2018 Drive, Chip & Putt qualifiers to be held at three Long Island courses in July

Junior golfers who watched the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship played last week at famed Augusta National have a shot to be among next year's finalists performing in the lead-up to The Masters, and it comes this July when qualifying rounds tee off here on Long Island. 

Qualifying rounds for the 2018 Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, a youth golf event made possible by the United States Golf Association, the PGA of America and the Masters Tournament, will begin in all 50 states this May, giving boys and girls from age 7 to 15 the rare opportunity to step onto the tee and study the greens at Augusta National on the eve of the 2018 Masters.  Local Long Island qualifiers will be held in July at Harbor Links in Port Washington, Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park and the private Colonial Springs Golf Club in Farmingdale.

Top performers at local qualifiers advance to sub-regional competitions later this summer.  The eighty open spots at the Augusta championship -- 40 boys and 40 girls -- will then be determined at regional competitions.

Participation in the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship is free.  Players accumulate points for performance in driving, chipping and putting challenges.  Complete competition rules, eligibility requirements and scoring outlines are available at the Drive, Chip and Putt website.