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Local 5th Grader Hopes To Win At Augusta

REDWOOD CITY (KPIX 5) -- Eric Yun has almost mastered how to dribble a golf ball with a wedge through his legs.

"These days I haven't really been on top of my game," he said.

The fifth grader might not be satisfied with the shape of his game at the moment, but it's been good enough to punch his ticket to the Masters in April for the annual Drive, Chip and Putt championship.

"If you win, you get the shake the hands of past Masters champions," he said. "That would be amazing."

Yun will represent the Bay Area with other young golfers across the country who hope to show off their skills in three phases of the game, and they get to do it on the grounds at Augusta National a week before the professionals get there.

"I was amazed when I got the text from my mom that Eric qualified," said Eric's older brother Jeremy Yun.

Jeremy is four years older, and just missed out on a chance join Eric in Augusta. Both Yun brothers possess a ton of potential, but didn't get the golf bug from their parents Joon Yun and Kimberly Bazar.

"I think I played three holes once," said Kimberly. "It didn't go well."

It was a family vacation in Hawaii where the boys first got hooked.

"My husband was trying to kill some time on a surfing trip," said Kimberly. "He said 'hey there's a driving range, why don't we stop by?' And that was it."

And because this is a new generation of golfers, the Yun boys refined their game by watching YouTube videos.

"Just looking at every possible flaw in your swing, and of course I had about all of them," said Jeremy.

The flaws have since been worked out thanks to hours of practice.

"A year or two ago it was really hard for me to break bogey golf," said Eric.

"I couldn't drive the ball over 150 yards for I don't know how long. He's already driving it over 200 yards. It's amazing," said Jeremy who dreams of playing professional golf. He hopes his little brother follows in his footsteps.

"He's beaten me, I'm not gonna lie about that. I'm proud of him," Jeremy said with a smile.

And now it's Eric's turn to beat a few more in April at Augusta in the Drive, Chip and Putt championship, and there's little doubt who will be the most nervous member of the family when the day comes.

"I just wish they gave the mom's paper bags to hyperventilate into," Kimberly said.

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