Luke Ainsworth of White Rock began golfing at age 2 and has now qualified and will compete at the Drive Chip & Putt National Championship Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. The Golf Channel will air the Championship 6-11 a.m. MT on Sunday. Courtesy/DCP
GOLF News:
RIO RANCHO – Sun Country Golf House has announced that junior golfer Luke Ainsworth of White Rock has successfully qualified and will compete at the Drive Chip & Putt National Championship on Sunday, April 6 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.
Ainsworth qualified in the Boys 7-9 age division by way of local qualifying and sub-regional qualifying in New Mexico and regional qualifying in Hawaii.
The Golf Channel will air the Drive Chip & Putt National Championship 6-11 a.m. MT on Sunday.
Results will be posted online here:
https://www.drivechipandputt.com/leaderboard
About Luke Ainsworth:
BIRTHPLACE:
Española, NM
HOME GOLF COURSE AND LOCATION:
Los Alamos County Golf Course, Los Alamos, NM
PLAY GOLF RIGHT OR LEFT HANDED:
Left
AGE STARTED PLAYING GOLF:
2
LOWEST SCORE SHOT (9 AND/OR 18 HOLES):
2 under par, 9 holes
HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN GOLF?
Father, Andy, used to coach the Los Alamos High School team, followed the team and my older brother around the golf course.
WHO INTRODUCED YOU TO GOLF?
My father
WHO DO YOU NORMALLY PLAY GOLF WITH?
My three brothers, Los Alamos Hilltopper golf team, and Sun Country PGA section junior events.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT PLAYING GOLF?
Having fun playing with others.
WHAT’S THE MOST DIFFICULT THING ABOUT GOLF?
Bad weather
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GOLF CLUB?
Driver
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GOLF COURSE IN THE WORLD?
Hualalai Golf Club
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT IN GOLF SO FAR?
Making it to National Finals in Drive Chip and Putt
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER JUNIORS PARTICIPATING IN DCP WHO ARE TRYING TO REACH THE NATIONAL FINALS?
Practice putting and chipping a lot
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT PARTICIPATING IN DRIVE, CHIP AND PUTT?
To compete
MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM YOUR LOCAL, SUBREGIONAL OR REGIONAL QUALIFIERS:
Making all 3 putts at the regional
HAVE YOU TRIED TO QUALIFY FOR DRIVE, CHIP AND PUTT IN THE PAST? IF SO, PLEASE LIST EACH YEAR AND YOUR PREVIOUS RESULTS:
2023 local, 2024 local
LIST FROM STRONGEST TO WEAKEST – DRIVING, CHIPPING, PUTTING:
Putting, chipping, driving
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GOLF ACCESSORY (HAT, HEADCOVER, BALL MARKER, ETC.)?
New Mexico Zia symbol putter headcover
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE MALE GOLFER, AND WHY?
Scottie Scheffler – because of his character
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE FEMALE GOLFER, AND WHY?
Nelly Korda – she’s a great player
WHO IS THE COOLEST PLAYER IN GOLF, AND WHY?
Jordan Spieth
IF YOU COULD CHOOSE TO PLAY GOLF WITH A DREAM FOURSOME, WHO WOULD THE OTHER THREE PEOPLE BE?
Scottie Scheffler, Steph Curry, Jordan Spieth
WHAT FOOD WOULD YOU SERVE AT YOUR CHAMPIONS DINNER AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL?
Burgers, fries, chicken nuggets
DESCRIBE ANY TALENTS OR INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF GOLF
Basketball and soccer
HERO / ROLE MODEL(S):
Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods
WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
Read it, roll it, hole it
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Professional golfer
Click here to read more on the 80 national finalists:
https://www.drivechipandputt.com/2025-drive-chip-and-putt-national-finalists-announced
https://www.drivechipandputt.com/national-finalists
Registration for the 2025-2026 qualifying & championship season is open. It is free of charge and a great way for children, age 7-15, to be introduced to the game of golf.
For dates and locations, click here:
https://www.drivechipandputt.com/25-26-registration-now-open-for-drive-chip-and-putt-qualifiers
In 2025-2026, there will be:
- 357 Local Qualifiers
- 64 Sub-Regional Qualifiers
- 10 Regional Qualifiers
- 1 National Championship!
Sun Country Golf House will conduct four local qualifiers and one sub-regional qualifier:
Local Q: Wednesday, June 4: UNM Championship | Albuquerque, NM
Local Q: Thursday, June 19: Butterfield Trail Golf Club | El Paso, TX
Local Q: Friday, June 27: Riverview Golf Course | Farmington, NM
Local Q: Tuesday, July 1: NMSU GC | Las Cruces, NM
Subregional Q: Sunday, August 3: UNM Championship GC | Albuquerque, NM
About Drive, Chip, and Putt
A joint initiative founded in 2013 by the Masters Tournament, USGA and the PGA of America, Drive, Chip and Putt is a free, nationwide junior golf development competition aimed at growing the game by focusing on the three fundamental skills employed in golf. By tapping the creative and competitive spirit of girls and boys ages 7-15, Drive, Chip and Putt provides aspiring junior golfers an opportunity to play with their peers in qualifiers around the country. Participants who advance through local, subregional and regional qualifying in each age/gender category earn a place in the National Finals, which is conducted at Augusta National Golf Club the Sunday before the Masters Tournament and broadcast live by Golf Channel. For more information, visit: DriveChipandPutt.com.
About the Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament Foundation, inspired by the enduring philosophies of Masters Tournament founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, is committed to promoting golf’s domestic and international development through financial investment and active participation in initiatives aimed at preserving the traditions of the game and sharing its many virtues.
The Masters Tournament – since its very beginning – strives to provide added exposure to the game of golf and inspire interest in the sport worldwide. For more information about the Masters, visit masters.com.
About the USGA
The USGA is a mission-based golf organization whose purpose is to unify the golf community through handicapping and grassroots programs; to showcase the game’s best talent through the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally and 13 other national championships and our museum; to provide unbiased global governance with The R&A through the playing, equipment and Amateur Status rules; and to advance issues important to golf’s future, with a focus on driving sustainability, accessibility and inclusion. As a nonprofit association, our work and our team are driven to act for the good of the game. For more, visit usga.org.
About the PGA of America
The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals who love the game, are expert coaches, operators and business leaders, and work daily to drive interest, inclusion and participation in the sport. The PGA of America owns and operates numerous championships and events, including major championships for men, women, seniors and the Ryder Cup, one of the world’s foremost sporting events. For more information, visit PGA.com and follow us on X, Instagram and Facebook.
