Many junior golfers dream about competing at Augusta National. For Nirvika Koduru, that opportunity arrived earlier this spring and she made the most of it. On April 5, 2026, Koduru competed in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club, earning the Girls 14–15 title against some of the top junior players in the country. Her consistency across all three skills, especially around the greens, separated her throughout the competition. Koduru’s path to Augusta began long before the qualifying season. A regular on the South Florida PGA Junior Tour, she opened her 2025 season with a fifth-place finish at The Links at Boynton Beach on the Srixon Medalist Tour and continued to test herself in competitive events throughout the year. Those tournament rounds helped lay the groundwork for her Drive, Chip and Putt run. As qualifying progressed, so did the level of competition, but Koduru continued to pull away from the field. She won the Local Qualifier at The Old Course at Broken Sound by more than 40 points, followed it with a nearly 20-point victory at the Sub-Regional Qualifier at BallenIsles Country Club, and then claimed the Regional Qualifier at TPC Sawgrass by seven points. “Winning the Local Qualifier gave me confidence heading into the next stages,” Koduru said. “My short game was probably the biggest reason I advanced. I chipped in during every qualifier, which was pretty memorable.” Her preparation for Nationals stayed simple. Most days were spent practicing at Stonebridge Country Club in Boca Raton, FL alongside her sister, Nishika Koduru, where the two regularly turned short-game sessions into competitions. “We’ve always practiced that way,” Koduru said. “It keeps things competitive, and I think that helped when the pressure picked up at Nationals.” Arriving at Augusta National was still a surreal moment. Koduru described walking onto the property, meeting players like Annika Sorenstam, and sharing the practice areas with professionals as one of the highlights of the week. But once the competition began, she settled into a familiar routine. Koduru entered the putting portion with a four-point lead after strong performances in both driving and chipping. The moment that effectively secured the title came on a 30-foot putt. “Once that putt went in, I felt like I could finally relax a little,” she said. “After that, I just wanted to finish strong.” With the Drive, Chip and Putt title behind her, Koduru is now focused on the rest of the 2026 season. Her goals include contending in South Florida PGA Junior Tour majors and earning a spot in the inaugural Cameron Young and Justin Thomas Junior Challenge Cup. “I feel like my game is improving in a lot of areas,” Koduru said. “I want to keep building from this and see how far I can take it.”  For Koduru, Augusta was not the finish line, just another step forward.

Lake Worth, FL – Matthew Marigliano of Palm Beach Gardens and Esha Nagalla of Pinecrest were crowned champions at the Srixon South Florida PGA Junior Medalist Tour event, held May 2–3, 2026, at Park Ridge Golf Course.  Boys 13–18 Division After the first round, Marigliano and Jack Smith of Miami Springs led the Boys 13–18 Division with scores of 4-under par. Round two brought significant movement on the leaderboard, resulting in a three-way tie at 5-under par between Kenny Klein of Palm Beach Gardens, Reed Weekley of Davie, and Marigliano. Marigliano secured the championship after one playoff hole with a birdie on the par-5 10th hole. Klein finished as runner-up, winning a scorecard playoff by two strokes. Girls 13–18 Division Esha Nagalla of Pinecrest played two consistent rounds, posting scores of 2-under par in round one and 3-under par in round two. Nirvika Koduru of Boca Raton fired the tournament-low round of 5-under par to force a sudden-death playoff following round two. After three playoff holes, Nagalla secured the championship with a par. This marks Nagalla’s first victory on the Srixon Medalist Tour since joining in 2025. The Srixon South Florida PGA Medalist Tour welcomed 57 boys and 28 girls across two divisions. The Medalist Tour, the premier membership-based junior golf program of the South Florida PGA Foundation, continues its season June 5–6, 2026, at PGA National Resort on the Fazio Course. Leaderboard | Event Photos