Mia Hammond, an eighth-grader at New Albany Middle School, put on a dominant performance to win the Girls 14-15 division of the Drive Chip & Putt National Finals on April 3 at Augusta National in Augusta, Georgia, the site of the Masters Tournament.
After recording nine of 10 possible points on both the driving and chipping disciplines, Hammond had a built a five-point advantage over her closest pursuer.
After some quality putts by her competitors, including two makes by Tucson’s Ella Walsh, Hammond had to get within 5′ 8′ of the cup on her two putts to seal the victory.
Normally, a simple occurrence on a Sunday morning with Dad, is anything but in front of fans, cameras, former players, and oh yeah, on the 18th green at Augusta National.
Well, Hammond didn’t need a single inch of the 68 she had to work with.
The budding star-golfer drained both right in the middle with conviction. Hammond would go on to earn an impressive 28 of 30 available points in her victory, one of the highest totals in DCP history.
“I could really see the break. I felt like I had a good idea of which way the putt was going to break, so I just trusted my gut and went for it,” Hammond told the Golf Channel.
Hammond has certainly put in work since missing the national finals by one point the last time the competition was held.
“(Last qualification process) taught me a lot about hard work and determination and that anything is possible. If you keep practicing and trying your best, you can make it.
After that performance, it’s not a surprise that she is considered as one of the best 2026 graduates in the state.
WATCH: https://x.com/DriveChipPutt/status/1510684764994482176
