Bothell youngster Taighan Chea snagged a national championship on Sunday in the Drive, Chip and Putt finals at Augusta Golf Club in Georgia.

The 9-year-old and 79 other junior golfers set the stage for the pros, who will compete in the Masters Tournament in a few days.

Chea, whose home course is the Inglewood Golf Club, won in the male age 7-9 group. He was ecstatic as he lifted his right arm and clenched his fist after making his 15-foot putt on the 18th green to win his division.

In a PGA site story, he said, “It felt like I won the Masters. It’s the best feeling ever.”

At the national finals, one champion was named from each age/gender division. Each finalist was scored based on a 30-point system, offering the player with the longest drive 10 points, the player with the closest cumulative chips 10 points and the player with the nearest cumulative putts 10 points, in each separate skill. The highest total composite score determined the winner.