The Masters Sensation Sam Bennett Has a Moving Tattoo Story

He's currently third in the tournament

Sam Bennett
Sam Bennett of the United States plays his shot from the third tee during the third round of the 2023 Masters Tournament.
Andrew Redington/Getty Images

To look at the leaderboard for this year’s installment of the Masters is to see a lot of familiar names — and one name that far fewer people were expecting. The latter would be Sam Bennett, who’s the rare amateur to exceed expectations at the tournament in question. As of this writing, Bennett is currently third, a spot rarely held by amateur players. But that’s not the only reason that Bennett has drawn a lot of attention this tournament.

As the Houston Chrtonicle reports, Bennett has a tattoo on his left wrist of advice he received from his late father. The advice? “Don’t wait to do something.”

Bennett’s father Mark died as a result of Alzheimer’s disease in 2021. The advice he gave his son was imparted in 2020 and, according to an interview Bennett’s mother Stacy gave to The Golf Channel, was the last thing the elder Bennett was able to write. After he did so, Sam got the phrase tattooed on his arm.

In the same interview, he noted that the tattoo had a specific meaning for him. “To me, it just means don’t be scared in anything you do,” Bennett said.

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As the New York Times noted, only three amateur players have finished as runners-up in the tournament over the years. Could Bennett be the fourth? We’ll know before long — though, given the rain delays, it might be a little longer than expected.

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