PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Before the professionals get absolutely locked in on Thursday for the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship, fans, particularly kids, get a great chance at looking at their role models in a different light.
Those experiences, lead to some unique memories:
"Just amazing to see all these guys you see on television, to finally see them in person," said 15-year-old Richie Thais.
"Just on a practice day, you don't need to take it that serious, so they're really calm, loose, and relaxed rather than playing the actual tournament," said Florida Virtual student Rex Thais.
"It's really cool to see them up in person every year and get their autographs on Tuesday and Wednesday, when they are more able to come out and sign. So, I love doing it every year and it's been a tradition that me and my dad have been doing," said St. Augustine High School student, Alex Sprowles.
"My coolest memory is probably when Justin Thomas, last year or two years ago, tossed me a ball on number eight," said Bolles Academy student Rafa De Carvalho.
"Last year I got Rory, which I freaked out over because I like him a lot, and he's my favorite," Jonny Sprowles said.
"I was following Tiger around, and we were just talking and we yelled at him 'Tiger, we bought you a cookie and donut, but we were hungry so we ate it.' And that was pretty funny because he responded," said Rex Thais.
Being up close and personal, they really get to see how hard the game of golf really is.
"Whenever you watch it on TV, you always see the better shots, and the shots that go really close, and the hole-outs. But when you're with somebody else, you kind of see how pros mess up as well, and how not everything is perfect," said Carvalho.
"You really see that it's not even close to how one person who would play at your local golf course, all the way up to the professionals is such a different game style," said Richie Thais.
It's great to see the impact professional golfers have on kids by just giving them a moment of their time.
But now, the fun and games are over as it's time to dial back in for the first round starting at 7:40 a.m. on Thursday, March 13.