AUGUSTA, Ga. — The kid didn’t flinch.
Sam Bennett, the 23-year-old U.S. Amateur champion who is playing in his first Masters, stunned the Augusta National galleries when he shot a 4-under 68 in the opening round Thursday to get to 4-under.
He backed that up Friday with another 68 in the second round to stand at 8-under and in second place entering the final 36 holes of the tournament, four shots off the lead held by Brooks Koepka.
Bennett, who played his college golf at Texas A&M and won the U.S. Amateur last June at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J., is one of seven amateurs in the field.
When play was suspended at 3:07 p.m. Friday due to dangerous weather in the area, Bennett was the only one among the seven who was inside the cutline.
“Everybody coming into the week was, ‘Yeah, hope you get Low Am,’’’ Bennett said. “I was like, ‘There’s a green jacket on the line.’ I feel like I belong on this stage. I knew my golf was good enough to compete out here. I’ve found myself in a situation that now I’ve got a golf tournament that I can go out and win.’’
Bennett’s 136 strokes through 36 holes was the lowest score by an amateur since Ken Venturi in 1956. He had one bogey in 36 holes, on No. 4 Friday.
“I hit one bad shot today on No. 4 and other than that, it was spot on,’’ he said. “I love being in the big situations. I love being nervous. I use that to my advantage. I love hitting shots when they matter, and to put up two rounds and have a chance going into the weekend it’s going to be fun.
“The hard work’s done. I made the cut as an amateur. I kind of made my mark. Now it’s time for me to go out and enjoy, soak it all in, be able to play the weekend at the Masters. I mean, growing up as a kid, if you would have told me that, I would have said you’re probably crazy.
“I don’t think I’ll be too nervous out there come the weekend. I’ll just be out there enjoying it, soaking it in. If I play good, I play good and if I play bad, I go back to my home school and compete in my home tournament Thursday.’’
Asked why he thinks he can chase down Koepka this weekend, Bennett said, “I know that my good golf is good enough.’’
Bennett’s father, Mark, died in 2021 of Alzheimer’s after an eight-year battle. In 2020, Mark told his son, “Don’t wait to do something.’’ Sam asked his father if he could write that phrase down and Mark Bennett struggled to do it with pencil and paper.
Sam brought that scrawled note to a tattoo artist and had it inked onto his left forearm as a daily reminder.
“I see it every time I’m gripping the club, it’s right there, ‘Don’t wait to do something,’ ’’ Bennett said. “I thrive on it. 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.’’
Bennett politely conceded that he wants his golf to change the narrative to his story from losing his father to winning golf tournaments, maybe even the Masters.
“It’s a great story, an incredible story,’’ Bennett said. “I hear it every day, but I want to try and move on from this. I want to start talking about golf. I’m more than what’s happened to me and what I’ve been through.’’
