Despite the Drive, Chip & Putt regional qualifier at Castle Pines not sending any Coloradans to Augusta for 2027 National Finals, event proves a hit once again
By Gary Baines – 9/13/2026
CASTLE ROCK — For the first time since 2021, no Coloradans will advance to the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals when Augusta National Golf Club hosts the event on the eve of the 2027 Masters.
At least none from Sunday’s DCP regional qualifying competition that Castle Pines Golf Club hosted — one of just 10 regionals held across the country.
But that doesn’t mean that Castle Pines didn’t put on a winning show on Sunday as 96 contestants — including 31 from Colorado — competed for eight spots in the National Finals that are set for April 4 at Augusta National in Georgia.
Plenty of the young golfers — age 7-15 — had never before set foot on the property at Castle Pines Golf Club, which has hosted 22 PGA Tour events — and very well may add to that total in the not-too-distant future. The same is true for many parents who accompanied their youngsters over the weekend.
In fact, a fair number of the visitors had never been to anywhere in Colorado before this weekend.
“This was so fun, and it’s such a nice, beautiful course, and it has such a great view,” noted first-timer Danica Hager of Owatonna, Minn., who prevailed in the girls 14-15 division and is headed to Augusta National.
“It's really pretty,” added newcomer-to-Colorado Leah Mack of Excelsior, Minn., who won the girls 10-11 division.
Castle Pines Golf Club chairman and president George Solich shares a laugh with the girls 7-9 competitors on Sunday.
Castle Pines was hosting a DCP regional qualifier for the third time, having previously done the honors in 2022 and ’23. (Colorado Golf Club in Parker held regional qualifying there in 2019 and ’21.)
This time around, participating families were invited to a barbecue at the club on Saturday night — the eve of the competition. They could play ping-pong and cornhole and could use the practice range.
“We like to make sure the families and the kids are treated really well, and give them a great experience,” said George Solich, the chairman and president at Castle Pines Golf Club, who handed out the awards on Sunday and made it a point to have fun with the kids in the process. Numerous Castle Pines Golf Club members helped put on the event — as did many other volunteers from Colorado. The Colorado PGA oversaw the competition — as it does for all three qualifying stages held in the state.
Despite being small, Oliver Voeller (center) came up big in winning the boys 7-9 overall title.
Solich personally attends the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National each spring. “It’s just a very special day in Augusta,” he said.
“I think the Drive, Chip and Putt was a brilliant idea and it’s just taken off so well across the country — all 50 states,” Solich added. “So we (at Castle Pines) want to be a part of it. And I think we’ll be two years on, two years off (hosting regionals) for as long as they’ll have us. I always want to do the regional qualifying. It’s fun to be able to put medals on kids to go to Augusta.”
Solich presents an award to girls 7-9 overall champ Maddison Martin.
Regional qualifying goes to some of the most notable golf courses in the country. For instance, other regionals this year are being conducted at Pebble Beach Golf Links, TPC Sawgrass, Whistling Straits, Pinehurst Resort, Southern Hills, Crooked Stick, Los Angeles Country Club, Laurel Valley and Quaker Ridge.
While no Coloradan won one of the eight overall age/gender division competitions held on Sunday — only the division champions advance to the National Finals — several did claim regional victories in individual disciplines (drive, chip or putt).
They included:
— Jacob Eagan of Castle Rock in boys 12-13 driving (two balls over 300 yards). It should be noted that the drive portion of the competition was held on the downhill par-5 first hole at Castle Pines, which is already in air thinner than Denver. Eagan was a DCP National Finals runner-up in 2023.
— Jack Hungenberg of Windsor in boys 12-13 chipping (two chips closer than 2 feet from hole).
— Oliver Downie of Denver in boys 10-11 driving (the longest being between 270-280 yards).
— Connor Armstrong of Colorado Springs in boys 7-9 chipping (the closest being within 2 feet of the hole).
The downhill first hole at Castle Pines Golf Club produced some long drives on Sunday.
Meanwhile, three Coloradans finished regional runner-up in their overall competition:
— Hungenberg (boys 12-13).
— Rees Willett of Highlands Ranch (girls 12-13).
— Jack Avery of Aurora (boys 10-11). In fact, the second-, third- (Oliver Downie of Denver) and fourth-place (Max Dolon of Fort Collins) finishers in boys 10-11 were all Coloradans.
Two regional competitors on Sunday played in the DCP National Finals earlier this year, but fell short of a return trip on Sunday. Shepherd Choi of Westminster was eighth in girls 10-11 and Sophia Eagan of Castle Rock was 10th in girls 7-9.
PGA Tour winner Martin Laird was supporting his daughter Hannah on Sunday.
Among the interested parents on hand Sunday was four-time PGA Tour winner Martin Laird, who watched his daughter, Hannah, of Greenwood Village, place sixth in girls 10-11.
While no Coloradan made the 2027 National Finals on Sunday, a whopping five golfers from Minnesota did: Hager (girls 14-15); William Jiang of Woodbury (boys 12-13); Mack (girls 10-11); Oliver Voeller of Rosemount (boys 7-9); and Maddison Martin of Park Rapids. Martin (girls 7-9). Martin was joined in competing at Castle Pines by her two older sisters — Natalie (girls 14-15, a two-time National Finalist) and Isabella (girls 12-13).
Solich and Castle Pines were presented a signed flag for hosting a DCP regional qualifier for a third time.
Other siblings competing on Sunday were Jacob Eagan (boys 12-13) and Sophia Eagan (girls 7-9) of Castle Rock, and Griffin Downie (boys 14-15) and Oliver Downie (boys 10-11).
At each of 10 regional qualifiers, the winner of every age/gender division advances to the DCP National Finals. There are eight age/gender divisions in each DCP event, with contestants scoring points in each discipline — driving, chipping and putting — based on how they place in each, with the points added together for a cumulative total. Each regional competitor hits three drives, three chips and three putts.
Each of the eight gender/age divisions at the National Finals features 10 competitors. In the National Finals at Augusta National, the 80 golfers compete in driving and chipping in the practice area, then in the putting on the 18th green of the famed course.
Twenty-one Coloradans over the years have competed in the DCP National Finals, which were first held in 2014.
The previous Coloradans who have been National Finalists are Caitlyn Chin twice (2016 and ’19), Luke Trujillo (2016), Arielle Keating (2016), Kaden Ford (2018), Chunya Boonta (2019), Grady Ortiz (2019), Sophia Capua (2022), Matai Naqica (2022), Anthony Chen (2022), Judd Nikkel (2022), Jacob Eagan (2023), Brady Shaw (2023), Koehn Kuenzler (2023), Landry Frost (2024), Simon White (2024), Sydney Liddell (2024), Isaiah Fowler (2025), Hudson Blake (2025), Sophia Eagan (2026), Shepherd Choi (2026) and Peyton Landon (2026).
Examples of the spoils of victory from Castle Pines.
So at least two players from the Centennial State qualified for each DCP National Finals from 2022 through 2026.
No Coloradan has ever won a DCP overall title at the National Finals, but three have finished runner-up: Jacob Eagan (2023), Brady Shaw (also 2023) and Chunya Boonta (2019) .
DCP is sponsored by the Masters, the USGA and the PGA of America.
Three stages of qualifying precede the National Finals: locals, sub-regionals and regionals.
The DCP National Finals were first held in 2014, with the regional qualifiers conducted in 2013.
DCP national champs who have gone on to win on the PGA Tour or LPGA are Akshay Bhatia and Alexa Pano.
Here are the regional winners and how the Coloradans fared on Sunday at Castle Pines Golf Club:
(Points: Drive-Chip-Putt—Total)
BOYS 14-15
Regional Champion Headed to 2027 DCP National Finals
1. Brody Horner, Bismarck, ND 64-60-47—171
How Coloradans Fared at DCP Regional at Castle Pines
3. Jaze Schalk, Erie 62-50-41–153
4. Elliott Nuwash, Centennial 49-36-45–130
8. Griffin Downie, Denver 38-17-50—105
GIRLS 14-15
Regional Champion Headed to 2027 DCP National Finals
1. Danica Hager, Owatonna, Minn. 38-55-50–143
Regional Champion Headed to 2027 DCP National Finals
7. Michaela Gojo, Cherry Hills Village 21-36-50–107
8. Amy Ong, Centennial 37-4-50–91
9. Alexa Tien, Brighton 14-25-51–90
12. Parker Cerna, Broomfield 0-3-45–48
BOYS 12-13
Regional Champion Headed to 2027 DCP National Finals
1. William Jiang, Woodbury, Minn. 68-45-50–163
How Coloradans Fared at DCP Regional at Castle Pines
2. Jack Hungenberg, Windsor 49-50-55—154
5. Jacob Eagan, Castle Rock 69-27-40—136
7. Benjamin Nash, Larkspur 55-32-45—132
8. Andrew Leslie, Highlands Ranch 43-22-55—120
GIRLS 12-13
Regional Champion Headed to 2027 DCP National Finals
1. Desirae Larson, Kearney, Mo. 68-42-55–165
How Coloradans Fared at DCP Regional at Castle Pines
2. Rees Willett, Highlands Ranch 41-40-55—136
7. Sooji Hanson, Aurora 28-36-50–114
8. Emmaline Zimmerman, Timnath 44-30-37—111
12. Norah Steen, Castle Rock 33-17-28—78
BOYS 10-11
Regional Champion Headed to 2027 DCP National Finals
1. Miles Lunning, Brandon, SD 58-4-65—127
How Coloradans Fared at DCP Regional at Castle Pines
2. Jack Avery, Aurora 34-32-51–117
3. Oliver Downie, Denver 63-17-36—116
4. Max Dolon, Fort Collins 31-40-41—112
12. Kyle Mataoka, Colorado Springs 26-3-40—69
GIRLS 10-11
Regional Champion Headed to 2027 DCP National Finals
1. Leah Mack, Excelsior, Minn. 50-36-65–151
How Coloradans Fared at DCP Regional at Castle Pines
5. Ziva Dawson, Loveland 27-7-65—99
6. Hannah Laird, Greenwood Village 35-8-55—98
8. Shepherd Choi, Westminster 16-25-50—91
10. Atlas Weily, Denver 34-4-42—80
BOYS 7-9
Regional Champion Headed to 2027 DCP National Finals
1. Oliver Voeller, Rosemount, Minn. 33-35-55–123
How Coloradans Fared at DCP Regional at Castle Pines
4. Luke Brittain, Centennial 35-31-40–106
7. Brady Romig, Windsor 48-12-36—96
8. Luke Omohundro, Denver 15-23-50—88
11. Connor Armstrong, Colorado Springs 34-36-13—83
GIRLS 7-9
Regional Champion Headed to 2027 DCP National Finals
Maddison Martin, Park Rapids, Minn. 21-22-36—79
How Coloradans Fared at DCP Regional at Castle Pines
7. Isabella Gallardo, Colorado Springs 12-4-41—57
10. Sophia Eagan, Castle Rock 6-3-41—50
11. Greer Spomer, Denver 11-4-26—41
12. Berkeley Worden, Erie 8-3-21—32
For all the results from the Castle Pines regional, CLICK HERE.
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com