Heading into the first major tournament of the year, the talk around Augusta National was all about the 18 LIV Golf players in the field attempting to keep up with the PGA Tour guys.
Could the golfers who took the big money from the Saudi-funded league to play fewer tournaments hang with the players who win all the big money on golf’s premier circuit?
It turns out the biggest story of the week is about a player who can’t win any money at all.
Amateur Sam Bennett has taken over the 2023 Masters. The fifth-year senior at Texas A&M is overshadowing every major talking point analysts expected this week.
Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, Schedule, Tee times
Scottie Scheffler’s quest to repeat, Tiger Woods’ return to the course and Rory McIlroy’s attempt to complete a career grand slam have all become side plots after Bennett strung together back-to-back rounds of 68 on Thursday and Friday.
A 23-year-old walked off the 18th green at the most iconic golf course in the world and entered the clubhouse with a solo hold on second place at 8-under-par.
Reigning U.S. Amateur champion Sam Bennett records a 36-hole total of 8-under 136, the second-lowest by an amateur in Masters Tournament history (lowest: 9-under 135, Ken Venturi, 1956).#theMasters
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) April 7, 2023
An amateur hasn't been in the top-two after the second round of the Masters since 1958.
Sam Bennett finished his round in solo second. pic.twitter.com/guSp6WGc1v
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) April 7, 2023
This is what the 2023 Masters is about now. That Bennett was able to accomplish this while paired with Scheffler — the No. 1 player in the world and reigning Masters champion — is all the more impressive.
“That’s where I want to be, to be able to hit those shots with the crowds and the pressure,” Bennett told reporters after his round on Thursday. “I loved it. Like I’ve said multiple times, I’m experienced. I feel like I’m ready for this stage. I haven’t played my best in college golf, but when the pressure is on, I tend to play pretty well.”
Evidently, that’s the case.
No amateur has ever won this tournament. Few have barely come close. Watching Bennett try to break through that barrier has become the most surprisingly enjoyable part of the week.
Back-to-back birdies and a move to solo second for amateur Sam Bennett. #themasters pic.twitter.com/W75Ip9BhaP
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 7, 2023
Sam Bennett before the first round: +75000 to win it all
Sam Bennett after the second round: +4000 to win it all
Just 0.1% of bets before the tournament were placed on him to win 👀#TheMasters pic.twitter.com/Zr21KUCmhp
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) April 7, 2023
Bennett qualified for the Masters by earning the title of 2022 U.S. Amateur champion. That guaranteed him just one — possibly his only — chance at playing Augusta National during the second weekend in April.
If he finishes in the Top 12 this year, he’ll be invited back next year. If he somehow wins, he’ll be welcomed back every year for the rest of his life and undoubtedly be talked about for long after that.
This is an amateur who didn’t have a single victory on his resume before 2021. He’s now two rounds away from the biggest win of his life.
Brooks Koepka, a LIV Golf player, currently holds the lead at 12-under-par after two rounds and certainly is making things interesting as far as PGA versus LIV is concerned — especially after Rory McIlroy missed the cut at Augusta.
But we’ve seen Brooks win major tournaments before. We’ve seen what it’s like to watch him at the top of his game. That he’s playing elite golf again is a tremendous story. It’s just not the story this week.
Whatever happens this weekend, Bennett has made a tremendous impression on the sport and its most hallowed grounds. Not even LIV versus PGA can steal the spotlight as long as the amateur continues to excel — at least not until the rival leagues are forced to battle it out for Bennett’s pro career path.
