Sports

Why Sam Bennett Won’t Get Paid $260K For His Surprising Finish At The Masters

by
Sam Bennett reacts to his play at the Masters.

Getty Image


Amateur golfer Sam Bennett surprised viewers this weekend with an impressive showing at the Masters. The fifth-year student at Texas A&M capped a top 20 finish in Augusta on Sunday despite entering as one of the field’s youngest participants.

Bennett landed the Masters invite after winning last year’s US Amateur event in New Jersey. He then put his skills on full display for the golf world at the sport’s most recognizable major.

The Aggies star made headlines during the practice rounds for an interesting tattoo on his arm, one that has a deep family meaning. He then burst onto the scene over the first two days of the tournament, posting back-to-back 68s.

At eight under par, he reached as high as No. 2 on the leaderboard. It was a record-setting weekend for Bennett, who wound up two strokes below par after Sunday’s final round.

While his play tapered off a bit in his final two rounds, the amateur was still able to secure a 16th place finish in a tie with Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Joaquin Niemann, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, and Hideki Matsuyama.

That positioning came tied to a $261K prize that, unfortunately, Bennett won’t be able to accept. His amateur status bars him from any winnings, though he may be able to make some of it up in NIL deals over his final collegiate season.

Had it not been for his +6 finish over the second half of the tournament, that number would have been even higher. At one point, he was looking at a potential payday north of $1.5M.

Sam Bennett shocked everyone over the weekend, and while he won’t receive any winnings, the exposure he’s gotten over the last four days will surely lead to new opportunities.