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National Drive Chip and Putt Recap
Amelie, Alexandra Phung ready for Drive, Chip and Putt following a year wait
By Wynston Wilcox | Augusta Staff Writer
Amelie and Alexandra Phung have had to wait almost a year to compete in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Championship. They earned their spot in the 80-player field, competing at the TPC River Highlands in 2019.
With the announcement from the Augusta National Golf Club on Tuesday morning, it seems their wait is finally coming to a close.
“It’s really exciting to me since it’s coming up and it’s a long time to wait a year, so I’ve been just having many talks with my sister,” said Alexandra, who’s playing in her second consecutive Drive, Chip and Putt finals.
Amelie and Alexandra, though they’ve been anticipating getting to Augusta, haven’t had a lot of free time in the past year. Along with school, the Phung sisters have been spending their time with the #WeAreTheWorldChallenge they started last April.
In an effort to bring awareness to one of the poorest neighborhoods in New York City, the two created the challenge to raise money for the less fortunate. Since the challenge began in early April, Amelie said that through Tik Tok, a social media platform, they have reached 200,000 participants and 60 million interactions, which includes views and likes. They reached eight million views alone for the #WeAreTheWorldChallenge.
“I’m really happy that I’m able to help so many people and people are able to look at my work,” Amelie said.
Last year, it was about balancing preparation for Drive, Chip and Putt and the We Are The World challenge, before they were able to solely focus on the challenge.
Alexandra Phung of Forest Hills finished tied for third in the Girls 7-9 age group with 20 total points, only three points behind the winner. Her older sister Amelie Phung, tied for fifth in the Girls 12-13 age group with 17.5 points. It was Amelie's second consecutive appearance in the National Finals (she also qualified for the 2019 event).
