15-year-old Arno Wehle couldn’t keep the smile off his face on April 5 as he stood on the course in Augusta, Ga. and hoisted the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship trophy over his head. 

“I didn’t think I won. I was kind of in shock,” recalled Arno. “I thought I got top three, but I did well on my chipping and putting, so that’s why I won.”

The teen, who calls Santa Clara’s Pruneridge Golf Course his home course, beat out a field of other 14- and 15-year-olds to win his event. The Drive, Chip and Putt contest consists of two drives, two chips and two putts. The best of the two drives is added to the cumulative accuracy of the two chips and the cumulative accuracy of a 30- and 15-foot putt. 

Arno called Augusta his “happy place.”

“It’s the one tournament [where] there’s no phones, so everybody’s not on their phone,” said Arno. “And two, it’s the one tournament that, like, is so green. It has a lot of history, and it’s a major championship golf venue.”

For Arno’s father, Chris, he loves the Drive, Chip and Putt for another reason: it gives him a chance to spend time on the course with his son as his caddy.

“The Drive, Chip and Putt is Augusta’s love letter to children and their families. They really understand their role and the venue and to provide this because when you’re on the golf circuit, there aren’t a lot of carrots for the parents,” said Chris. “Getting to go to Augusta is just as much of a reward for the parents as it is the children. This was an opportunity where we got to win and bring home a trophy. So, it’s beyond words.”

Arno started golfing around the age of eight. He says he likes the “mental aspect” of the game.

“I like it because it’s really hard and challenging,” said Arno. “Every hole, every single shot is brand new. There’s always a different thing on every shot. It’s a lot of guesswork.” 

For him, Santa Clara’s Pruneridge Golf Course offers some of that mental challenge because it’s not like your average nine-hole course. 

“It’s like a special nine-hole course because it’s not a par three, it’s a par 30, so there’s par fours, so you can hit all your clubs,” said Arno. “I like Pruneridge because they treat me very nice and it’s really close, and it’s near my school.”

When he’s not playing golf, Arno likes to play the drums. He’s into 80s and 90s music and is a fan of the band Twenty One Pilots. 

He also likes hanging out with his sisters, Hannah and Olivia Wehle, even though one of them is off at college and the other will be leaving soon.

He credits his mom, Danielle Wehle, for helping make his golf career possible up until this point. 

Arno’s favorite golfers are Scottie Scheffler and Ben Griffin. When he grows up, he wants to be a PGA Tour Pro. 

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