MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 7, 2023

Sam Bennett

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Please welcome Sam Bennett to the interview room. Competing for the first time as an amateur at the Masters Tournament, you've had a terrific start with rounds of 68, 68 to reach 8-under par. How have you been able to calm the nerves and perform at this level?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, I love being able to hit shots, and the crowd of the people, I used that to my advantage. I felt comfortable out there. Obviously the first tee shot on Thursday was pretty tough, having to wait around all morning. I got off to a dream start and then was able to keep going and gain some ground.

Q. Coming into this week, what were your expectations and how have the expectations changed at all?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, everybody coming into the week was, yeah, hope you get Low Am. That's pretty much all they were saying. I just wanted to put two good rounds up. I knew my golf was good enough to compete out here. I found myself in a situation that now I've got a golf tournament that I can go out and win.

Q. You seemed a little miffed that there was a lot of talk about the other amateurs. Is there a similar thing this week?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, I don't hit it far like Sargent. I don't have 190 ball speed. I don't have a pretty swing like some of the other amateurs. It's golf, not a golf swing. I've done the right things this week. I was prepared. I was more experienced than the other guys, and yeah, here I sit here with a chance to go on the weekend and do something special.

Q. Can you tell the story about the tattoo, and can you confirm which arm and how that process happened and about your dad's comments?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, it was before he passed, I got tattooed on my left arm. So I see it every time I'm gripping the club, it's right there, "Don't wait to do something."

You know, I thrive on it. I use it for some motivation. I know how happy he would be seeing me out here at Augusta National doing what I'm doing. You know, this week, I've used it to just stay focused and really be locked in to that one shot.

I haven't played great this college season, which is kind of expected after being U.S. Am Champion, if you look back at the records. But this week, I felt like I was really locked in on what I was able to accomplish.

Q. A couple things, your caddie, coach, the correct pronunciation of his last name? And is it true that you've never had a lesson? And if you haven't, has anybody ever tried to convince you to have one?

SAM BENNETT: My coach's name is Brian Kortan. I call him "Kortan." I think I'm one of the only guys on the team to do so.

I've had one lesson from Brian Harman when I was maybe 7th grade but yeah, that's it. People try to tell me my back's not going to hold up or, "Your swing's not going to hold up." I'm young, and I think -- no, I'll never get a swing coach, no.

Q. How have you created confidence over the years and how do you keep confidence this week when you're in a situation you've never been in before?

SAM BENNETT: Create confidence by putting myself in the right situations. The weekend of the U.S. Open, being really nervous at Valero, my first PGA TOUR start, and then not playing well. Same at Bay Hill.

So everything I've done in my golf career, playing in these big tournaments has led me to be able to succeed here this week and leading forward.

Q. In addition to the message and the tattoo, what would your father say to you right now, where you sit in this tournament?

SAM BENNETT: Like I said before, he's never cared about golf score or anything as long as I'm -- he could care less if I went out there and shot 80 as long as I was doing the right things and treating people the right way and being a real gentleman. He would think this would be cool with what I have to come in the weekend. But more so than anything, the guy that I've become he would be appreciative of.

Q. Happy to see a fellow Aggie in this room. Have you had any conversations with Cameron? And what's Brian telling you on the course that's keeping you calm and focused?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, Cam is great. He's an Aggie. Been able to play a round of golf with him and practice rounds, so he's been really supportive to me. What was the second question?

Q. What's the conversation between Brian and you while you're on the course that's helping you stay calm, focused and also perhaps some tips for how to deal with the course?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, he's funny. I can talk to him about anything. I mean, literally anything I want. He's like my second father. So we're having fun out there. I know he's pretty tired in that caddie suit. He lets you know, too.

But yeah, I mean, we're -- I don't know, he's done a lot. Without him, I would not be able to be in the situation that I am. Just some of the numbers that he's given me, some of the club selections, some of the stuff he said to help me calm down, I mean, all credit to him. Just like at the Am, without him, I wouldn't be sitting right here.

Q. I know in the past you've been reluctant to talk about your father, but you seem more comfortable right now. How are you adjusting to having something so personal be shared with the world?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, it's been talked about for a while and you know, it's a great story, you know, I hear it every day but I want to try and move on from this. And it's a good story, great, incredible, but I want to start talking about golf, and you know, I'm more than what's happened to me and what I've been through. So it comes up a lot, and I'm ready for it to stop coming up quite as much. I'm calm right now, and I'm calm when I'm on the course. Geez, I'm playing Augusta National, it can't get any better.

Q. When we spoke at the U.S. Amateur during the stroke-play portion, you liked college golf better than amateur golf, that you didn't have a very good amateur golf record. Obviously that's changed quite a bit. If this second round ends the way it is right now, you'll be the first amateur in 65 years to play in the final pairing. Can you provide any assessment as to why your amateur success has grown since the U.S. Amateur?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, I love college golf. Like you said, dinner with my teammates, eating their filet mignon for free every night, just all of it, traveling to México, Cabo, Hawai'i, it's been great. And amateur golf, playing on that stage, the Western is a big-time tournament; the best field the U.S. Am, being able to tee it up with those people.

Plus, the championship golf courses, I mean, Ridgewood, it's harder than this place, I'll tell you that, and some of the other courses I've played. So I mean, I think the Amateur golf definitely has prepared me to succeed on the stage.

Q. Sam, as a young guy, are you prolific on social media? And if so, have you had to stay away from your own social media accounts with lots of messages from friends and whatnot?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, I'm on social media. I don't post too much, but the followers keep on coming in. I've turned notifications off. A lot of people in my DMs and just all good messages and just hearing the story from my father. There's been multiple people that have reached out that said that they have helped -- I've helped them with my story and some other people's dads got diagnosed or grandparents with Alzheimer's. Everybody's been real appreciative but yeah, the notifications stay off.

Q. Did you turn them off last night? Was last night where it peaked?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, last night was where it picked. I was laying in bed, scrolling on my phone, and it was like nearly midnight and I couldn't go to sleep. I was looking at what everybody had to say and replying to some people and I was like, I really need to get some sleep, so I turned them off and put my phone away.

Q. If someone told you earlier this week you would shoot back-to-back 68s and you would be in this position going into the week, what would you have thought?

SAM BENNETT: For sure. That's not even a question. Those are two solid rounds. I knew what I was capable of but yeah, two 68s at Augusta, my first time as an amateur, yeah, I would have taken that.

Q. Why do you think you can chase down Brooks Koepka and win this Masters?

SAM BENNETT: Because I know that my good golf is good enough.

Q. You mentioned Ridgewood and that being a harder experience for you. What did you take away from that course and that entire week?

SAM BENNETT: That was incredible. You know, the Havemeyer, I miss it. I miss seeing it. It sits right in my living room.

To be able to, you know, play that golf course under that immense pressure with the Masters on the line, and all the exemptions, the field I beat, taking down the top -- the top players, you know, I use that for my confidence, if I can compete on that stage, I can do nearly everything because, I mean, the semifinal and the finals, I mean, they are televising every shot. You know your shot is being televised so to be able to hit some of the shots I did out there under that pressure gave me a lot of confidence.

Q. The person who finished second last year at the Masters made $1.6 million. Is there any part of you that --

SAM BENNETT: (Hangs head.)

Q. -- that sees the prize money?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, I don't know, NIL has been pretty good this year.

Q. You've got your mom in the gallery and your brother and a big contingent of Aggies. How many people are in your group supporting you, and what's the living situation like for you this week?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, my grandparents and uncles, aunts, came down for the practice rounds, and now I've just got my mom and my brother and her -- his wife here, and then I've got a bunch of my roommates from College Station that aren't on the golf team. I've got a few buddies from my hometown in Madisonville that came up and some of my best friends from College Station. It's just a lot of buddies here. I think we are going to be able to have a little fun tonight.

Q. I was just wondering if you are kind of a history geek of golf and what -- what do you think of Mr. Bobby Jones?

SAM BENNETT: I would say I'm a golf geek, not a history geek. But yeah, I heard a bunch. I learned a lot about Bobby Jones at the Amateur dinner here. You know, he's a legend. He's one of the greatest to do it. But yeah, I mean, I don't know too much about him, I guess.

Q. Sam, I notice kind of multiple times throughout the two rounds, you were kind of studying the leaderboard a few times. Do you thrive off knowing where you are in the tournament rather than trying to block all that out?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, in college tournaments, I'm constantly looking at golf stats on my phone. I like knowing where I'm at and what I need to do.

This week I'm looking at them, I'm at Augusta National, a dream come true, playing as an amateur, seeing my name all there with the red numbers, the big scoreboards, they are huge. No, I wasn't looking to where I was at. I was just kind of soaking it all in I guess.

Q. Between the weather rolling in and the fact you could be playing in the final group, you might have a long time until the next time you hit a shot. How will you kill time?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, I'm just going to hang out with my buddies. I would answer your last question, I'm staying with my coach and my agent. They wouldn't let my agent get credentialed this week. I don't think they're caught up with that NIL stuff, I don't know, but I thought that was weird.

But yeah, I'm just going to hang out with my buddies. You know, just watch golf, watch Live From, and soak it all in and talk about the course, my shots I hit, what to expect.

It's already pretty slow and soft out there. I mean, Scottie was saying the greens were significantly slower than they have been in the past. Floridian, I played a college tournament down in Florida last week and they were significantly faster than they are here. It's a soft golf course. The weather's getting cold. It's going to be a challenge no matter what.

Q. What is your most memorable or meaningful interaction you've had with another pretty good Texan you're playing with?

SAM BENNETT: Who, Scottie? Nothing. I mean, I don't know. Just normal conversation, nothing like --

Q. Nothing you're going to take away from this?

SAM BENNETT: No. No, they are pretty locked in to what they are doing.

Q. Another history question. Does the name Ken Venturi mean anything to you?

SAM BENNETT: I don't know how -- this is probably going to sound bad but I don't -- I mean, I don't even know if he's won any majors or what majors.

Q. He was the last amateur to shoot this low. He was the 54-hole leader, too.

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, that's neat. What did he shoot, 66, the lowest round?

Q. There you go.

SAM BENNETT: Yeah. I can't really answer that. That's cool. I mean...

Q. That's an answer.

THE MODERATOR: One last question.

Q. Can you describe the suite you were upgraded into and do you have any college class work you bought to Augusta?

SAM BENNETT: So Monday after the Amateur dinner, I was supposed to stay in Butler Cabin, but I guess I didn't, like, register. I was the sixth guy and they have five beds. They were nice enough to put me in Mr. Williams' suite, which was an upgrade, yeah. It was nice. I wish I could stay there all week.

Yeah, it's been -- what was the next one?

Q. Do you have any college work?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, Coach has been bugging me about that. (Laughter).

I'm not worried about school right now (laughter).

Q. We'll take that to school. Just want to ask you, going into Saturday where you are, what will be your mindset, you know, in terms of how you prepare for Saturday morning from where you are going into perhaps the final group?

SAM BENNETT: Yeah, I think I am prepared. The hard work's done. I made the cut as an amateur. I kind of made my mark. I played steady golf. Now it's time for me to go out and enjoy, soak it all in, be able to play the weekend at the Masters. I mean, growing up as a kid, if you would have told me that, I would have said you're probably crazy.

To be honest, I don't think I'll be too nervous out there come the weekend. I'll just be out there enjoying it, soaking it in. If I play good, I play good and if I play bad, I go back to my home school and compete in my home tournament Thursday.

THE MODERATOR: On that optimistic note, thank you, Sam, for your time and appreciate it.