TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) –

Tucson 8th grader Mackeznie McRee will be one of 10 golfers in her age group to compete Sunday for the Drive, Chip and Putt championship at Augusta National Golf Club.

The event kicks of Masters Tournament week down at the historic venue.

Drive, Chip & Putt – a nationwide youth golf development initiative for boys and girls ages 7-15, is designed to inspire a new generation to choose golf as a lifetime pursuit.

The top 80 performers each year earn the opportunity to compete in the National Finals.

McRee, 14, won the Girls’ 14-15 Western regional event held last Fall at the Torrey Pines Golf Club in San Diego.

The teenager hasn’t let scoliosis hold her back on the course, wearing a back brace for 18 hours a day to help overcome the condition.

When not golfing, McRee plays volleyball as a captain for her school and enjoys watching NASCAR and football.

Her favorite female golfer is Stacy Lewis, who also battles scoliosis and persevered to continue playing the game she loves.

McRee is annually at the top of the Junior Golf Association of Arizona (JGAA) leaderboard, competing at tournaments across the state.

She plans to attend Salpointe Catholic High School next fall where she will hit the links for the powerful Lancers program.