The ball was arching through the air, a laser beam towards the hole.  The player had practiced this shot thousands of times.  It is a shot that is in every kid’s dreams, and every pro’s nightmares. Crash, the ball landed short and ran back into the creek.  The tee shot on the 12th hole at Augusta National is very difficult.   Any mistake and you can get a big score on the hole. Unfortunately this is the exact fate that Jordan Spieth brought upon himself. This hole ended Jordan Spieth's chances of winning the 2016 Masters. All the work, all the preparation, all the dreams, gone in an instant.

However, Jordan is a Champion.  He did not give up. He fought back hard to the very last hole he birdied several of the last holes to close the gap. Unfortunately the fight was not enough and in the end he lost the tournament. He was gracious to the winner, congratulated him, and wished him well. 

Overall this was a pretty disappointing tournament for Jordan and his fans, but it taught all the golfers out there an extremely important lesson. Even the best can fail. The best golfer in the world can also hit a bad shot.  However, the difference between a champion and a loser is the champion never gives up the fight.  

There are several key takeaways from this experience that all Juniors should learn.  First, everyone hits a bad shot, and it can come at the worst time.  Don’t be discouraged, it happens to everyone. Second, never give up.  You might not win, but at least you gave it your best shot.  Third, be gracious in defeat.  Congratulate the winner. Fourth bounce back from your mistakes.  Jordan is a Champion, he will bounce back from this.