Photos courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club

Golf’s No. 1 ranked player at last year’s Masters Tournament continued his stellar 2022 play to claim his first major title and his first green jacket.

When the two hottest golfers on the planet are paired together in the last group on Sunday at the Masters Tournament, it makes for one cool final round.

That’s just what happened last year at the 86th Masters when Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith of Australia were the last twosome on the course at the year’s first major championship.

Scheffler, the newly minted No. 1 ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking, was only eight weeks removed from his first career PGA Tour victory and had won three of his last five starts. Smith entered the tournament as the reigning champion of The Players Championship and the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

While Scheffler started the fourth round at 9-under-par, three strokes clear of Smith at 6-under, the Australian quickly made things interesting. He countered Scheffler’s pars on Nos. 1 and 2 with two birdies to close the gap to a single shot.

Unflappable, however, Scheffler holed a bump-and-run from below the green for birdie on No. 3 and parred the fourth hole to reach 10-under while Smith bogeyed the third and fourth holes to fall four shots behind at 6-under.

Steady play throughout the round ultimately garnered Scheffler his first major championship and a green jacket as he finished the tournament at 10-under, three shots ahead of runner-up Rory McIlroy. Smith and Shane Lowry finished T-3 at 5-under-par.

The Masters champion felt like it was a pivotal moment in the tournament when he got his third shot on the par-4 No. 3 up and in.

“I was very excited. A bit surprised, too. It was definitely not a shot I expected to see go in, but it definitely changed – I wouldn’t say changed the complexion of the day, but it definitely got things rolling for me,” Scheffler said during the green jacket presentation in Butler Cabin.

As calm, cool and collected as he appeared on the golf course, he admitted, once the green jacket was draped on his shoulders, that he felt anything but composed before he teed off on Sunday.

“I cried like a baby this morning. I was so stressed out. I didn’t know what to do. I was sitting there telling (my wife) Meredith, ‘I don’t think I’m ready for this. I’m not ready, I don’t feel like I’m ready for this kind of stuff,’ and I just felt overwhelmed,” Scheffler said.

She assured him that God was in control, he continued, “and if today is my time, it’s my time.”

Many Happy Returns

Last year Augusta National Golf Club was ready to welcome a full contingent of patrons to the grounds after having a limited number in attendance the previous two years because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The tournament field, which included 19 first-time players and six amateurs, was made up of 91 invitees from 20 countries. At the beginning of the week, however, speculation abounded about whether or not a certain one of those invitees, who also happened to be a five-time Masters champion, would tee it up.

The anticipation increased when Tiger Woods, who had not played golf competitively since he suffered serious leg injuries in a February 2021 auto accident, was spotted on the course for practice rounds Sunday and Monday. He drew huge crowds as he made his way around the front nine on Monday on a picture-perfect day.

While Woods initially said his tournament status would be a “game-time decision,” he announced at a Tuesday press conference, “As of right now, I feel like I am going to play.”

The weather flipped on Tuesday, causing the suspension of the practice round at 10:55 a.m. because of the threat of lightning and thunderstorms. Based on the forecast, Augusta National announced about two hours later that the grounds would not reopen that day, and heavy rains continued throughout the afternoon.

Scheffler, who was making his third Masters appearance and playing in his first tournament as the No. 1 player in the world, had a sunny outlook about the challenge of playing the golf course.

“I’ve been playing some good golf. Definitely not going to take it for granted and hoping to keep it rolling this week. My game feels like it’s in a pretty good spot. … I’ve had some good experience around here, and I’m looking forward to this week,” he said on Tuesday.

Rainy weather continued to be an issue Wednesday when play was suspended about 11:20 a.m. The course reopened at 12:45 p.m. in time for another happy return to last year’s tournament – the Par 3 Contest, which was being held for the first time since 2019. Play was suspended again at 3:42 p.m., however, and the grounds did not reopen due to inclement weather conditions and safety concerns.

In the weather-shortened contest, Canadians Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, and Mackenzie Hughes were named co-winners after they tied with a score of 4-under-par 23. This was the third time in Par 3 history that dual winners were declared due to the suspension of play.

Golfers were glad that the light-hearted tradition, where their children or significant others often serve as caddies, was on the schedule again. Playing in his third Masters but his first Par 3 Contest, Hughes said it was “everything and more” that he hoped it would be.

“It was a special day,” he added. “To have a family day like this before one of the biggest tournaments of the year is pretty cool.”

Jason Kokrak recorded the sole ace of the day on No. 4, which marked the 101st hole-in-one made since the inception of the Par 3 in 1960.

This year the contest will be played on a redesigned course in which Nos. 1 through 5 have been rerouted to allow more golf holes to be adjacent to DeSoto Springs Pond. The pond and dam also were reshaped and restored, and the changes will increase patron viewing options and capacity on the nine-hole, par 27 course.

In his annual Wednesday morning press conference, Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, commented on the lengthening of the 11th and 15th holes before last year’s tournament.

“We look at every hole every year and evaluate course improvements to uphold the integrity of the design philosophies of Bobby Jones and Dr. Alister MacKenzie,” he said. “We believe these enhancements will improve the strategy of these holes, as well as the excitement of the competition and the viewing experience of our patrons.”

In another change since last year’s tournament, the par-5 No. 13 has been lengthened to 545 yards by moving back the Masters tees 35 yards.

Getting in Position

Overnight rainstorms delayed the start of the first round by 30 minutes, but the tournament still got underway Thursday with one of its most enduring traditions – the honorary starters ceremony.

Last year two-time Masters winner Tom Watson made his debut as an honorary starter, joining Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player on the first tee. Between the three of them, they have won 11 green jackets.

“I would like to say how honored I am to be with Gary and Jack,” Watson said before he hit his tee shot. “I’ve watched the ceremony many times in the past with Arnie, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, and to be a part of this thing, I’m truly humbled.”

The players enjoyed beautiful weather in the afternoon, but they had to adapt to the wind. At the end of the first round, Sungjae Im shot 67 to sit atop the leaderboard at 5-under-par. He birdied the first three holes as well as Nos. 7 and 15 and eagled No. 13 to offset bogeys at Nos. 10 and 11.

“I drove it well most of the holes, and it gave me opportunities to have better second shots most of the holes,” he said.

Bookending his round with double bogeys on the first and 18th holes, Smith was a stroke behind at 4-under. Shooting 68, he also birdied Nos. 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15 and 16.

“The condition of the course was amazing given the amount of rain we’ve had the last couple of days. It was just gusty out there,” Smith said. “The wind was quite tricky.”

Former Masters champions Danny Willett and Dustin Johnson, along with Joaquin Niemann and Scheffler, shot 69 to finish T-3 at 3-under. Scheffler bogeyed No. 18 and birdied the eighth, ninth, 12th and 17th holes.

“I kept the ball in position pretty much most of the day,” Scheffler said. “I got out of position a couple of times, and after that, I got the ball back into play to somewhere where I could make a par. I had some really good par saves on the front nine that kept me going.”

Friday brought 25-mph gusts of wind that lifted swirls of sand from the bunkers throughout the day. Stewart Cink had a hole-in-one on No. 16, and Scheffler, who birdied all four of the par-5 holes, ended the round firmly in control of the tournament.

Shooting 67 with seven birdies and two bogeys, he held a five-shot lead over Im, 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, Shane Lowry and defending champion Hideki Matsuyama. Scheffler also became one of only six players in Masters history to build a five-shot lead after 36 holes, and four of the previous five went on to win the tournament.

“It’s nice to build up a little bit of a lead. … I’ve put myself in position to play well and to win this golf tournament,” Scheffler said. “Going into tomorrow, I’m just going to approach it like I did today and just be committed to my shots and hope for the best.”

He was one of 52 players to make the cut, which fell at 4-over-par 148. Since 2020, the low 50 and ties have qualified for the final 36 holes of the tournament.

Notable names to miss the cut included the likes of former Masters winners Johnson and Jordan Spieth along with major champions Brookes Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau. With his 46-year-old body that has been surgically repaired multiple times over, however, Woods shot 1-over through 36 holes to play on the weekend.

“I got back in the ball game. … Tomorrow is going to be tough. It’s going to be windy. It’s going to be cool,” said Woods, who shot a pair of 78s on the weekend to finish in 47th place.

Riding Momentum

Other than a 30-minute cameo appearance in the morning, the sun sat out the Saturday round. With more blustery winds and temperatures in the 40s and 50s, people broke out sweatshirts and sweaters, beanie caps and mittens inside and outside the ropes.

Scheffler birdied Nos. 2, 3, 6, 8, 13 and 17 and bogeyed the fourth, 12th, 14th, 15th and 18th holes. After his tee shot on No. 18 landed under a bush on the left, he took a one-shot penalty for an unplayable lie to bogey the hole.

“We saw the guy with the flag that always finds the balls kind of panicking. … Fortunately, they found the ball,” Scheffler said. “And then all I was trying to do was figure out how I was going to get it on the green for my third shot. And fortunately, I was able to take an unplayable out of the bush and still have a swing. I think I could have gone in there and played it if I had to, but getting out of the bush and trying to make my five from there with a drop and guarantee me being out of the bush was huge. I hit a really good shot and had a nice up-and-down.”

Finishing with a 71, he was the only player to have three sub-par rounds through 54 holes.

“You hate bogeying the last hole, but the way I bogeyed it, it for sure felt like a par,” Scheffler said in a Butler Cabin interview. “Definitely a good finish to the day. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Scheffler acknowledged that it’s not easy to sleep at night and play with the lead, but he said he calmed down Sunday once he got on the Augusta National grounds.

“When I got to the golf course, I was pretty much settled in. It’s just the morning that was tough,” he said.

After the third and fourth holes of the final round shifted momentum back in his favor, Scheffler maintained his four-shot lead until the 11th hole when Smith birdied to pull within three strokes.

However, when he hit his tee shot on No. 12 into Rae’s Creek, Smith fell out of contention with a triple-bogey to fall to 4-under. The Australian, who later won the 2022 British Open before defecting from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf, ultimately shot 73 to finish at 5-under.

In the meantime, playing five groups ahead of Scheffler and Smith, McIlroy, who carded the only bogey-free round of the tournament on Sunday, was making a run up the leaderboard. Shooting 64, he had six birdies and an eagle in the final round to finish in second place at 7-under.

He also was part of one of the most spectacular moments of the 2022 – or any other – Masters on the 18th green.

Ending the day with a flourish, McIlroy holed out from the rear of the back right bunker to birdie the 18th hole. Not to be outdone, his playing partner, Collin Morikawa, followed with a hole-out from the front of the same bunker for a birdie on No. 18 to shoot 67 and finish in fifth place.

“I played a really, really good round of golf. I knew it would take something incredible to try to at least give Scottie something to think about,” McIlroy said. “I thought I had maybe done that with holing that bunker shot on the last. I got to within three at that point. But then Scottie’s just been sort of unflappable and birdied 14 and 15, and he’s closing this thing out like a champ.”

Scheffler shot another 71 on Sunday to finish the tournament at 10-under. In addition to his birdie on No. 3, he birdied the seventh, 14th and 15th holes and bogeyed No 10. Scheffler said he never broke his concentration until he got to the 72nd hole and double-bogeyed with a four-putt.

“I had a five-shot lead and was like, all right, now I can enjoy this. And you saw the results of that,” he said with a laugh.

Throughout the tournament, Scheffler put his trust in his caddie, Ted Scott, who was on the bag for Bubba Watson for his Masters wins in 2012 and 2014. Scheffler also said he rarely looked at the leaderboards.

“I kept my head down, kept pushing and trying to hit good shots and stay aggressive. … The minute you play overly conservative, bogeys just start racking up,” he said. “You have to play conservatively aggressive and hit good shots. You can’t just limp your way in. I knew that on the back nine, and all I was trying to do was just hit good shots.”

Making History

Despite the finish that a five-shot lead going into the last hole allows, Scheffler made history in all the right ways. He became the fifth top-ranked player in the world to win the Masters, joining Ian Woosnam (1991), Fred Couples (1992), Woods (2001 and 2002) and Johnson (2020). He also was the fourth Masters champion to have won a U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, along with Gay Brewer, Woods and Spieth.

Several times during the week Scheffler was asked to describe himself. He said he’s a private, laid-back guy who leads a normal life, likes to play board games and tries to stay in the moment. Now, however, he also is a Masters champion who has a lifetime invitation to Augusta National every April.

“I dreamed of having a chance to play in this golf tournament. I teared up the first time I got my invitation in the mail. … I love this place. I love this golf course,” he said. “If you’re going to choose a golf tournament to win, this would be the tournament I would want to win.”

By Betsy Gilliland

Photos courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club

The 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur competitors – and one bucket hat-wearing teen in particular – made the most of their experience at the tournament.

At the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, held March 30-31 and April 2, Anna Davis of Spring Valley, California, relished her role as an underdog. As a 16-year-old who didn’t yet have her driver’s license, she felt like there were few expectations of her at the tournament. She had no trouble navigating the courses at Champions Retreat Golf Club and Augusta National Golf Club, however, winning the title in her debut at the 54-hole tournament.

Wearing a red shirt, white jacket and her signature bucket hat, Davis shot a final-round 69 at Augusta National to finish at 1-under-par and clip Louisiana State University teammates Latanna Stone and Ingrid Lindblad by a stroke.

“I knew I was kind of an underdog in the field, and I didn’t have as much pressure on me to do extremely well. So I was just out there having fun,” she said in Butler Cabin when she accepted the winner’s trophy from Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National and the Masters Tournament.

Pars, Putts & Patience

Round 1 got underway at Champions Retreat in Evans with a field of 72 of the world’s top amateur golfers from 24 countries.

At the end of the day, University of Alabama sophomore Benedetta Moresco and Davis, who each signed for 2-under 70, sat atop the leaderboard.

The trio of University of Michigan junior Hailey Borja, LSU junior Lindblad and China’s 17-year-old Xiaowen Yin were a shot back at 1-under.

Moresco, No. 19 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), got in the mix, after early birdies from a close putt on No. 2 and a 15-footer on No. 3, to make the turn at 2-under-par. The native of Italy went bogey-free on her second nine, stringing together nine consecutive pars to share the lead in her second tournament appearance.

“It was good out there today. I had really good putts from all around the green,” Moresco said. “My key was being patient on the golf course. … The wind came up on the back nine more than the front nine. It was a little bit tougher.”

Playing in the last group of the day, Davis, ranked 99th in the WAGR, made the turn at 1-under-par after a birdie on the seventh hole. She carded another birdie at No. 14 to claim a share of the lead. Although she lost a stroke with her only bogey of the day on the next hole, she bounced back with a birdie on No. 18 after her 30-foot chip hit the flagstick and stopped inches from the hole.

“I saw it going at the pin. I was just hoping it would hit it and go somewhere near the hole,” said Davis, one of the youngest players in the field. “It was actually a little embarrassing because there was somebody next to me who was like, ‘good thing the hole was there.’ I’m like, ‘oh, thanks.’”

Teeing off on No. 10, Lindblad of Sweden held a share of the lead through her first nine, sinking 15- and 23-foot putts for back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15. She also had two bogeys on Nos. 1 and 4 and a birdie on No. 2.

“I’m a little bit more confident this year than last year,” said Lindblad, who finished T-3 at the 2021 Women’s Amateur. “I hit the ball further, so I actually hit a little shorter clubs in this year. It’s a big difference if you have a pitching wedge instead of an 8-iron into the greens.”

Three players, Arizona State University senior Alexandra Forsterling of Germany, LSU junior Stone and 15-year-old Liqi Zeng of China were tied for sixth place at even par.

Play, Interrupted

Start times for the tournament’s second round, also played at Champions Retreat, were scheduled to begin Thursday at 7:30 a.m., but inclement weather pushed them back by two hours. The delays continued throughout the day, and the second round finally started under sunny skies at 3 p.m.

By the time darkness forced the suspension of the second round at 7:52 p.m., only nine players had completed their rounds. The remaining 21 groups came back to Champions Retreat on Friday to resume play at 7:30 a.m.

When play was suspended, three players were tied for the lead at even par – Beatrice Wallin, a Florida State University senior from Sweden; University of Southern California freshman Amari Avery of the United States; and Borja of the United States.

While Wallin and Avery were at 1-under-par for the second round through the 16th hole, Borja was 1-over-par for the round through the 11th hole.

Four players were a shot behind at 1-over par – Americans Stone and Jensen Castle, a University of Kentucky junior, Moresco and 17-year-old Amalie Leth-Nissen of Denmark.

Davis, one of the nine players to finish the second round on Thursday, shot 76 for a score of 2-over-par for the tournament. She was in a six-way tie for eighth place when the round was halted.

By the completion of the 36 holes on Friday morning, Wallin, who shot 1-under, and Stone, who shot even par, were tied for first place at even-par 144. One of only three players under par in the second round, Wallin, ranked sixth in the WAGR, parred her two remaining holes to shoot a second-round 71.

“I’m going to take it shot-by-shot and just enjoy it because it’s going to be my last time playing Augusta National and playing this event,” she said. “I’m going to go out there with a big smile and see what happens.”

Starting on the 10th hole, Stone saved par after her ball plugged in the bunker on No. 7. She joined Wallin in the lead with a birdie on No. 8. The LSU junior finished both of her rounds at even-par 72 in her debut.

“I’ve just been trying to keep it simple – fairways, greens, two-putt and get off,” Stone said. “I’m not trying to do anything special. I know there’s not a lot of birdies out there, and I’m just trying to stay patient.”

Austrian and UCLA junior Emma Spitz, Avery and Leth-Nissen were a shot back at 1-over-par. First-round co-leaders Davis and Moresco, along with Stanford University senior Aline Krauter of Germany, were T-6 at 2-over-par.

Unfinished Business

Before all 72 competitors could go to Augusta National to play a practice round Friday afternoon, however, a quartet of golfers had to take care of unfinished business. The field for the final round had to be trimmed to 30 people, and a sudden-death playoff ensued for one of the four players, knotted at 6-over-par, to claim the last spot.

The playoff competitors were Forsterling; Americans Auston Kim, a Northwestern University junior, and Amanda Sambach, a University of Virginia freshman; and Germany’s Paula Schulz-Hanssen, who had committed to play at Arizona State.

All four players parred the first playoff hole – the par-4 No. 10. However, a bogey on the par-3 11th hole by Forsterling and Kim’s bogey on the par-3 No. 17 eliminated them from the competition.

After both remaining players laid up on the par-5 18th, Sambach bogeyed and Schulz-Hanssen two-putted for par to advance to the final round.

“I’m so excited, and it’s even my birthday,” said Schulz-Hanssen, who turned 19. “So that’s like a great present for myself. I’m very excited, and I’m very proud.”

In Round 3, Davis played in the third-to-last group of the day. The high school sophomore, who had birdies on Nos. 2 and 9 – plus back-to-back birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 – and a bogey on the third hole, shot the second-lowest score of the day. She also was the only player to finish under par for the tournament.

Stone, playing in the final group, had the tournament in her grasp when she built a two-stroke lead with two holes to play after a birdie on No. 16 put her at 3-under-par. With a double bogey on the 17th hole and a bogey on No. 18, however, she fell a shot behind Davis.

“It’s just heartbreaking, you know? I knew where I stood on 17, and I was just thinking par out,” said Stone. “I just didn’t have the right club and left myself with a difficult up-and-down. I was trying to be aggressive and just kind of lost it, but I thought I could get it back on 18. But I had a lot going on in my head with where I was at.”

Lindblad posted the low score of the day with a 68 in a round that included three birdies and two eagles. A bogey on the last hole also dropped her from 1-under to even par.

After the round, Davis said she was shocked that she had won the tournament. “I’m speechless,” said the teenager, who plays golf left-handed and shares a St. Patrick’s Day birthday with Augusta National co-founder Bobby Jones. “I can’t even fathom what just happened.”

Davis, who often travels solo to golf tournaments, also said she will continue to bring her bucket hats with her. “Every golf course I go to, I try to collect them,” she said. “A few months ago . . . I wore a bucket hat at Valhalla because my dad told me to. … It was very hot, and I was getting very sunburned.”

She said she tries to wear a bucket hat at least once a tournament. (She wore a visor in the rounds at Champions Retreat.)

Underdog to Top Dog

After the first round, Davis had said that, before the Women’s Amateur, it had been a year since she had gone into a golf tournament – her third AJGA event – with no pressure to perform.

“That’s probably the last time I felt like I was an underdog in an event,” she said.

She also won that tournament by a shot, mirroring the results of the Women’s Amateur.

Clearly, Davis wore the role of underdog as well as she rocked her bucket hat. However, with her game, poise and independence, she seemed to have no trouble making the transition from underdog to top dog.

This year she will become the first reigning champion to defend her title, but she’ll have to fend off an international field that includes 2021 champion Tsubasa Kajitani and top-ranked amateur Rose Zhang. However, Davis, who has committed to Auburn University, made it clear a year ago that she has set her sights on other goals as well.

“I want to be the best player in the world,” she said.

By Betsy Gilliland

Photos courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club

The eight winners in the 2022 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals showed their mettle by coming through when it counted.

For the 2022 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, 40 boys and 40 girls came from across the United States to participate, and, after a hiatus in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, patrons were back to watch the junior golfers perform as well.

While some division winners prevailed after a close contest, one was victorious in a record-breaking rout. However, all of finalists came ready to compete. The field, which included three hometown heroes – Evans residents Hamilton Coleman and Zane Madison as well as Fort Gordon’s Lyla Hawker –  illustrated once again that the future of golf is in good hands.

The winners in the Boys’ divisions were Hudson Knapp of Marietta, Georgia (ages 7-9), Bentley Coon of Horton, Michigan (ages 10-11), Michael Jorski of Clarendon Hills, Illinois (ages 12-13) and Jaden Dumdumaya of Fairfield, California (ages 14-15).

In the Girls’ divisions, the winners were Autumn Solesbee of Huntersville, North Carolina (ages 7-9), Kylie Chung of Cumming, Georgia (ages 10-11), Jenna Kim of Raleigh, North Carolina (ages 12-13) and Mia Hammond of New Albany, Ohio (ages 14-15).

‘Time of My Life’

A single point separated Knapp from the runner-up in the Boys’ 7-9 division, and, after finishing second in putting, he credited the flatstick with bringing him the top prize. However, he was surprised by the outcome.

When he first saw the golf course, Knapp said, “I was like, ‘I’m not going to get first place.’”

Finishing in seventh position overall, Madison made his best showing in the driving portion of this division by claiming second place. The lefty said “hitting my driver a long way and playing with friends” are the things he likes most about golf.

Coon, who won the driving portion and finished second in chipping, took the Boys’ 10-11 competition by a mere half-point. However, winning his division was just one of several unforgettable moments he experienced last year. He got to say “hi” to 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson, and he was in awe of the drive down Magnolia Lane.

“It gives you one of those feelings where you want to go out and just hit ’em straight, chip ’em really close and putt ’em in – or make the putts, whatever you want to call it,” he said.

To take the overall trophy in the Boys’ 12-13 division, Jorski putted like a seasoned veteran on the 18th green. He made his 30-footer and knocked his 15-foot putt 8 inches from the hole to finish in a tie with Jacob Thompson of Louisville, Kentucky. After the two competitors decided the winner in their age group in a “putt-off,” Jorski also proved something to himself.

“I can deal with pressure well, and I can rise up to the occasion,” he said. “It’s impossible to really deal with the nerves and take them away, so, I mean, it proves to me that I can play when I’m nervous, too.”

Although Coleman, an eighth grader at Evans Middle School last year, finished in fourth place in the Boys’ 12-13 division, he won the driving portion of the competition. He appreciated the support from the patrons as well.

“I obviously didn’t win (overall), but I had the best time of my life,” he said. “When they called my name and everybody started cheering, it just felt great. … It was super loud. It made me feel a lot better, and I calmed down a little bit.”

In the Boys’ 14-15 division, Dumdumaya’s 10-point margin of victory was the largest spread in Drive, Chip and Putt history. Dumdumaya, who won the driving and putting events and finished second in chipping, said putting is the strongest part of his game. He almost made his 30-foot putt, and he sank his 15-footer.

“I told myself that the putt at the end is to win the Masters, so I kind of imagined just throwing up a Tiger fist pump and all that,” he said. “I was more worried about the celebration because I really wanted it to be something that I remember for the rest of my life. It was a good way to end it.”

‘Good at Golf’

In winning the Girls’ 7-9 division, Solesbee finished first in the chipping portion of the contest and second in putting. She said she is a good chipper because “I have a smooth stroke, and I am really good at making the bounce – and distance.”

During the competition, she calmed herself with words from her father. “My dad always says, ‘being nervous is a superpower because it shows that you care,’” she said.

She even got a hug from two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson after she won. “That’s my favorite golfer, and do you know why? Because he adopted his kids, and I’m adopted,” she said.

Although it wasn’t Hawker’s day at the Drive, Chip and Putt finals, she can claim an impressive golf feat that few can match. She made a hole-in-one on her first-ever swing in her first-ever golf class.

In the Girls’ 10-11 division, only 3 1/2 points separated first place from last place in the final standings. When Chung arrived at the 18th green, she knew she had to putt well to have a chance to win. She did just that – finishing first in putting to take the overall title in her age group by a half-point.

As if her victory didn’t say enough, she also wanted to send another message to some of her schoolmates when she got home. “I’m going to tell those boys I’m good at golf,” she said.

A solid performance by Kim, who finished second in driving and chipping and third in putting, helped her take the top spot in the Girls’ 12-13 division.

“I’ve been working to get here for a long time and didn’t think I would actually win it,” said Kim, who called chipping the strongest part of her game. “So, when I did win it, I didn’t expect it.”

The last division competition of the day came to a dramatic conclusion when a pair of players – Hammond and Ella Walsh of Tucson, Arizona – made both of their putts on the 18th green. To settle the winner of the putting event, the two girls went to a one-putt playoff. With Hammond’s playoff victory, she also claimed the overall title in Girls’ 14-15 competition.

“I was just really confident with the putter. I knew if I kept my mindset good, I could make both putts,” said Hammond, who finished second in driving and in chipping. “I had a lot of confidence walking up onto the green.”

This year’s Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals will be held on Sunday, April 2. Registration for the 2024 championship is underway at drivechipandputt.com, and local qualifiers begin April 30 at more than 340 sites nationwide and will continue throughout the summer.

By Betsy Gilliland

Photos courtesy of Augusta National Golf Club

Local golf pros share their picks for Masters glory – or heartache.

Every year Masters Week begins with an abundance of storylines, and it’s always fun to see how events play out.

Perhaps Jordan Spieth can win on Easter Sunday for the third year a row. Maybe this is the time for last year’s runnerup, Rory McIlroy, to slip his arms into a green jacket and complete the career grand slam. Or top golfer Jon Rahm could ride his hot streak into Masters history with a victory.

As for our prognosticators, we’ll see if Ira Miller, the Augusta Municipal Golf Course general manager and a newcomer to our poll last year, can repeat his performance. He correctly picked Scottie Scheffler to win the 2022 Masters Tournament, declaring, “He’s the man.”

Who will be the man this year? Our favorite golf experts have made their predictions for the 2023 Masters.

By Todd Beck

Ira Miller
General Manager, Augusta Municipal Golf Course
(Ira’s correct 2022 predictions: Masters Champion, Highest-Ranked Player to Miss the Cut, Highest 18-Hole Score)
2023 Masters Champion: I’ll say Jon Rahm. He’s hot right now.

Dark Horse: Max Homa. Both guys are hot. They’re playing good golf.

Low Newcomer: I’m going to go with Tom Kim. He did well on the Hawaiian swing.

Low Senior: I’m going to say Bernhard Langer.

Highest-Ranked Player to Miss the Cut: Sam Burns

Toughest Hole: No. 17

Pivotal Hole: I’m going to go with No. 15.

Highest 18-Hole Score: 84

Highest Score on One Hole: 8

Tommy Brannen
Head Golf Professional, Augusta Country Club
(Tommy’s correct 2022 predictions: Highest-Ranked Player to Miss the Cut, Toughest Hole)
2023 Masters Champion: Who would I like to see win, or who is going to win? I’d like to see Justin Thomas win. I’m going to pick him. No, I’m going to pick Jon Rahm to win.

Dark Horse: JT is my dark horse.

Low Newcomer: Tom Kim. He’s a good little player.

Low Senior: It’s probably between Freddie or Bernhard. I guess Phil is playing. I would say Phil Mickelson.

Highest-Ranked Player to Miss the Cut: Sam Burns

Toughest Hole: Let’s stay with No. 11.

Pivotal Hole: I think it’s going to be 13.

Highest 18-Hole Score: 86

Highest Score on One Hole: 8

Dan Elliott
PGA General Manager/Director of Golf, Forest Hills Golf Club
(Dan’s correct 2022 predictions: Low Newcomer, Highest-Ranked Player to Miss the Cut, Toughest
Hole, Highest Score on One Hole)
2023 Masters Champion: Jon Rahm. He’s playing so well. He’s hot.

Dark Horse: Justin Rose. He’s playing well, and he plays well there.

Low Newcomer: That’s a tough one. It’ll probably be between Sahith Theegala and Tom Kim. I’m going to go with Theegala.

Low Senior: Bernhard Langer

Highest-Ranked Player to Miss the Cut: Sam Burns

Toughest Hole: That’s going to be hard. They’ve made some changes. No. 11.

Pivotal Hole: No. 13

Highest 18-Hole Score: 81

Highest Score on One Hole: 8

Spike Kelley
General Manager and Golf Professional, Goshen Plantation
(Spike’s correct 2022 predictions: Toughest Hole, Highest Score on One Hole)
2023 Masters Champion: Rory McIlroy. He hasn’t won yet, and I pick him every year.

Dark Horse: Max Homa. He’s been playing really well. He’s a good player.

Low Newcomer: Tom Kim

Low Senior: Vijay Singh

Highest-Ranked Player to Miss the Cut: Sam Burns

Toughest Hole: I’m going to say No. 11.

Pivotal Hole: No. 12

Highest 18-Hole Score: 84

Highest Score on One Hole: 8

Tyler Powers
Golf Shop Manager, Hickory Knob State Park Golf Course
(This is Tyler’s first year participating in our poll)
2023 Masters Champion: I think Jon Rahm’s looking really good.

Dark Horse: I’ve always wanted Rory McIlroy to win it.

Low Newcomer: Let’s go with Tom Kim.

Low Senior: I really want Freddie Couples to do it. I like Freddie. Personal bias.

Highest-Ranked Player to Miss the Cut: How about Viktor Hovland. Maybe. Who knows?

Toughest Hole: It’s going to be in Amen Corner. No. 13.

Pivotal Hole: No. 16

Highest 18-Hole Score: 86

Highest Score on One Hole: 8

Chris Verdery
Director of Golf, The River Golf Club
(Chris needs a mulligan on his 2022 predictions.)
2023 Masters Champion: Jon Rahm. He’s on top of his game.

Dark Horse: Sungjae Im

Low Newcomer: I’ll go with Sahith Theegala.

Low Senior: I guess I’ll say Phil Mickelson.

Highest-Ranked Player to Miss the Cut: Let’s say Matthew Fitzpatrick.

Toughest Hole: I’m going to say No. 11.

Pivotal Hole: No. 15

Highest 18-Hole Score: 83

Highest Score on One Hole: 9