The Masters: Texas A&M golfer Sam Bennett reveals heartbreaking story behind unique tattoo

As Texas A&M golfer and 2022 US amateur champion Sam Bennett has taken the Masters by storm, the tattoo on his left forearm has garnered attention. The scrawled message inked on his forearm reads “Don’t Wait to Do Something,” and were the last words his late father, Mark, ever wrote down.

As a tribute to his father, Bennett had the message adorned on his arm. It’s a fitting tribute from Bennett — who lost his father to early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2021 — as he’s ascended the world of golf and inched closer to achieving a dream. After 36 holes played at Augusta National, Bennett is sitting at eight under par and second place (though he might drop a few spots as others finish their rounds.)

“I’ve dealt with a lot, with my dad. I’m at peace with where he’s at. But it’s taken work, though, learning how to deal with my mind and my anxious thoughts,” Bennett said in a feature produced by the Golf Channel. “But, this is right where I want to be.”

An adept golfer since a young age, Bennett learned in high school that his father, then just 45 years old, had Alzheimer’s. His immediate reaction was questioning how such a horror could strike his father and family.

“I was just mad seeing my perfectly healthy dad get diagnosed with a deadly disease,” Bennett said. “I was just like, ‘Why him? Why not someone else?'” 

Understanding then that his time with his dad was limited, Bennett dedicated himself to excelling in golf while his dad could still watch him.

However, it was evident that it was more of a burden than just chasing athletic greatness.

“I mean, I always kind of tried to avoid the issue or try to do different stuff. I wasn’t in a good spot, mentally. I couldn’t take it anymore. I felt like I was about to crawl out of my skin. There was times where I would call coach at 5 a.m. in the morning when I couldn’t even sleep. I would go on walks at night. I couldn’t really function,” Bennett said.

So Bennett did something brave: He called his mom, Stacy, and asked for help.

He began seeing a psychologist then and still does to this day, meeting weekly. For Bennett, it helps with the mental maintenance required to make day to day life a bit easier.

In 2020, less than a year before he died, Mark walked out to his wife and son working in the yard and delivered the message that Bennett now wears on his arm permanently.

After hearing it, Bennett asked his mom if she could get him to write it down. After 15 minutes of labored writing, aided by his family showing him the necessary letters, Mark put down his words on paper.

“‘Don’t Wait to Do Something’ – Pops 6/12/2020” it reads on the paper and the tattoo.

“That’s something he said that will stick with me forever. For the longest, I lived my life in fear, just seeing what he went through. But it just means don’t be scared in anything you do,” Bennett said.

When his dad died in 2021, Bennett and his family felt a mix of sadness, longing, and relief. Seeing their husband and father deteriorate through eight years of Alzheimer’s brought a sense of peace when that deterioration finally stopped.

Still, for Bennett, taking the big leap of continuing his life without his father presented plenty of fear and anxiety. But he lived by the words on his arm.

He golf coach at Texas A&M, Brian Kortan, got a front row seat as he became much more than a coach.

“It’s hard to take those first steps,” Kortan said. “The maturation process really came down to him understanding that he could do this without his dad. That he still had more to give. More that he wanted to do, himself. The message on his forearm talks about, you know, get to doing it. And it’s OK to chase something that’s right in front of you. It relates perfectly to being intentional and not shying away from what you’re really trying to do.”

And Bennett didn’t back down, blitzing the US amateur championship in 2022 feeling like his dad was watching over from above. Needing to two-putt on the last hole of the semifinal to advance to the championship match, Bennett stepped up to the green.

He saw a rainbow – Stacy said she’s always believed in signs — repeated the five words tattooed on his forearm to himself, and sent himself to the championship.

Now at the Masters, Bennett didn’t wait at all to do something.

“I used to be Mark’s wife. And everywhere I go now, I’m Sam’s mom,” Stacy said. “And that’s cool, too. I’ll take that title. There’s still a lot of living to do.”