The United States Golf Association, Masters Tournament and the PGA of America have officially launched the 2017 Drive, Chip and Putt Championship by announcing the local qualifying schedule for the upcoming year. The schedule includes dates and locations for participants to play in local qualifiers across the country with the opportunity to advance and earn an invitation to next year’s National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club. The qualifying schedule is available on the event’s website. Online registration will also be available at www.DriveChipandPutt.com, starting Tuesday, January 26, 2016.

Now in its fourth year, the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship aims to help younger generations begin their lifelong connection with golf by providing a fun, interactive platform for participants of all skill levels. This free youth golf development initiative welcomes boys and girls ages 7-15 to participate in separate divisions in four age categories. Local qualifying will take place throughout all 50 states during the months of May, June, July and August. Top performers at the local level will advance through sub-regional and regional qualifiers in July/August and September, respectively. The top 80 performers – 40 boys and 40 girls – will earn an invitation to the National Finals at Augusta National on Sunday, April 2, the eve of the 2017 Masters.

Local qualifying will begin Sunday, May 8 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., and continue through the summer in all 50 states. The breakdown and schedule of the 2017 Drive, Chip and Putt Championship qualifying is as follows:

Local (May/June/July/August): 256 host sites throughout all 50 states
3 juniors advance in each age/gender category from every venue

Sub-Regional (July/August): 50 host sites throughout 31 states
2 juniors advance in each age/gender category from every venue

Regional (September): 10 host sites in 10 regions
1 junior advances in each age/gender category from every venue

National Finals (April 2, 2017): 80 total participants at Augusta National Golf Club

For a full list of qualifying venues at the local and sub-regional level, or for more information about the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, including official rules, registration, and ticket information, please visit www.DriveChipandPutt.com.