Boca Raton 13-year-old wins her second straight Drive, Chip and Putt tournament at Masters

Yahoo

16-04-2025

BOCA RATON — Not many 13-year-olds can say they hold not just one, but two golf titles in the Drive, Chip, and Putt (DCP) National Championships — but Boca Raton's Alexandra Phung can.Drive, Chip, and Putt is a national junior golf tournament with finals held annually in Augusta, Ga., that has three events focusing on each of the fundamental golf skills. Before making it to the Augusta Nationals, competitors need to qualify at local, regional and sub-regional events.Phung, a student at Florida Atlantic University's A.D. Henderson University School, has been playing golf since she was 6 years old. In all of her golfing years, she has competed in multiple tournaments across the United States and Europe.She competed at the DCP Augusta Nationals four times and has won two titles. She won the 10-11 age division in 2023, and this year she won the 12-13 age division with a perfect 30-foot putt. This second win put her on a short list of multiple-time DCP national champions.'It's an honor to be able to putt and walk on the Augusta National course,' Phung said.
Beyond her impressive feats in golf, she enjoys playing chess and fishing. She also tutors kids in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects such as robotics and artificial intelligence and fosters dogs, hoping to find them forever homes.Above all, she loves to make people happy. That's why, when she made it to the Augusta Nationals in 2023, she made sure to share the experience with others.Phung gave out free tickets to 9-year-old Augusta-based golfer Caroline Deese and 82-year-old retired Marine and golf lover Harvey Silverman. She reached out to Deese on Instagram, and before the girl knew it, she was excitedly watching Phung win her first DCP title.
Deese, who has been playing golf for three years and competing for one, says Phung is an inspiration. She competed in DCP this year, making it past the local and regional levels but not the sub-regional level.'She inspired me to get to that next level,' Deese said. One day, she even wants to go pro.
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Silverman met Phung and her family at Gillette Ridge Golf Club in Bloomfield, Conn., when she was just 7 years old. He was practicing his own swing, but so was she.'I looked over on the driving range, and it was a Sunday, and all the adults — nobody was hitting the ball,' Silverman said. 'They were all watching this little girl put the ball on about 150 yards, and her father would say, right, left, whatever. She would just do it. So I watched her. I couldn't believe it.'From that point on, he took Phung under his wing, acting as her mentor and friend. While at the DCP trials in Cromwell, Conn., in 2023, she invited him to be her chaperone at the Augusta Nationals.Phung says her family contributes heavily to her success financially, mentally and emotionally. Her father introduced her to golf, but what really made her want to pursue the sport competitively was watching her sister Amelie play, she said in a Q&A on the DCP website.Amelie is successful in her own right, having competed in and won golf tournaments across the world. She says Amelie gives her tips and tricks for not only golf but also juggling school and other responsibilities.'She helps me with my game,' Phung said. 'Because she's gone through it before, she knows the difficulties and hardships that come with it.'
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Michael Earley, 69, sponsored Phung's small student-made golf team and is constantly in awe of both girls. And not just because of the talent they present while golfing.'They're not only impressive golfers, but they're impressive young ladies,' Earley said. 'They're good students, they have other skills, they play other sports … They're doing good things.'Silverman admires both of the Phung sisters' dedication to the sport and their drive.'I have pictures of [Alexandra] when she first started. You see the difference, and they showed it on television … It's amazing to see. Well, they're dedicated. You know? It's like they're good because they're dedicated. This is what they do. You know, they put 125% into it. They don't fool around,' Silverman said.
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Alexandra Phung doesn't know yet if she wants to play golf professionally. She is putting her education first, just like her sister, who recently announced her commitment to Rice University for D1 college golf.'I try to be a good role model for her,' Amelie said.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boca Raton's Alexandra Phung wins second Drive, Chip and Putt title