In the past five years, Masters week has grown to include two additional events celebrating different sectors of the game. The lead-up to golf’s first major starts with the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals.
All three were postponed March 13 due to coronavirus fears, but now the Drive, Chip and Putt event has been removed from the 2020 calendar. Augusta National Golf Club announced its decision on Friday, citing scheduling difficulties in beginning the year-long qualifying process for the next installment of the national junior event.
The 2020-21 Drive, Chip and Putt qualifying season was set to begin May 2, but that will not take place. The field that had qualified for the 2020 event, which was to take place April 5 — the Sunday before Masters week — will instead be invited to compete at Augusta National on April 4, 2021.
Drive, Chip and Putt is made up of four age divisions for boys and girls 7 to 15 years old. In announcing the cancellation, Augusta National clarified that 2020 national finalists “will be invited to compete at Augusta National Golf Club in the same age division for which he or she previously qualified in 2020, regardless of their age on that date.”
Those who purchased tickets to the National Finals will be refunded their money in May, with the guarantee that they can purchase tickets for the 2021 event.
“We share in the disappointment of all those who were anticipating the start of Drive, Chip and Putt local qualifying, as well as this year’s National Finalists, who worked so hard to prepare for this April,” said Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament. “These decisions protect the health and well-being of the program’s many important constituents and were made independently from our Masters Tournament rescheduling efforts. With no qualifying this summer, we are pleased to maintain this wonderful transition by welcoming these 80 boys and girls to Augusta National next April.”
Registration for next year’s qualifying season is expected to open in early 2021.