The Poignant Meaning Behind Masters Amateur Star Sam Bennett’s Tattoo

The amateur finished tied for sixth in the opening round of The Masters, and he has a poignant source of inspiration to draw from

Sam Bennett taking a shot at the 2023 Masters, along with a close-up of his tattoo
Sam Bennett has words off advice from his late father tattooed on his arm
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Sam Bennett is one of seven Masters amateurs in the field for this week’s tournament, and the American, who qualified for the Major as US Amateur champion, could barely have embraced the occasion more impressively.

In the first round, Bennett held his nerve to finish on four-under and tied for sixth with a host of household names, including champion and World No.1 Scottie Scheffler. He continued where he left off in the second round, too, with another strong performance that saw him on eight-under going into the weekend.

The Texan draws on a poignant and permanent source of inspiration while on the course, which could help explain his incredible performance. 

Bennett’s dad Mark passed away aged just 53 in 2021 due to early-onset Alzheimer’s. The year before that, though, he had some words of advice for his son, and they now adorn the inside of Sam’s left arm as a tattoo. In the style of his father’s handwriting, the advice reads: “Don’t wait to do something”.

Before making a name for himself at Augusta National, Bennett also played in the 2021 Valero Texas Open, and it was there that he opened up about why he got the tattoo and how much the words mean to him.

He said: “Last summer, me and mom were doing yard work. Dad was out there and, I’ve been struggling with some stuff mentally, and this was when my dad can still… we can still kind of have a conversation when he could still talk and it was the last piece of advice. He was like: 'Don’t wait to do something'. That kind of stuck with me.“

I was in Dallas in a golf tournament for, I think, the Southern Am. I was like, I’m going to get this tattoo. He wrote it out, it took him like 15 minutes to write it and it was probably the hardest thing he’s probably had to do in his handwriting.“

Bennett was again asked about the tattoo following his second-round this week. He said: "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."

The 23-year-old then turned his attention to the relationship he had with his dad, saying: "He 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."

As for how Bennett is approaching surely the biggest weekend of his life, he insists he's staying calm. He said: "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."

As the rest of The Masters unfolds, we wait to see if Bennett can maintain his momentum. Regardless, though, considering the way he has embraced his chance in one of the greatest tournaments of all, it’s safe to say that, whatever happens, he’s following his dad’s advice to the letter.

Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.