Coloradans Hudson Blake and Isaiah Fowler qualify at Hazeltine for 2025 Drive Chip & Putt National Finals
By Gary Baines – 9/22/2024
After being a regular host of the Drive, Chip & Putt Regionals since 2019, Colorado relinquished that role this year. But that didn’t prevent Colorado junior golfers from keeping their streak infact, qualifying multiple golfers for the DCP National Finals that Augusta National Golf Club hosts each spring.
This year, Coloradans who made it to Regionals competed Sunday at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., which has hosted U.S. Opens, PGA Championships, Ryder Cups and U.S. Women’s Opens.
With eight spots in the DCP National Finals up for grabs — one for each age/gender division — two Coloradans made the grade on Sunday: Hudson Blake of Fort Morgan (boys 12-13) and Isaiah Fowler of Greeley (boys 14-15). They earned their national berths by winning overall Regional titles in their age/gender divisions.
With that, 18 Coloradans all time have now qualified for the DCP National Finals, which were first held in 2014. Previously competing in the event at Augusta National were 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) and Sydney Liddell (2024).
So at least two players from the Centennial State have qualified for each DCP National Finals from 2022 through 2025. Next year’s National Finals are set for April 6 at Augusta National — the Sunday before the Masters.
In all, 80 competitors will be in the field at the National Finals — 10 in each age/gender group.
Thirty-one Coloradans competed in the Regionals at Hazeltine.
Blake scored 129 cumulative points and prevailed by eight for the boys 12-13 title. He won the chipping portion of his division, placed fifth in driving and fourth in putting.
In the boys 14-15 division, Coloradans finished 1-2, with Fowler (164 points) beating Joey Banks of Golden by 12. Fowler, who plays his high school golf at Frontier Academy, prevailed in the chipping, ended up second in putting and third in driving.
Besides Coloradans winning two DCP Regional titles on Sunday, four golfers from the Centennial State were runners-up in their division. In addition to Banks (boys 14-15), that included Shepherd Choi of Westminster (girls 7-9), Keegan Dusatko of Broomfield (boys 7-9) and Jacob Eagan of Castle Rock (boys 10-11). Eagan compete in the 2023 DCP National Finals, winning the chipping discipline in boys 7-9 and finishing second overall, losing in a playoff.
Joining Blake and Fowler as Coloradans winning individual-discipline Regional titles on Sunday were Choi (girls 7-9 driving), Rees Willett of Highlands Ranch (girls 9-10 driving), Charleigh Merrill of Timnath (girls 12-13 driving), Leo Jurbala of Highlands Ranch (boys 12-13 putting), Emma Nguyen of Highlands Ranch (girls 14-15 driving) and Kai Jorde (boys 14-15 putting).
At each of 10 Regional qualifiers, the overall winner of every age/gender division advances to the DCP National Finals. There are eight age/gender divisions in each DCP event. In the National Finals at ANGC, the 80 golfers compete in driving and chipping in the practice area, then in the putting on the 18th green of the famed course.
No Coloradan has ever won a DCP overall title at the National Finals, but three have finished runner-up: Eagan (lost a putt-off for the top spot in 2023), Brady Shaw (also 2023) and Chunya Boonta (2019) .
In DCP events, contestants score points in each discipline — driving, chipping and putting — based on how they place in each, with the points added together for a cumulative total.
Three stages of qualifying precede the National Finals: Locals, Sub-Regionals and Regionals. For Coloradans, the Regional the past two years has been held at Castle Pines Golf Club, host of the 2024 BMW Championship.
DCP is sponsored by the Masters, the USGA and the PGA of America. The competition is limited to players 7-15.
RESULTS SUNDAY FOR COLORADANS AT 2024 DCP REGIONAL AT HAZELTINE NATIONAL IN CHASKA, MINN. (The top competitor in each age/gender group advances to the 2025 DCP National Finals)
(Points: Drive-Chip-Putt—Total)
GIRLS 7-9
2. Shepherd Choi Westminster 40-9-31–80
3. Hannah Laird, Greenwood Village 33-21-21—75
8. Charley-Kay Tagtow 7-3-36—46
10. Kinlee Thyfault, Arvada 9-8-27—44
BOYS 7-9
2. Keegan Dusatko, Broomfield 33-26-51–110
6. Henry Moreno, Fort Collins 25-21-50—96
9. Parker Head, Littleton 33-23-23—79
GIRLS 10-11
4. Rees Willett, Highlands Ranch 44-26-26–96
6. Ellie Casas, Aurora 23-31-30–84
10. Isabella Converse, Denver 28-8-23–59
12. Avery Doane, Grand Junction 8-17-31—56
BOYS 10-11
2. Jacob Eagan, Castle Rock 49-40-50–139
7. Carter White, Loveland 46-17-51–114
9. Graham Brenning, Aurora 12-40-46–98
10. Colin Prew, Arvada 13-18-41—72
GIRLS 12-13
3. Charleigh Merrill, Timnath 42-22-45–109
8. Sofia Casas, Aurora 18-16-55—89
11. Rachel Yanofsky, Parker 16-20-28–64
12. Addison Moreno, Fort Collins 16-20-28—64
BOYS 12-13
1. Hudson Blake, Fort Morgan 39-45-45–129
3. Leo Jurbala, Highlands Ranch 20-40-60–120
5. Alex Oven, Lakewood 35-37-41–113
6. Darren Trok, Fruita 49-40-23—112
GIRLS 14-15
6. Richa Sajjan, Fort Collins 46-36-31–113
9. Isla Carlucci, Fort Collins 25-26-55–106
10. Emma Nguyen, Highland Ranch 62-8-35—105
12. Mia Mantas, Timnath 20-36-26—82
BOYS 14-15
1. Isaiah Fowler, Greeley 49-55-60–164
2. Joey Banks, Golden 67-45-40–152
4. Kai Jorde, Castle Rock 41-40-65–146
7. Bode Truman, Broomfield 49-40-36—125
For all the results from Hazeltine, 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