Phung Takes Top Spot at Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals
Alexandra Phung, third from left, won the Girls' 10-11 division title.
UPDATE (April 2, 2023) -- Thanks to her division-best score on chipping, Alexandra Phung of Forest Hills, N.Y., earned the top spot in the Girls' 10-11 division in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club.
Related: Drive, Chip & Putt Home
Phung tallied the third best average for her two drives in the grid for the driving portion of the competition, sending her drives 190.5 and 193 yards. In chipping, her two closest came to 2'6" and 2' for a 4'6" total--the best by five inches. Though Phung's putts (8' and 1'11") only earned her two points, her 22-point total earned her the top score by two points as she earned the title. It was Phung's third year competing in the National Final, previously finishing 6th in 2019 and 3rd in 2021.
Ava Taylor Estrella of Brookville, N.Y., was also competing in the National Finals. Estrella, in the Girls' 14-15 division. Though Estrella didn't get a drive in the grid, she improved on the next two disciplines, scoring five points for chipping and six points in putting. She tallied 12 total points to finish tied for eighth.
Created by the USGA, Masters Tournament and PGA of America to introduce more youth to golf in a fun and welcoming environment, Drive, Chip & Putt is open to any boy or girl between the ages of 7-15. The program focuses on learning and mastering the three basic skills in golf and can be accessed in all 50 states.
Registration is currently open for this season's qualifying. Local qualifying begins in May at more than 350 sites nationally - the most in the event’s eight-year history - and will continue throughout the summer. Entrants will play in girls’ and boys’ divisions in four age categories, with scoring centered around skill development in driving, chipping and putting.
Top performers at the local level will advance through subregional and regional qualifiers, with 80 finalists – 40 boys and 40 girls – earning an invitation to compete in the National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club in 2024.
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (March 31, 2023) -- On Sunday, junior golfers will get to realize dreams as they compete at Augusta National Golf Club in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals. The Met Area will be represented by a pair of Long Island natives, as Ava Taylor Estrella of Brookville and Alexandra Phung both made their way through qualifying last year.
Related: Drive, Chip & Putt Home
The duo had the same path to Augusta National, completing locally at Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington, N.Y., advancing from the sub-regional at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y., and then securing their National Final spot at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass.
Estrella, competing in the Girls' 14-15 division, is making her first appearance at the finals. After playing soccer and being active in ballet for many years, Estrella shifted focus to golf at the age of nine as she looked to spend more time with her older brother Jack. Estrella in 2020 advanced to the regional finals, but came up just short at TPC Sawgrass from earning a spot at Augusta. Last year, Estrella carded a 76 at Smithtown Landing to claim the LIGA Girls' Championship.
Phung is making her third National Finals appearance, having also competed in 2019 and 2021, and will compete in the Girls 10-11 division. Phung credits her father for getting her into golf and enjoys playing alongsider her older siblings Amelie and Leo. Phung is one of nine returning finalists in the field this year and the lone player making their third appearance at Augusta National.
Created by the USGA, Masters Tournament and PGA of America to introduce more youth to golf in a fun and welcoming environment, Drive, Chip & Putt is open to any boy or girl between the ages of 7-15. The program focuses on learning and mastering the three basic skills in golf and can be accessed in all 50 states.
Registration is currently open for this season's qualifying. Local qualifying begins in May at more than 350 sites nationally - the most in the event’s eight-year history - and will continue throughout the summer. Entrants will play in girls’ and boys’ divisions in four age categories, with scoring centered around skill development in driving, chipping and putting.
Top performers at the local level will advance through subregional and regional qualifiers, with 80 finalists – 40 boys and 40 girls – earning an invitation to compete in the National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club in 2024.