Fact Check: Has an amateur ever won The Masters? Exploring past winners and more

Amateur Sam Bennett is currently in third place at the 2023 Masters after playing two rounds of golf. The 22-year-old amateur is just three strokes short of Brooks Koepka, who leads at Augusta National.

If Bennett continues his good run on his Masters debut, there's a possibility that we might see an amateur wearing the green jacket on Sunday, April 9.

Seeing an amateur besting all the veterans and, that too, at the majors has been a rarity. There have only been 14 occasions when amateurs have triumphed at major events and none of them have done so in The Masters.

Although none of the amateurs have succeeded in winning the green jacket yet, there have been instances where they have finished in the top 5 at Augusta National.

Here's a look at the best finishes by amateurs in The Masters:

• Frank Stranahan: T2, 1947
• Billy Joe Patton: 3rd, 1954
• Ken Venturi: 2nd, 1956
• E. Harvie Ward: 4th, 1957
• Charlie Coe: T2, 1961
• Jack Nicklaus: T7 1961

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Amateur winners in other major events

14 major title wins by amateurs have come in only two events: the US Open and the Open Championship. Notably, the PGA Championship doesn't allow amateurs to participate.

Bobby Jones has won eight times, the highest by any amateur. All 14 wins came before 1934.

Here's the list of amateur winners from different majors:

US Open

• Francis Ouime: 1913
• Jerome Travers: 1915
• Chick Evans: 1916
• Bobby Jones: 1923, 1926, 1929, 1930
• Johnny Goodman:1933

Open Championship

• John Ball: 1890
• Harold Hilton: 1892, 1897
• Bobby Jones: 1926, 1927, 1930

Here are the best finishes by an amateur at the majors since 1934

• Lawson Little: 4th, 1934 Open Championship
• Bud Ward: 4th, 1939 US Open
• Frank Stranahan: 2nd, 1947 Open Championship
• Frank Stranahan: 2nd, 1953 Open Championship
• Willie Smith: 5th, 1957 Open Championship
• Reid Jack: 5th, 1959 Open Championship
• Jack Nicklaus: 2nd, 1960 US Open
• Jack Nicklaus: 4th, 1961 US Open
• Jim Simons: 5th, 1971 US Open
• Justin Rose: 4th, 1998 Open Championship
• Chris Wood: 5th, 2008 Open Championship

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"I've got a golf tournament that I can go out and win" - Sam Bennett confident ahead of the weekend at Masters 2023

Sam Bennett alongside Scottie Scheffler at the 2023 Masters, round 2

Sam Bennett posted two identical rounds of 4-under 68 on Friday and Thursday to comfortably sit in third place, behind Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm.

The 2022 U.S. Amateur champion enters the weekend at Augusta National with a chance of creating history on his Masters debut.

No amateur has scored a lower opening round than Sam Bennett's 68 in more than 20 years at The Masters. Since 1992, this was also the maiden bogey-free round by an amateur.

However, Bennett isn't done yet. He now has higher aspirations as he heads into the weekend at Augusta National.

“I knew my golf was good enough to compete out here,” Bennett was quoted via PGA Tour. “I found myself in a situation that now I've got a golf tournament that I can go out and win.”

Bennett holed five birdies and just one bogey on Friday, which included two sets of consecutive birdies on holes 8 and 9 and holes 13 and 14. If he remains consistent, who knows, we might be witnessing history being created on Sunday.