Amateur Sam Bennett honors his late father’s motto of ‘don’t wait to do something’ – which is tattooed on his wrist – with a superb four-under round of 68 at The Masters… and impresses playing partner Scottie Scheffler!
Sam Bennett stepped up and made history at Augusta on Thursday, carding a bogey-free round of 68 at The Masters before revealing how his late father inspired him at one of the greatest events on the sporting calendar.
Mark Bennett died in 2021 at the age of 53 due to early onset Alzheimer’s. The last thing he wrote down was advice 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 those words to the full when he lined up alongside the defending champions at the Masters in Scottie Scheffler and matched him the whole way round the course with a four-under 68.
The 23-year-old Bennett, the US Amateur champion, has those words tattooed above his left wrist, exactly as his father wrote them.
Bennett birdied the first hole and chipped in for eagle on the second. When he made the turn at -4, he equaled the tournament record for the lowest first nine by an amateur.
Amateur Sam Bennett shot an outstanding bogey-free four-under 68 at The Masters
Bennett draws inspiration from his late father, who died in 2021 at 53 from Alzheimer’s
Bennett, 23, has his father’s words of advice tattooed onto his left wrist for inspiration
‘I couldn’t have dreamed of a better start,’ Bennett said after his round. ‘I got out of the gates hot.
‘There’s very few things that I like more than playing a round of golf bogey-free. That was by far the most locked in, focused I’ve been at a golf tournament.
‘I wasn’t thinking of any record. I was just trying to stack golf shots and give myself some looks and keep it under the hole, which I did.’
Bennett kept his cool in the aftermath of a round of golf that caught the eye of the world watching on, but his mother Stacy opened up on how much his success means.
‘Oh God, Sam would give anything for him (Mark) to be here right now,’ she told The New York Post.
‘He’s so young. He’s just a gentle giant. He just exudes a whole lot of confidence.
‘He’s always been like that, but not cocky. Calm and confident. His dad was like that. He’s got the mannerisms of his dad.’
Bennett Snr, a dentist, was diagnosed with the disease in 2017 and his young son wrote on Instagram on Father’s Day in June 2018: ‘If y’all haven’t already known, my dad has been diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer’s. Been going on about 1 year now, it’s really said he had to retire and get out of dentistry.
‘He’s been real happy lately and fighting hard. Happy Father’s Day dad!! Love you. Keep our family and him in our prayers please!’.
Bennett’s tattoo can be seen on his left wrist during his opening round at Augusta on Thursday
Defending Masters champion Scottie Scheffler (right) praised Bennett after their round
Scheffler singled Bennett out for praise after their time on the course together, saying: ‘Watching him get started in his round today was pretty fun.’
Bennet is three shots behind joint leaders Brooks Koepka, Viktor Hovland and John Rahm after a stellar first round.
He goes back out on Friday at 10am, with heavy rain forecast in Georgia that could unsettle the leaderboard.
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