 14-15 age division also has an Augusta National Women's Amateur in her sights.
"I hope so. That would be pretty awesome. That would be the goal."
Dawson Dial, winner of the boys 10-11 age group, is big fan of Texas golf. He spends his weekends watching Scottie Scheffler, his favorite player.
When asked if he wanted to play on tour someday, Dial said he’s aiming for the stars.
“My goal is to break every record that there is,” he said.
What’s in a name? A golden bear, for starters
Nicklaus Miller, who finished runner-up in the boys 12-13 division, has just about as much golf history in his name as the course itself. The Provo, Utah, native is the grandson of two-time major champion Johnny Miller. If that weren’t enough, Nicklaus is named after – you guessed it – golf legend Jack ...
