10-year-old from Brandon to play at Drive, Chip and Putt national finals
Miles Lunning, a 10-year-old from Brandon, will be playing at the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at the Augusta National practice facility.
A Brandon 10-year-old will be representing southeastern South Dakota on one of the country's most notable golf courses on Sunday, April 5. Miles Lunning, a young golfer who is already competing on a national level, will be participating in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club's practice facility, the weekend before the Masters takes place at the same course. Drive, Chip and Putt is a nationwide competition for children ages 7 to 15, focusing on three of the main components of golf.
The competition is free to enter, and boys and girls are in separate divisions and split into categories of seven to 9years old, 10 and 11 years old, 12 and 13 years old and 14 and 15 years old. Participants get nine shots that are scored in the competition — three drives, three chips and three putts. Each competition is scored the same, and Miles had to advance through local, subregional and regional rounds to be one of the 80 participants in the national finals.
"I just went through the stages through Willow Run (Golf Course), one of our courses by our house," Miles said. "Then (I) went to Minnesota, then Hazeltine (National Golf Club). And then I won Hazeltine, and now I can go to Augusta.
" The 10-year-old phenom picked up this competition while still competing in national tournaments, frequently heading south to play against the best junior competition he can. That experience has helped him combat nerves before the big event. "I can be nervous for the first hole of the tournament, then the rest of the holes I get a little more calmed down," Miles said.