Three Locals heading to Augusta for Drive, Chip & Putt Championships

Three Houstonians to compete in Drive, Chip & Putt Championships

HOUSTON – The Drive, Chip and Putt Championships are coming up in Augusta, the site of the Masters, in early April and three young Houstonians will be there.

Treed Huang, a sixth-grader in Katy, Texas, his younger sister, 4th-grader Maye and Isabella Saenz, a sixth-grader from Porter, Texas each qualified to compete in the event slated for April 2nd in Georgia.

 "Last time I was at Augusta National, I played well," Treed said.

It's not the first trip to Augusta to compete in these championships. In 2014, he competed in the Boys 7-9 age group and won the title. 

"I ended up winning, I was really happy of course," he modestly added.

On this return trip, while he tries for another title, he'll get to see 9-year old sister, Maye try to follow in his footsteps.

"I was hoping that I would qualify so I would play in it instead of watching him play in it," said Maye, who's been golfing since she was three years old.

"It's really cool because we're side-by-side playing," Treed added, "You can support each other."

Support from family is something 11-year old Isabella knows all about.

Her older sister, Ariana, also competed in the Drive, Chip and Putt championships as a youngster (Ariana is now a soon-to-be graduate of Kingwood Park high school and will then be headed to Texas A&M on a golf scholarship.)

'I was very excited that she could go with me (this year) and teach me all the things that she did," Isabella said.

The Saenz parents will be right there by her side also of course. Her mother Maria is a breast cancer survivor. 

"She's always there for me, she supports me in everything I do," Isabella said. "I'm very excited for her to come to Augusta with me.

"My parents are very proud of me for getting here (to the Drive, Chip and Putt championships), accomplishing my dreams and what I've done the past few years," she added.  

When on the course playing, Isabella always wears something pink, to remind her of what her mother has overcome.

"Whenever I wear pink I remember what she went through and remember all the things she did so I could conquer this if she could conquer breast cancer."


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