After qualifying through a local competition held at the Country Club of Landfall in early July, Wrightsville Beach resident Ethan Burnette was one of two boys to move through his age group at the Drive, Chip and Putt sub-regional held at Fort Jackson Country Club in Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
Competing in the boys’ 7-9 category, Burnette topped the list of 16 players as each participant competed in the three fundamental skills employed in golf: hitting three drives, three chips and three putts. Golfers accumulated points in each skill and the competitor with the highest number of total points was declared the Overall Champion of his/her age category.
Players used their drivers to earn points by hitting onto a marked grid based on distance. The chipping aspect of the competition included three swings from approximately 10-15 yards from the cup, while the putting part of the event included one stroke from six feet, 15 feet and 30 feet. Points were awarded based on the ball’s proximity to the hole, with 25 points given to a putt or chip that went in the hole.
Burnette will now compete in one of 10 regional competitions across the United States at Pinehurst on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 4. The top male and female finishers across the four age divisions – 80 finalists in total – will participate in the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship National Finals set for April 2, 2017 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, which kicks off Masters Week and the Masters Golf Championship, the first of professional golf’s four major titles.
