CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) — Charlottesville Middle School sixth-grader Lucas Dunaway is headed back to Augusta National Golf Club for the second straight year after qualifying for the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals.
Dunaway is one of 10 golfers in his age group from across the country who will compete in the national final April 4, four days before competition at the Masters Tournament begins.
“There are so many really good golfers who make it to the national finals and knowing that I’m one of them really proves to me that my hard work pays off and it’s really very exciting,” Dunaway told Cville Right Now.
Dunaway finished second in his age group at last year’s national final and won the chipping portion of the competition.
His first trip to Augusta also gave him a memorable experience away from the competition.
After finishing, Lucas and his family headed to the pro shop, but were met with a 90-minute line. A security guard noticed Lucas was a Drive, Chip and Putt competitor and invited the family to come with him, taking them straight to the front.
“That was really cool,” Dunaway said.
The surprise continued after the family paid for their purchases. As Lucas walked out wearing his medal, the cashiers and staff began applauding.
“All the cashiers and staff stopped and started clapping for me,” he said. “I had my medal on, so they knew that I was a competitor and that really just made me feel special.”
This time around, Lucas knows more about what he is getting into.
“The first time everything was new, so knowing what to expect should help,” Dunaway told Cville Right Now.
Last year, Augusta National looked like a carpet to Lucas. This time, he plans to focus more on the greens.
“I want to pay more attention to the greens and how the balls roll,” he said.
Lucas also knows golf is as much a mental game as a physical one.
“So if I hit a bad one, I can’t change it, but I just move on to the next shot,” Dunaway said.
Lucas said he feels confident in all three parts of the competition — driving, chipping and putting — but has a favorite.
“I really feel confident in all three, and in these types of competitions, you have to be equally good in all of them, since you have just two shots in each skill,” Dunaway said. “So I really just try to focus on each one, and I really think chipping is my favorite, but I don’t want to jinx it or anything.”
His father, Troy Dunaway, said Lucas has been around golf almost his entire life.
“He had been riding with us in the cart since he was two and, you know, he always would pick up a club and start swinging it on the golf course, beating up the grass more than he did the balls most of the time,” Troy said.
As Lucas got older, his golf game improved. Troy said Lucas graduated from plastic clubs and started using whatever adult clubs he could find.
“A neighbor reminded us the other day that they saw him in our driveway on a piece of cardboard putting a ball down a piece of cardboard and whacking it,” Troy told Cville Right Now.
Eventually, Lucas got a set of junior clubs from his mother, Xuemei. Before long, people at the Lake Monticello golf course were noticing his ability.
“He started to turn a few heads at the Lake Monticello golf course, including the head pro there and now his coach, Mark Marshall,” Troy said.
Watching Lucas compete at Augusta last year was an emotional experience for his father.
“I was proud, nervous, but I was more amazed with just how composed he was under that pressure and TV cameras right in your face,” Troy said.
Troy said Lucas’ behavior off the course made him even prouder.
“But I was even more proud of how he carried himself and treated his fellow competitors,” he told Cville Right Now.
“He handled himself like the pros,” Troy said.
For the Dunaways, getting another chance to compete at Augusta is something they know they will remember.
“Just being able to compete at Augusta, that in and of itself is a lifelong memory,” Troy said.
“It’s going to be stuck in our brains forever. We’re just going to enjoy that experience together as a family,” he said.
Lucas has his sights set beyond this year’s competition.
“My future dream is to become a pro golfer, and I really want to get there by working hard,” Lucas said. “You have to work hard, harder than anybody else.”
The 2027 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals will be held Sunday, April 4, at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The competition will be broadcast on Golf Channel, with coverage scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
