Johnny Manziel shouts out Sam Bennett after impressive start to the Masters
It’s been one heck of a ride during the past year for Texas A&M golfing star Sam Bennett. In August, he joined a list of the game’s all-time greats as he brought home the Havemeyer Trophy at the 122nd U.S. Amateur Championship. In bringing home the U.S. Amateur crown, he also punched his ticket to play Augusta National in the 2023 version of The Masters. On Thursday, it didn’t take long for Bennett to turn heads after he carded a historic first round at Augusta National. He fired off a 4-under 68, becoming the only amateur in the last 30 years to record a bogey free round at The Masters. It marked the lowest opening round by an amateur at The Masters since 2001, when former Virginia Cavalier star James Driscoll shot a 68. The historic round garnered national media attention and even got him a shout out from Aggie legend and former Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Manziel via social media.
Check out the tweet below.
“Hell of a day from my brotha @sammy_golf24243 today @The Masters. Making us Aggies proud! #GigEm,” Manziel tweeted. Bennett got off to a scorching hot start on Thursday, firing off a 4-under 32 on the front nine. It tied the lowest front nine ever from an amateur at The Masters. The weather is supposed to be windy and rainy the final three days at Augusta National, so he was smart to take advantage of the great weather and great conditions on Thursday. He’s currently tied for 6th place, just a few strokes back from the three leaders (7-under): Brooks Koepka, Viktor Hovland, and Jon Rahm.
No matter what he does for the other three rounds, that’s still a really, really impressive accomplishment for the first time ever playing the course in a tournament setting. And he’s an amateur, so he’s got his entire golf career ahead of him.
Bennett was named the SEC Golfer of the Year in 2022, among the many other accolades he’s earned during his prolific career there.
When he won the U.S. Amateur championship, Bennett became the first player from Texas A&M to do so. He also became the first Texan to win the Havemeyer Trophy since Kelly Kraft did it in 2011. The event was played at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey. The Aggie clinched the title after defeating Georgia Southern’s Ben Carr 1-up in a 36-hole championship match.
During the championship match, Bennett never trailed Carr, taking a 3-up lead midway through match. He even stretched the lead to 5-up after the 21st hole, but that advantage was short-lived. The Texas A&M star finished off the match after nearly draining his birdie putt on the 36th hole, a 15-footer. His tap-in putt would clinch the championship and etch his name among the game’s all-time greats. Not only that, but he also punched his ticket to The Masters and the U.S. Open, slated to be played at Los Angeles Country Club.