GLENVIEW, Ill. – The Drive, Chip and Putt Championship qualifying has officially ended in the state of Illinois, and from thousands of junior golfers who competed in ten Local Qualifiers and two Sub-Regional Qualifiers, only 32 golfers remain. These competitors earned the opportunity to advance to the Regional event at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee on Sunday, September 24, 2017.
“The Drive, Chip and Putt Championship is such a wonderful program and competition for young players to test their skills and have fun,” said Carrie Williams, Executive Director of the Illinois PGA Section. “Player development is so important to the future growth of the game and it’s exciting to see so many enthusiastic kids playing golf and advancing to the Regional event.”
The top three overall competitors in each age group from each Local Qualifier event advanced to one of the two Sub-Regional Qualifiers. At the Sub-Regional events, the two best overall players from each age group for boys and girls qualified to advance to the Regional event in Tennessee.
These 32 golfers will make the trek south to The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee for an exciting experience of regional competition. Participants who advance through local, sub-regional and regional qualifying in each age/gender category earn a place in the National Finals, which is conducted at Augusta National Golf Club the Sunday before the 2018 Masters Tournament and is broadcast live by Golf Channel.
Illinois PGA Section Sub-Regional qualifiers from the two venues and age groups are listed below:
Randall Oaks Sub-Regional Qualifier
| Girls 7-9 | Ailani Thiravong- Rochelle, IL Piper Stenzel- Marseilles, IL |
Boys 7-9 | Oliver Rojewski- Lake Villa, IL Noah Bieck- Blackstone, IL |
| Girls 10-11 | Allyson Duan- Buffalo Grove,IL Meghan Lynch-Caledonia, IL |
Boys 10-11 | Gavin Hultman- Belvidere, IL Zack Morris- Addison, IL |
| Girls 12-13 | Kayla Sayyalinh- Rockford, IL Emily Duan- Buffalo Grove, IL |
Boys 12-13 | Walker Grelle- Barrington, IL Aleks Slesers- Libertyville, IL |
| Girls 14-15 | Stephanie Su- South Barrington, IL Elaine Grant- Chillicothe, IL |
Boys 14-15 | Clint Bailes- Lake Forest, IL Brody Hender- Lake Forest, IL |
Cog Hill Sub-Regional Qualifier
| Girls 7-9 | Campbell Ray- Long Grove, IL Lisa Copeland- Naperville, IL |
Boys 7-9 | Brody Allen- Bloomington, IL Om Sawant- Bloomingdale, IL |
| Girls 10-11 | Elyssa Abdullah- Hinsdale, IL Kelly Cong- Naperville, IL |
Boys 10-11 | Konnor Kueper- Bartelso, IL Matthew Lim- Naperville, IL |
| Girls 12-13 | Kaylin Johnson- Geneva, IL Lexi Schulman- Vernon Hills, IL |
Boys 12-13 | Andrew Lim- Naperville, IL Joshua Pehl- Sugar Grove, IL |
| Girls 14-15 | Summer Hawkins- Oswego, IL Isabelle Wu- Naperville, IL |
Boys 14-15 | Conan Pan- Vernon Hills, IL Eric Klutke- Crystal Lake, IL |