5 Things About Amateur Golfer At The Masters – Hollywood Life

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• Sam Bennett is an beginner golfer from Madisonville, Texas
• The Texas A&M pupil gained the 2022 U.S. Amateur at age 22
• He made a record-breaking debut on the 2023 Masters

Sam Bennett made an astounding debut on the 2023 Masters — and he’s solely an beginner! The Texas A & M senior posted the bottom spherical by an beginner in his first spherical since 1956! He’s additionally the primary participant since Jim Gallagher Jr. in 1991 to go bogey-free in his first spherical, per Golf. And he sat third behind celebrity Jon Rahm and the chief Brooks Koepka when the third spherical was suspended for climate!

“I knew my golf was good enough to compete out here,” Sam informed the New York Times after the second spherical. “I found myself in a situation that now I’ve got a golf tournament that I can go out and win.”

His placing recreation was particularly thrilling to observe and he shared just a few clips of it to his Instagram. Let’s study extra about Sam Bennett, under.

How Did Sam Get To Play In The Masters?

The Masters event was established by an beginner champion, Bobby Jones, in 1934 and continues a practice of honoring beginner golf by inviting winners of probably the most prestigious beginner tournaments on the earth. Sam earned an opportunity to swing for the enduring inexperienced jacket by taking house the massive prize on the U.S. Amateur event in 2022, the place he bested the highest 15 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Why Is He A Big Deal?

His early displaying on the Masters gave the true risk of an beginner profitable, the primary time in its historical past! If Sam wins as an beginner, he’ll nonetheless get to take house the iconic inexperienced jacket and the Silver Cup trophy! He can’t preserve the prize cash, nonetheless, which might go to the second place winner.

Sam Says His ‘Good Golf Is Good Enough’

When the second spherical of the Masters was suspended as a result of climate, Sam was third with just one stroke behind Rahm, the 2021 U.S. Open winner. At the time, Sam informed The New York Times that he was fairly assured he might catch as much as Rahm as a result of his “good golf is good enough.”

His Response To Missing Out On Pro Prize Money Was Hilarious

During a 2023 Masters press convention, Sam was requested how he feels about lacking out on the possibility for The Masters’ prize cash together with his beginner standing; a second place end can attain into the 6 digits, in accordance with Golf Digest. Sam replied with a shy smile, “NIL’s been pretty good this year,” because the room erupted with laughter. AS seen  within the final yr’s second made $1.6 million. if he thinks about “NIL” has been good this yr.

NIL (Name Image Likeness) refers back to the NCAA laws that offers school athletes the possibility to have interaction in “endorsement deals, leveraging social media for pay, and getting compensated for coaching, making personal appearances and signing autographs,” per Golf Week.

Sam Has A Heartbreaking Tattoo In Honor Of His Late Father

Sadly, Sam’s father, Mark Bennett, was identified with Alzheimer’s in 2013 on the age of 45 and died from it in 2021, in accordance with Golf Digest. The outlet reported that Sam tattooed a phrase Mark wrote down for him earlier than he died: “Don’t wait to do something.” They had been the final phrases Mark was capable of write, per Golf Digest. And Sam glances on the tattoo earlier than each swing, in accordance with Golf.

“I thrive on it,” Sam informed the outlet. “I use it for some motivation. I know how happy he would be seeing me out here at Augusta National doing what I’m doing. This week, I’ve used it to just stay focused and really be locked in to that one shot.”

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