Halfway through the 122nd U.S. Amateur, Texas A&M Superstar, and No. 3 Amateur in the World, Sam Bennett left us with the Quote of the Week. Then he went out for the last few days and completely backed it up.
Bennett built up a large lead at 18:00 and held it slightly in the afternoon before beating Ben Kerr for first place in the 36-hole finale. Both players are likely to receive invitations to the Masters, both at his country club in Los Angeles. is only Bennett.
But first, let’s go back to how Bennett found himself in that position on Sunday. , faced an incredible array of players and dispatched back to back.
First, Bennett needed seven birdies and 19 holes to get past world number 13 amateur Nick Gabresic. He then went on to beat 27th-ranked Brazilian amateur Fred Biondi, 6-5. Then, playing in the LIV Golf League, world number 10 Spaniard David He beat Puig 4–2. He defeated former Masters his Raw Amateur Stewart Hagestad (where he was ninth in WAGR) in the quarterfinals.
“They’re great players, but I’m better. I’m third in the rankings and I feel like I’m the best. I’m the watchdog in this race. I’ve played the best golf I’ve ever played.” Yesterday we were 10 under to 29 under.Today we didn’t do well but we got the job done.Tomorrow we’ll face Menante.Of course he’s playing well and he’s a tough opponent. I think it’s going to be a good match.”
Bennett started the week with these words: Eternal club twirl with Dylan Menante In the semi-finals – he won one – before the final against Kerr, which Bennett never lost. At one point, he even appeared to go to her car for Saki Baba (a reference to last week’s U.S. Women’s Amateur, where Saki Baba beat her 11-9 over Monechung). However, Kerr fought back with multiple birdies off the green in the afternoon’s game and the ensuing ending set the whole event on fire.
“It was something you dreamed of as a kid,” Carr told NBC of the 36-hole day and the wildness of the final hour. I didn’t go.”
At the par-5 14th, Carr had the opening when Bennett hooked the second out of bounds, but Carr did exactly the same on the approach, splitting the hole with a bogey. A hole later, Bennett missed a three-footer and kicked another to take a lead of just two up into the final four holes. Incredibly, Kerr also won his 17th place, just one hole before he took 18th. After neither a tie nor a lead on one hole in the afternoon, it looked as though Kerr would catch Bennett one last time.
“I got off to a good start. After lunch he started dropping putts and chips from everywhere,” Bennett told NBC after the game. I was quite nervous. [Caddie and A&M golf coach Brian Kortan] It calmed me down… and… stuck with what we’ve been doing all week. ”
Kerr blocked a drive on the final hole and was half-strapped behind a tree with little hope for a birdie. Bennett followed another monster spin, with very little drama in the last ten minutes.
“A dream come true,” he told NBC. “Seeing all these people on the 18th green in Ridgewood doesn’t even feel real. What am I saying right now? I don’t even know it means a lot to hold that trophy I’m sure tonight I’m going to go through all the names but I know Tiger Woods name comes up 3 times It’s pretty special to have my name next to him.”
Bennett is no fluke winner. He is one of his top three amateurs in the world, and for 2022 he won the SEC Player of the Year award and has competed in his four professional his events as an amateur. He qualified for this year’s US Open, where he finished 49th ahead of players such as Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau and Viktor Hobrand.
Bennett’s week – from his quotes to his twists to his demeanor as an alpha at Ridgewood Country Club – shows how top golfers, both amateurs and professionals, must maintain a comical level of self-belief. It gives you great insight into what you have to do. Compete in levels to win US amateurs. It doesn’t always work out because of the reality that he only has one champion at the end of the week, but any champion below that is generally considered a failure, even if some champions don’t do much. Even if you don’t say it out loud, it’s still necessary. About it than Bennett was.
It can also be used as a separator. Bennett clearly never lost faith, but in the final he could almost see his opponent’s car slide in and out depending on the hole. And while it’s easy to dunk to a player who motivates you to say, “I’m the dog of this race,” it’s hard not to put your faith into words, like Bennett, to cap off one of the toughest weeks in golf. is much more difficult.
Ultimately, Bennett’s confidence won the week and the respect of his competitors. Because anyone can grind and anyone can talk, but it’s the rare players who can back up their confidence with the type of grind that beats US amateurs. Bennett is that player this week, and in the process he accomplished the most difficult feat in sports. He tells everyone he’s the best in the game and it’s about proving it.
