‘My career is on the line’: Bubble boy Sam Bennett stays grounded at Korn Ferry Tour Championship

FRENCH LICK, Ind. – Expectations hung over Sam Bennett before his professional career even began. The 2022 U.S. Amateur champion captivated the golf world with his breakout moment at the 2023 Masters Tournament, where he found himself among the sport’s biggest names, teeing off in the final pairing heading into the weekend en route to a T16 finish and low amateur honors. The golf world took notice. It wasn’t just his stellar play that cemented him as one of the game’s promising young stars, but the quiet resolve with which he handled the spotlight – the confidence that signaled Bennett was ready for the next chapter in his career.

When he turned professional in May of 2023, Bennett’s path seemed set. After turning pro, he played 10 events on the PGA TOUR during the 2022-23 season on sponsor exemptions, making five cuts and further solidifying his potential. But while those early appearances whetted his appetite, the real proving ground would come in the form of the Korn Ferry Tour – a different beast entirely, where the stakes are high but the path to the top is arduous and unrelenting.

The Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance, contested this week at French Lick Resort’s Pete Dye Course for the first time, marks Bennett’s 24th Korn Ferry Tour start of the season. It’s been a marathon that has tested both his physical and mental endurance. And yet, despite the relentless grind, Bennett finds himself exactly where he hoped he would be – on the cusp of earning a PGA TOUR card. Bennett enters the week at No. 30 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, holding on to the final spot that would grant him a coveted ticket to his dream. The top 30 on the Points List at the end of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship earn PGA TOUR cards.

“My career is on the line,” Bennett admitted Tuesday. “I try not to tell myself that, but it is.”

More accustomed to playing on golf’s biggest stages than some of his peers, Bennett takes with him the trait that has gotten him to this point: his ability to shoulder the pressure and prevent the magnitude of the moment from consuming him. The pressure of being the bubble boy when your dream is at stake would unravel many, but Bennett knows how to steady himself amidst the storm, with a deep sense of self-assuredness that has captivated the golf world before.

“Either way, it’s going to be good for my future,” Bennett said. “I’m still young and still trying to figure it all out. If I don’t get the card this week, I’ll come back next year better, stronger, and more prepared.”

It has been a long, steady stretch, with each of Bennett’s 23 Korn Ferry Tour starts building to this moment. He has made 17 cuts, highlighted by back-to-back T3s at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper and NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank in July. One of those starts: the U.S. Open, which awards crossover points onto the Korn Ferry Tour Points List. He made the cut, finishing 72nd to earn 5.55 points. With the slim margins on the Points List (Nos. 26-30 are separated by less than 10 points into the week), those points from the U.S. Open could loom large.

Bennett now stands on the precipice of either triumph or disappointment, as any one shot at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship could be the difference between realizing a childhood dream or deferring the dream another year. Despite the uncertainty, the Texas A&M alum strives to maintain his characteristic poise amidst the Pete Dye Course’s rugged terrain.

“It’s just another week of golf,” he said with quiet confidence. “I’m going to grind it out, and hopefully, it’s good enough.”

For Bennett, the Korn Ferry Tour Championship is another stepping stone in his journey. Whether he secures his PGA TOUR card this week or continues to chase it next season (or via PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, which awards TOUR cards to the top five finishers and ties), his grounded approach ensures that he’ll be ready for whatever comes next.

Still, the stakes are undeniable. The Korn Ferry Tour Championship is more than just another tournament. It’s the culmination of months of hard work, perseverance, and the unrelenting pursuit of a dream. For Bennett, this week represents the final push toward a goal that has been years in the making. “It would mean a lot to get my TOUR card,” he said. “It’s been a long season, and it’s been tough. But I know I’m going to be in a good place, no matter what happens this week.”

As he stands on the edge, with everything on the line, Bennett knows there is no margin for error. His career, his future – everything rests in the balance. But as he’s proven time and again, he is no stranger to pressure. And when the final putt drops, it will be his calm, steady hand that determines whether he takes the next step or keeps fighting for another chance.