9-year-old Waunakee golfer heads to Master’s Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - A year ago, Addie Lupton was on the outside looking in after finishing third in the Medinah Regional qualifying round.

Fast forward to now, and Addie is set to compete for a championship title in the Master’s Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals in Augusta, Georgia on April 2.

The 9-year-old golfer from Waunakee has been swinging a set of clubs since she was five.

“I want to grow up to be a pro,” Lupton said.

Her love for the game was sparked by her dad, Shannon.

“We golf a lot throughout the summer,” Shannon Lupton said. “It’s been really fun to watch her game grow and watch her become more and more confident as she plays tournaments and events like this.”

After not qualifying for last year’s National Finals, Shannon said Addie discovered a new motivation.

“It really motivated her to put in a lot of practice,” Shannon said. “She spent a lot of time chipping and putting throughout the summer, even on her own.”

Now, Shannon gets to watch his daughter play on one of the most famous courses in the world.

“I’m really excited to watch her go compete and do something that pretty much nobody gets to do and go hit some putts on 18 at Augusta,” Shannon said.

It’s a moment Addie said she’s ready for.

“It means a very lot to me,” Addie said. “I’m very excited to be going.”

Addie will compete with 10 other girls in the 7 to 9 age group Sunday morning on NBC’s Golf Channel.

Click here to download the NBC15 News app or our NBC15 First Alert weather app.

Copyright 2023 WMTV. All rights reserved.