Last week I was fortunate enough to accompany my friend and her family up to Augusta, Georgia to watch the most prestigious of professional golf events: The Masters. It was a dream come true for me. Most kids when they are growing up long to visit Disney World, me, I always wanted to watch The Masters. I am not sure what lured me in as a kid. Maybe it was the iconically beautiful pink azalea flowers or maybe it was the possibility of seeing my favorite athlete, Tiger Woods, in person. Whatever the case may be, this past weekend far exceeded even my wildest expectations.

My friend and I arrived at the pristine Augusta National Golf Course at approximately 7:55 on Friday morning, right before gates opened at 8 a.m. We were immediately immersed in the wave of spectators and fanatics ready to watch the day’s round of golf. As we entered the country club, I stopped for a minute to soak it all in. We were actually at The Masters. Unfortunately, due to strict rules people were not allowed to bring their phones or cameras into the venue so I was not able to take a once in a lifetime picture, but I took a mental snapshot that I will certainly not lose.

As all people do when they go to a tourist attraction or spectacle, they buy a souvenir. Naturally, my friend and I gravitated over towards the gift shop to purchase mementos that would commemorate our experience at the world’s most famous golf tournament. After buying way too many knick-knack souvenirs and t-shirts, we headed over to the practice green to watch the players warm up before their rounds. As we made our way over, we noticed herds of people moving at once.

We followed behind eager to see what the fuss was all about. As we neared, the whispers that Tiger Wood’s was on the green caught my attention; I instantly shot up to look.

Sure enough there he was, in the flesh. The athlete I revered and idolized growing up was some 20 feet ahead of me, practicing his mid-ranged putting with three balls. None of the patrons spoke a word, they watched in awe as I did too. I carefully observed his poise and focus. Despite over 2,000 fans anxiously awaiting this athlete's highly anticipated return to the sport of golf, Tiger sat with laser precision practicing his putts and blocking out the frenzy of people that wanted to see him.

After a long period of time, Woods had finished his practice putts and was ready to leave. This moment here was the single greatest thing I have ever observed an athlete do. It singlehandedly embodies the type of “in the zone” attitude that most athletes strive to reach. His caddie, John LaCava, was standing five feet in front of us as Tiger finished his last few putts. He looked up at LaCava, gave a quick nod, and walked off towards the clubhouse. His facial expression said it all: Woods was ready. He didn’t have to say he was done, he didn’t have to pack his clubs as in indication that he was finished. All he had to do was give one quick glance and the face of a warrior was there. It was a real sight to witness.