Two Idaho junior golfers are about to walk where Tiger and Nicklaus have reigned
Carter Macy is going to fit in just fine on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club.
After sinking a 30-foot putt to win his age group at a regional qualifier in the Drive, Chip and Putt contest last September, the 8-year-old Meridian resident broke out his best Tiger Woods first pump. Woods famously won the 2019 Masters at Augusta after years of not winning a major, earning his fifth green jacket. He trails only Jack Nicklaus, who won six.
Carter is one of just 80 junior golfers nationwide to qualify for the Drive, Chip and Putt National Final, which will be held at Augusta National on Sunday, the day before Masters Tournament week begins. The junior event will be broadcast live by Golf Channel.
“I’m pretty excited,” Carter said.
Carter, a second grader at Gem Prep Meridian, will be joined by fellow Meridian resident and Cole Valley Christian freshman Chloe Singpraseuth, who qualified in the girls 14-15 age group.
How does the contest work?
The Drive, Chip and Putt contest is a joint initiative founded in 2013 by the Masters, the United States Golf Association and the PGA of America. It is a free competition aimed at growing the game by focusing on three fundamental skills employed in golf.
Participants compete in all three (drive, chip and putt), and hit three shots per skill. Points are accumulated per shot at each skill. The overall champion in each division is determined by the participant with the most points accumulated.
There are four age groups (7-9 years old; 10-11; 12-13; and 14-15) for boys and girls, with 10 participants per group at the national final at Augusta.
Get to know Carter
Home course: Hillcrest Country Club, Boise
Age started playing golf: 4
How he got into golf: “I would go to the driving range with my dad.”
Favorite school subject: Math
Favorite golfer: “Jordan Spieth because he is a good role model and I want to golf as well as him when I grow up.”
Spieth is the 2015 Masters champion.
Get to know Chloe
Home course: The Club at Spurwing, Meridian
Age started playing golf: 4
How she got into golf: “My whole family plays golf.”
Favorite school subject: History
Favorite golfer: Xander Schauffele. “He seems like he is having fun.”
Schauffele is in the top 10 in the World Golf Ranking. His best finish at Augusta is as runner-up to Woods in 2019.
This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 1:17 PM.
