Sam Bennett receives standing ovation for historic performance at The Masters
Texas A&M golf star Sam Bennett finished off a spectacular week on Sunday at The Masters. While he might have faltered a bit on Sunday, Bennett still put together a number of historic rounds. He finished 2-under par for the tournament and tied for 16th place. Simply put, he put on an incredible performance, because Augusta National usually gives players an extremely difficult time on their first try, even for professionals. The fans at this year’s event were impressed by his performance and gave him a standing ovation as he was walking up the 18th green.
Check it out below.
He stamped his name in Augusta National history forever, no doubt about it. After receiving the standing ovation from the crowd, Bennett was amazed. “Walking up 18 was by far the best moment of my entire life,” the Texas A&M star said.
Sam Bennett accomplished some rare feats at The Masters
Bennett accomplished several historic firsts this weekend. He became the first Texas A&M golfer to play in The Masters while still being a member of the golf team. In Round 1, he carded a 68, shooting the lowest opening round by an amateur at The Masters since 2001. Not only that, but it was also the first bogey-free round by an amateur since 1965. In Round 2, he carded yet another 68, becoming just the third amateur in Masters history to record multiple rounds in the 60s in a single tournament. He also became the first amateur to finish inside the Top 3 through 36 holes since 2003. In Round 3, Bennett played in the final group, carding a 74 for the round. His 54 hole score of 4-under par is tied for the second-best mark by an amateur in Masters history. Then finally, in round 4 on Sunday, he carded another 74, becoming the first amateur to finish inside the Top 20 at The Masters since 2005. He also earned the Silver Cup Trophy (pictured at the top), presented to the low amateur each year who makes the cut.
Check out the graphic below from the SEC Network.
Unfortunately for Bennett, his performance finished two shots short of a guaranteed return to Augusta National for the 2024 version of The Masters. He finished T16 and 2-under par overall. The Top 12 players in the field automatically earned a spot in the 2024 Masters.
Tomorrow, it’ll be back to reality for the Texas A&M golf star. Tomorrow morning, he’s slated to play in the Aggie Invitational for Texas A&M. The event is 36 holes and he’ll be carrying his own bag, since there are no caddies.
It’s been an unbelievable year for Bennett. He’s currently ranked as the No. 6 amateur in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. He had his head coach from Texas A&M, Brian Kortan on the bag this week. Bennett also had him on the bag when he won the U.S. Amateur crown at Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey in August of 2022. He defeated Georgia Southern’s Ben Carr to win the title.
At Texas A&M during the fall season, Bennett played in four tournaments and had a 70.73 stroke average in 11 rounds of action. His best round came at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate where he shot a 7-under 65, and he helped Texas A&M to a team title at the Blessing Intercollegiate when he finished fourth individually.
It’s going to be really exciting to see how his college career finishes and how he develops in the pros in the upcoming years.
On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this article.