“You get paid”: Sam Bennett explains the only big difference between the major championship at the amateur level and now

Sam Bennett, who turned pro in May 2023, is competing in the second major of the year. He played at the Masters in April and finished 16th at the event, before joining the start-studded field of the Memorial Tournament, where he finished 63rd.

Interestingly, he played at the US Open as an amateur last year and finished in the 49th position. He surges into the top 10 after the second round of the 2023 US Open.

Sam Bennet explained one big difference between playing a major championship as an amateur and now. In an interview with SiriusXM, Bennett said:

"Not really, I mean, obviously, I mean you didn't get paid but other than that same approach, and luckily enough, I was able to get some starts as an amateur that prepared me for when I get out here as a pro."

Sam Bennett started the major event with a birdie on the first hole on Thursday, June 15, and then sank a bogey on the second. He carded three birdies and a bogey on the opening nine holes and three birdies and two bogeys on the closing nine holes to wrap up with a score of 67.

He started the second round with a birdie on the opening hole and made three birdies and one bogey to finish with a score of 68. After the completion of the second round, Sam Bennett tied up at eighth place alongside the 2022 Masters winner Scottie Scheffler.

---

All about Sam Bennett's career

Born on December 21, 1999, Sam Bennett grew up playing golf on a public nine-hole golf course in Madisonville, Texas. Before enrolling at Texas A&M in 2018, he won the 2017 State Championship while studying in high school.

He earned All-American honors during his junior years and also played for his country at the 2021 Arnold Palmer Cup. Bennett was the SEC Player of the Year during his senior year in college in 2022 and became a finalist for the Fred Haskins Award in 2022.

Sam Bennett was named to the 2022 Arnold Palmer Cup to represent America after setting a school record for scoring the lowest average.

The Texas native won the 2022 US Open amateur held at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey after defeating Ben Carr. The victory earned him an exemption to the 2023 Masters and The Open Championship.

Bennett competed at the US Open last year and finished in a tie for 49th place. He made his PGA Tour debut as an amateur at the 2021 Valero Texas Open but missed the cut.

Sam Bennett made the headlines when he played at the 2023 Masters. He opened with a bogey-free round of 68 and maintained the score on the second day, becoming the first amateur golfer since 2003 to surge into the top three on the leaderboard of the Masters through 36 holes.

He turned pro in May 2023 after finishing fifth in the PGA Tour University ranking following the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship.