BOYLSTON, Mass. – 96 participants will compete in the Drive, Chip and Putt Regional Qualifier at TPC Boston on Saturday, as they look to make their way to the finals at Augusta. TPC Boston is located in Norton, Massachusetts and is well known as one of New England’s premier PGA Tour Locations. Each competitor has advanced from a Local and Sub-regional Qualifier in order to participate in this event. These golfers will be battling for a spot in the National Finals, which are held at Augusta National Golf Club the Sunday before the Masters Tournament.
DCP is a free developmental program for young golfers nationwide. This program was founded in 2013 by the Masters Tournament, the United States Golf Association, and the Professional Golf Association of America. The mission of DCP is to provide a free opportunity for kids ages 7 through 15 to develop their golf skills through a competition that focuses on the three fundamental skills of golf: driving, chipping and putting.
The 12 girls and 12 boys from each of the four age groups (ages 7-9, 10-11, 12-13, and 14-15) will complete three shots per skill. Each attempt is given a score and the total tallied by each player will determine whether or not they will advance to the National Finals. Scoring is determined by the following criteria:
Driving: The golfer will take a total of three shots. To acquire points, they must land their shot within the width of the 40-yard fairway and will be allocated points based on their distance. The points will be added up from the three attempts to produce a total score for the drive portion of the competition.
Chipping: The participant will have three tries to make a 10 to 15-yard chip. If the chip does not land in the hole, points are allotted based on the scoring rings that surround the center of the cup. The points from each chip will be combined as a total score for the chip portion of the competition.
Putting: The competitor will be given three opportunities to make a putt at three varying lengths. First, the golfer will attempt a six-foot putt, then a 15-foot putt, followed by the final 30-foot putt. If the golfer does not make the putt, they will be given points based on scoring rings that determine the distance between the golf ball and the hole.
Once the golfer has completed all nine of their attempts, they will head to scoring where their totals for each category will be counted. Winners for each group will be determined based on who accrued the highest total score. The individuals who win the DCP Regional Qualifier at TPC Boston will advance to the National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club.
The DCP Regional Qualifier at TPC Boston will hold tee times from 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 17th, and will be televised on the Golf Channel. The event encourages families, friends and golf-lovers to attend as it is open to all spectators!