Why the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals is One of Golf's Best Days

Sundays at Augusta National. They're something else.

The past decades have been layered with historic moments, triumphant comebacks, devastating heartbreaks, and where some of the game's best players have written their legend at The Masters.

But if you rewind the tape to one week earlier than the second Sunday in April recently, you'll find that the competitors moseying about the grounds aren't looking for a Green Jacket.

They're looking to have some fun.

Over the last 10 years, the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals has emerged as one of golf's best days. One of its happiest days, too. That's because it belongs to 80 boys and girls who relish every second of it. They're buzzing with excitement. After a daunting task of getting through local, subregional and regional qualifying, they've finally made it to the top of the mountain.

And we, as golf fans, are better for it.

First, the competition itself is just so effortlessly simple and easy to understand. Each golfer hits three drives, three chips and three putts; the best shots get the most points. In the National Finals, the competitors hit their drives and chips at the sparkling Masters Tournament Practice Facility, a space only used during Masters week. Think about it: the kids get a chance to hit drives and chips before Rory and Scottie even set foot on the course!

That's followed by a trip over to the famed 18th green at Augusta National, where so many memories have been forged through the years. The boys and girls each get a chance to make a little bit of their own history, and for those that make a putt, well, how could you ever forget that?!

The Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals has found the secret sauce, much like PGA Jr. League, of creating an environment for kids of all ages to learn the fundamentals and, at the same time, find out why golf can be a game they can play for life. It wouldn't be the amazing day that it is, however, without a special ingredient.

An unbridled joy in each competitor.

Some may raise a trophy at the end of the day and some may not, but they each know why they're at Augusta National. That gives them some freedom to have fun, soak in the moment - oh, have there been some awesome moments - and put their games to the test. Sure, they're probably nervous (we all would be putting on that 18th green, right?) but throughout the morning you see the nerves melt away and the personalities come out.

The smiles, the big hugs, the tears of joy, the epic celebrations. They just come one after another, after another, like little micro-bursts of happiness. It's a refreshing sight for people watching on the grounds and at home because it's clear what's happening: golf's foundational values that are treasured by millions are on display.

Competition. Integrity. Sportsmanship. Perseverance. Optimism. Happiness.

They're part of the DNA of these boys and girls, who remind us - even if its just for a few hours on a Sunday morning - why we play the game. Why we love the game.

And that's why it's one of the best days in golf.