Stephen Sanders, 11, heads to Augusta National for the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, aiming for victory in the iconic golf setting.

DALLAS — As Augusta National GC prepares for this year’s Masters Tournament, 11-year-old Stephen Sanders awaits his shot.

Well, six shots — to be exact.

Stephen, who also goes by SJ, is days away from stepping foot in one of golf’s grandest venues.

The Grand Prairie native, along with his family, will head to Augusta, Georgia for the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals — a youth golf competition held annually at the home of The Masters.

For Sanders, it’s the culmination of a dream and years of hard work.

“When I was 7, I told my dad, ‘I wanna go to that place,’” Sanders recalled. “He’s like, ‘That’s Augusta National. I know you can go there one day.’ And that’s how much my dad believes in me. And my mom, she came over, and she was like, ‘You’re gonna make it.’ Four years later, I’m going.”

Qualifying for the national finals is a major accomplishment. But Sanders has his eyes on the prize.

“I wanna win,” Sanders said. “I wanna do more than just go there and throw a party, because I made it to Augusta. I wanna go there. Win. And then after, throw a party.”

Sanders fell in love with golf at a young age. Now, he practices multiple times a week, including lessons with his coach Nick Dunn at The Tribute Golf Links in The Colony, Tex.

“He’s pretty cool under the hood,” Dunn said. “He’s a fearless competitor. His standard of excellence is really high.”

Sanders wants to be a PGA Tour professional golfer when he “grows up.” If that doesn’t pan out, his backup plan is brain surgeon because he’s “good with his hands.”

With a smooth swing and still not even a teenager, the goal is still Plan A.

“Hard work gets you a lot of places,” Sanders explained. “But, like people say, hard work beats talent any day. So, if I can combine those together, I’m gonna be unstoppable.”

Sanders’ favorite golfer is Scottie Scheffler — a fellow north Texas native and two-time Masters Champion.

As Scheffler preps for Augusta National GC, so does Stephen Sanders.