US Amateur Champion Sam Bennett, 23, ends in a tie for 16th place after carding last round 74 to finish his first Masters two-over par…but he gets none of the $261,000 prize pool!
American star Sam Bennett tied for 16th in his first-ever Masters tournament as he won the Silver Cup for the lowest-scoring amateur – but he won’t make any money.
The 23-year-old college golfer made a big impression at Augusta National this week after entering the final round in seventh at four under par.
Finally, he dropped down the standings as he carded a final round 74 to finish two over. Jon Rahm won The Masters after the Spaniard flashed past LIV rival Brooks Koepka in the final round to triumph by four shots.
Had Bennett not had amateur status, he would have made $261,000 as he shared 16th place with Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Joaquin Niemann, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry and Hideki Matsuyama.
“It’s been an incredible week, just getting the chance to play against Augusta was a dream come true,” he said at the tournament on Sunday.
American Amateur Champion Sam Bennett holds the Silver Cup for the lowest scoring amateur
The 23-year-old college golfer made a big impact this week at Augusta National, Georgia
Bennett finished tied for 16th in his first ever Masters tournament after starting strong
“Getting to see it on Sunday walking down the ninth line was by far the coolest experience of my life walking to 18.
“The Masters and Augusta were everything I ever dreamed of.
“I definitely need some time to decompress!”
Bennett, from Madisonville, Texas, made a name for himself at the first major of the year after a first-round 68 on Thursday and the same score on day two.
He flirted with the Masters 36-hole amateur record of nine-under set by Ken Venturi in 1956.
Bennett carded a bogey-free round on day one before revealing how his late father inspired him during one of the biggest events on the sporting calendar.
Mark Bennett died in 2021 at the age of 53 due to the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The last thing he wrote down was the advice given to his son in June 2020 during a tender moment at their family home in Texas: “Don’t wait to do something.”
And the younger Bennett lived up to those words as he stood next to the previous champion at The Masters in Scottie Scheffler and matched him all the way with a four-under 68.
Bennett has those words tattooed above his left wrist, exactly as his father wrote them.
Bennett, 23, has his father’s words tattooed on his left wrist for inspiration
Bennett draws inspiration from his late father, who died of Alzheimer’s disease in 2021 at age 53