A pair of Northern California juniors recently achieved the goal of what every golfer dreams about—being crowned a champion at Augusta National Golf Club.
Arno Wehle and Riley Huang were the among the champions at the Drive, Chip and Putt finals held at Augusta on the Sunday eve of Masters week.
Wehle, a San Jose resident and Junior Tour of Northern California member, captured the title in the Boys’ 14-15 division, finishing competition with a score of 26 to win by 1 ½ points. Wehle, the Northwest Regional champ, made his big charge in Chipping and Putting, where he tallied 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Huang, of Palo Alto, won the Girls’ 7-9 division with a score of 25 points following a thrilling playoff. Having finished in a tie, Huang of Palo Alto sank two 15-foot putts to claim first place overall, edging out Patricia Kittivat of Schaumburg, Ill.
When asked how she mastered her putting, Huang said, “I did practice putting a lot, and my dad reminded me to take my time and not worry about winning.”
Ziqing Wang of San Jose took third in the Girls’ 14-15 division with a score of 22 ½ points. Caroline Gui of Redwood City finished T-3 in the Girls’ 12-13 division with 23 points.
Among those on hand to celebrate the winners were Masters defending champion Rory McIlroy and LPGA Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez.
“These kids are so adorable,” she said. “They’re having the best time. This is just a special place and opportunity to be here at Augusta National doing this.”
