The Putt to Win the 2027 Masters - Vincent Apostolico

            I'm standing behind my 3 foot putt on the 18th green of Augusta National to win the Masters and to claim my first career major. I've got goosebumps all over my body as I realize how high the stakes are to make this one putt that I've made thousands of times throughout my whole career. There's slimy sweat swimming all over the surface of my face as my nerves have been activated in full 100% fear mode. Growing up, I've watched many legendary players make putts like these to win majors like Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, and, of course, Tiger Woods. Swimming in my swirling brain pool of thoughts, I realize that I could become part of that group right at this moment if I can just sink in this 3-foot putt. My body now is starting to shake like an earthquake has just struck the surface of the Earth and I feel a strong presence of coldness on my skin. All of these thoughts now are popping into my head and they're making me feel very sick to the point where I feel like throwing up. "What if I miss this putt?" "Do I even know which way this putt breaks?" "Why should I be the Masters Champion?" That last question just sparked a whole new way of thinking in my brain as I came up with a great response to that question. I've worked for every day since age 4 to become better at golf. I've hit millions of range balls to help put my swing in the most perfect shape. I've putted for endless hours to become the best putter I could be. Lastly, my Dad had always said to me "There's no reason in this world that you can't be the best."
               All of this is now helping me build up every ounce of confidence I can in my nervous shaking body to help me believe that this putt is going in the hole. I've played so well for the past four days on this challenging golf course so there was nothing stopping me from making this putt. This putt is breaking slightly to the right so I have to aim the putt to the left side of the cup. It's also slightly uphill so I'll need to put a little more touch of speed on this putt to get the ball to the hole. I now go a few inches away from the ball and starting making my practice strokes to help me get the feel for the best stroke I want to hit here. As soon as I make my final practice stroke, I am so confident that this putt is going in the hole as I know the perfect putting stroke to hit. I move forward to put my putter head behind my golf ball very slowly as I realize I'll meet my fate and win the Masters. My putter head finally reaches behind the golf ball and I start to adjust myself into the best posture setup I can to increase my chances of making this putt much higher. I'm in my best putting stance now and I tilt my head to the left to look back at the hole to make sure I'm aimed in the right position to start the golf ball on the right path to the hole. My aim looks like its in the perfect position and I tilt my head back slowly to the golf ball. Before I hit this putt, I look through my whole golfing career to realize that I've made 3-foot putts like this millions of times and I was certainly capable of making another. This is when I realize, I'm going to win the Masters. I rock my shoulders back and forth in a smooth stroke and I look up to see the golf ball. I hear the crowd making all sorts of encouraging chants as they also want the ball to go in the hole. My golf ball is starting on the perfect line and starts to break to the right where the hole is. The ball keeps going and I see it start to fall slowly into a small little hole in the green. I then hear the noise of a golf ball falling into the center of the cup and see that I've made the putt to win the Masters.
              My body is full of so much excitement that I make a huge first pump of joy and I scream along with the crowd as they are jumping up and down and cheering me on as they are happy to see a player fulfill his dream. At this moment, I look back at my whole golf career and see how all of the hard work and dedicated hours that I've invested to become the best golfer I can be has truly paid off now. Later on, as I put on the famous green jacket that is awarded to the winner of the Masters every year, I realize that all of the golfing idols that I had watched as a kid win this tournament have worn this jacket too and that I have just joined that elite group. This is honestly the coolest feeling I've probably experienced in my life. I now know that all of the hard work that I've put into this sport since the first time I picked up a golf club has clearly paid off.