Sam Bennett feels like he belongs after opening 67 at U.S. Open

LOS ANGELES – Sam Bennett got his first taste of a major championship at last year’s U.S. Open. Ten months later, he stunned the world with one of the greatest amateur performances in Masters’ history, playing in the final group of the third round alongside Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka.

Coming into this week, Bennett was no longer a wide-eyed kid with zero expectations. The USGA thrust him into the spotlight with another meaningful group, this time teeing it up with last year’s winner Matt Fitzpatrick and the reigning Champion Golfer of the Year Cam Smith

Surely, there had to be some pressure in Bennett’s mind, right?

“There’s no nerves. I feel like I belong,” he said.

“The experience I got playing the weekend at the Open, the weekend at the Masters, I feel like I belong and I’m comfortable on this stage.”

Full-field scores from U.S. Open

Bennett continues to back up those words. The former Texas A&M Aggie bested both Smith and Fitzpatrick Thursday, posting a 3-under 67 that has him tied for seventh.

This round could have been even better, but back-to-back bogeys to close dropped Bennett out of the top-5. Still, he looks destined for a third-straight made cut in majors.

What makes the 23-year-old so successful at the biggest tournaments? Bennett, who won the U.S. Amateur Championship last year, believes he thrives on difficult courses that require accuracy off the tee and perhaps minimize the variance in putting. He hit 11-of-13 fairways and 14 greens in regulation during the opening round.

And the young star has an old-school mentality. He doesn’t like stressing too much over his TrackMan numbers and doesn’t overcomplicate the game. So far in his career, that feels like a good recipe for these high-stakes events.

“I tend to play good under some pressure because I’m not thinking of anything, and I just let my body take over,” he said.