Both Schimpf sisters finish second at the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship
Two Daniel Island sisters, Emma and Abbey Schimpf, just missed out on a chance to showcase their golf talents at Augusta National next year, the Sunday before the prestigious Masters begins.
Emma and Abbey both finished second at the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, which was held earlier this month at Pinehurst in North Carolina.
The Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, through a partnership with the Masters, tests the golf skills of golfers, ages 7-15. The golfers hit three shots in each of the three categories and the score is based on accuracy and distance.
A joint initiative founded in 2013 by the Masters Tournament, United States Golf Association and The PGA of America, the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship is a free nationwide junior golf development competition aimed at growing the game by focusing on the three fundamental skills employed in golf.
Participants advance through local, sub-regional 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 is broadcast live by Golf Channel.
Emma Schimpf placed second in the 12-13 age category with a score of 124 points, just 6 points behind Madilyn Newman of Knoxville. Newman qualified for the championships while Schimpf is one of two alternates.
Abbey Schimpf placed second in the 14-15 year-old category with a score of 117 points, 13 points behind winner Karen Adkins of Savannah Tenn.
Points awarded in the Drive category are based on driving accuracy and distance with 0 points for going out of the 40-yard-wide boundary lines and 1-25 points on distance with ball staying in bounds. Golfers got one point for 25 yards up to 25 points for 300 yards.
Points awarded in the Chip and Putt category from 1-20 points based on distance from the hole and 25 points for the ball going in. The Chip is 15 yards in distance with points greater than one awarded for distance being less than 10 feet from the hole to 25 points for ball going in the hole. The closer the distance, the higher the points awarded.
The Putt category is 1 putt from three different distances with 1-20 points awarded for distance being less than 5 feet from the hole and 25 points for making the putt. Higher points awarded the closer the ball finished to the hole. First putt from 6 feet, second putt from 15 feet with final putt from 30 feet.
The Schimpf sisters advanced on to Pinehurst after faring well at a qualifier at Fort Jackson.
Abbey won her 14-15 yr. old age division with a score of 134 to top 12 players in her age group.
Emma tied her 12-13 age division with a score of 116, but finished in second place out of 18 golfers after the tie was broken based on score in putting.