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Liguori: Drive, Chip & Putt Championship For Juniors Kicks Off Masters Week At Augusta

By Ann Liguori
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (CBSNewYork) -- For 80 junior finalists, their parents and coaches, "Sunday at the Masters" has taken on new meaning.

The third annual Drive, Chip & Putt Championship took place Sunday at Augusta National on the eve of Masters week. The top boys and girls, ages 7 to 15, advanced to Sunday's finals, via a series of local qualifying events.

And what a gorgeous Sunday it was at Augusta National, blanketed in sunshine, although the early morning, chilly 50-degree temperatures and 10 to 15 mph winds made the conditions even more challenging for the young talent.

For Augusta National, the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship is the year-end culmination of its nationwide youth golf development initiative. And it pulls out all the stops, including a banquet to celebrate the young finalists the night before and a variety of Masters champs on the grounds on Sunday to present the awards.

Nick Faldo, Mark O'Meara, Gary Player, Trevor Immelman, Adam Scott, Bubba Watson, Ben Crenshaw and Tom Watson took part at different stages in the awards ceremonies. Even Justin Timberlake and former Secretary of State and Augusta National member Condoleezza Rice made appearances Saturday.

Four junior golfers from the New York Metropolitan area qualified for the finals and enjoyed an experience of a lifetime. Talent from the New York metropolitan area included:
• Kyra Cox, 15, of South Salem, New York, whose home course is Centennial Golf Club in Carmel
• Jack St. Ledger, 9, of Little Falls, New Jersey, who plays out of Montclair Golf Club in West Orange
• Tiya Chowdary, 13, of Montgomery, New Jersey, who plays at Neshanic Valley Golf Course in Neshanic Station
• Sam O'Hara, 11, of New York, whose home course is Maidstone Club in East Hampton.

The winners were:
In the girls' 7 to 9 division, Emerson Blair of West Point, Mississippi
• In the boys' 7 to 9 division, Stephen Robert Hernandez of Houston
• In the girls' 10 to 11 division, Alexa Pano from Lake Worth, Florida
• In the boys' 10 to 11 division, Christian Kim from Vernon Hills, Illinois
• In the girls' 12 to 13 division, Kayla Sam from Anaheim Hills, California
• In the boys' 12 to 13 division, Ty Briggs from Manteca, California
• In the girls' 14 to 15 division, Alyssa Montgomery from Knoxville, Tennessee
• In the boys' 14 to 15 division, Michael Thorbjornsen from Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Local qualifying events take place throughout all 50 states during the months of May through August. Those who make it out of the local qualifiers move on to sub-regional and regional qualifiers in July, August and September.

Ticketed patrons could enter the gates Sunday at 7 a.m., with the finals beginning at 7:30. In addition to watching the junior qualifiers, the patrons had the opportunity to get a jump on purchasing souvenirs in the merchandise tent. Once the competition ended at 1 p.m., the gates closed an hour later.

Registration for next year's Drive, Chip & Putt Championship is already underway at http://www.DriveChipandPutt.com.

Follow Ann on Twitter at @AnnLiguori

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