Faced with declining interest in golf from American youth, three major US golf organizations announced on Monday a new skills contest for children aged 7-15 to try to inspire more young golfers.

The Drive, Chip and Putt Championship will launch later this year with 88 players divided into four age groups reaching the final at Augusta National on April 6, 2014 - the Sunday a week before the final round of the 78th Masters.

"We certainly did enough research to know that we had to do something," said Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Billy Payne.