2018 Drive Chip & Putt National Finals

In a year with the most Minnesotan representation ever at the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, our juniors had a terrific showing at Augusta National on Sunday, April 1.

Sam Udovich of Inver Grove Heights, making his second appearance in the national finals, finished 2^nd in the Boys 10-11 division and first-timer Corey Boerner of Bloomington finished T-3 in the Boys 14-15 division. The pair had the best finishes of the five Minnesotans and eight total qualifiers from our region.

“It was definitely an incredible experience,” said Boerner, a 15-year-old from Bloomington Kennedy High School. “Meeting the competitors and getting to know them was great. They were all super nice and friendly. The course itself was absolutely breathtaking.”

Udovich fell just two points short of the eventual winner with an impressive score of 24 points (Drive: 8, Chip: 7, Putt: 9—out of a total of 10 in each category). Boerner, whose lone blemish came in the drive skill, finished with a respectable 20 points (Drive: 3, Chip: 8, Putt: 9). Participants received points for each skill based on where he or she ranked relative to their competitors (1^st place in drive skill = 10 points, 2^nd place in drive skill = 9 points, etc.).

“I was nervous for sure. I wanted to do well so badly,” Boerner emphasized. “I was super satisfied with my performance and the result. Also, getting a trophy handed to me by Ben Crenshaw in his green jacket was the perfect ending to the competition. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Inver Grove Heights native Isabella McCauley had a 6^th place finish in the Girls 14-15 division and Blaine’s Andrew Ramos finished T-6 in the Boys 12-13 division. The last Minnesotan, Vunnisa Vu of Maplewood, took 10^th place in the Girls 12-13 division.

2018-2019 Drive Chip & Putt Schedule

Local Qualifiers

• Tuesday, June 12, 2018: Hawktree Golf Club – Bismarck, North Dakota
• Friday, June 15, 2018: Lakeview at Detroit C.C. – Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
• Monday, June 18, 2018: Crow River Golf Club – Hutchinson, Minnesota
• Friday, June 22, 2018: Moccasin Creek Country Club – Aberdeen, South Dakota
• Tuesday, June 26, 2018: Royal Golf Club – Lake Elmo, Minnesota
• Friday, June 29, 2018: Elmwood Golf Club – Sioux Falls, South Dakota
• Saturday, July 7, 2018: Alexandria Golf Club – Alexandria, Minnesota
• Monday, July 9, 2018: Northern Hills Golf Club – Rochester, Minnesota
• Thursday, July 12, 2018: Chaska Town Course – Chaska, Minnesota
• Tuesday, July 17, 2018: Brackett’s Crossing Country Club – Lakeville, Minnesota
• Wednesday, July 25, 2018: Eagle Ridge Golf Club – Williston, North Dakota
• Saturday, July 28, 2018: Black Bear Golf Club – Carlton, Minnesota
• Monday, July 30, 2018: Wayzata Country Club – Wayzata, Minnesota

Sub-Regional Qualifiers

• Friday, August 10, 2018: The Ponds at Battle Creek – Maplewood, Minnesota
• Saturday, August 25, 2018: Rose Creek Golf Club – Fargo, North Dakota

Regionals

• Saturday, September 8, 2018: Whistling Straits – Kohler, Wisconsin

For more information, visit www.minnesotajuniorgolf.com/drive-chip-putt-championship