U.S. Amateur champion Nick Dunlap could make history by becoming the first amateur to win on the PGA TOUR in three decades and the second-youngest winner in 90 years at The American Express. If he wins, he won't earn prize money or FedExCup points, but would be eligible for PGA TOUR membership and exemptions into major events. However, he must turn pro to utilize these benefits, and his membership would only run through the 2026 season.
Sam Bennett, the 23-year-old U.S. Amateur champion, is playing in his first Masters and stunned the Augusta National galleries by shooting a 4-under 68 in the opening round and another 68 in the second round to stand at 8-under and in second place entering the final 36 holes of the tournament, four shots off the lead held by Brooks Koepka. Bennett's father, Mark, died in 2021 of Alzheimer's after an eight-year battle, and Sam brought his father's message, "Don't wait to do something," to a tattoo artist and had it inked onto his left forearm as a daily reminder.
Golf Channel's Ryan Lavner put together a touching piece on Sam Bennett, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion playing in this weekend's Masters, chronicling his father's battle with early-onset Alzheimer's and how a handwritten note toward the end will live on forever in the form of a tattoo on his forearm that reads "Don't Wait to Do Something." Bennett's story is both heartbreaking and soul-affirming, and his electric play on the course makes him a fan favorite.
