Sam Bennett, a junior from Madisonville, will go into Sunday’s final round with a three-stroke lead as he attempts to win his third individual crown of 2021.
Photo by: Bailey Orr/Texas A&M Athletics
Bennett Surges Into Lead at Aggie Invitational
Apr 10, 2021 | Men's Golf
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M's Sam Bennett fired a 2-under par 70 to surge into the lead at the Aggie Invitational on Saturday at Traditions Club.
Bennett, a junior from Madisonville, will go into Sunday's final round with a three-stroke lead as he attempts to win his third individual crown of 2021. At 6-under for the tournament, Bennett holds the three-shot advantage over first-round leader Pierceson Coody of Texas and Alexander Frances of Houston.
Bennett was on fire early with three birdies and an eagle in his first six holes as he quickly got to 5-under, but lost some ground with a double bogey and two bogeys, his first of the tournament, on his final 10 holes.
As a team, the Aggies posted a 4-over 290 as they kept pace with No. 5 Texas. The Aggies stand in third place at 6-over, seven strokes behind Texas and four behind No. 1 Oklahoma. Rounding out the top 10 teams were Baylor (+9), No. 25 Texas Tech (+10), Louisville (+10), Houston (+22), North Texas (+22), Nebraska (+23) and Kansas (+25).
The Aggies received a crucial even par round of 72 from sophomore William Paysse and a 1-over 73 from senior Dan Erickson. Senior Walker Lee and freshman Daniel Rodrigues contributed 5-over scores of 77. Three Aggies were among the top 25 on the leaderboard with Bennett at the top spot, Rodrigues in a tie for 16th (+3) and Payssee tied for 22nd (+4),
The Aggies will be in the tournament's final group on Sunday with Texas and Oklahoma and the trio of competitors will begin teeing off from the first hole at 9:20 a.m. Admission is free.
Head Coach Brian Kortan said:
On Sam Bennett "He got off to a great start and gave the entire some momentum early in the round. He leaked a little oil late in the road and gave back a few shots, but overall it was solid round for Sammy. He's playing great and has put himself in a great position heading into Sunday."
On the team's round "We definitely didn't finish well. We gave up six shots in the final three holes, so the guys left the course with a sour taste in their mouths. We still have a chance to win a golf tournament tomorrow, but it will take a big effort. We're competing against some really good teams, so it won't be easy but I'm pleased that we are in position. These are prideful guys and I know they will give everything they have in the final round."
Aggies on the Leaderboard (Rd. 2):
Texas A&M Individuals
Follow the Action:
Fans can follow the action at Golfstat.com, and updates will be available via twitter on @AggieMensGolf.
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About Texas A&M Athletics | Home of the 12th Man:
One of the most successful Athletics Departments in the nation, Texas A&M ranked No. 15 in the 2018-19 Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup standings and is one of eight Division I institutions nationally to finish in the top 20 of the prestigious ranking of athletics success for at least 13 consecutive years. For more information, go to www.12thMan.com.
About Texas A&M University:
Texas A&M University, the flagship university within the Texas A&M University System, is a tier-one research institution with nearly $1 billion in research grants and more than 69,000 students. The President of Texas A&M University has strategic oversight for campuses in College Station and Galveston, TX and Doha, Qatar. We include The Health Science Center with the College of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, as well as The Texas A&M School of Law and Mays Business School. For more information, go to www.tamu.edu.
Bennett, a junior from Madisonville, will go into Sunday's final round with a three-stroke lead as he attempts to win his third individual crown of 2021. At 6-under for the tournament, Bennett holds the three-shot advantage over first-round leader Pierceson Coody of Texas and Alexander Frances of Houston.
Bennett was on fire early with three birdies and an eagle in his first six holes as he quickly got to 5-under, but lost some ground with a double bogey and two bogeys, his first of the tournament, on his final 10 holes.
As a team, the Aggies posted a 4-over 290 as they kept pace with No. 5 Texas. The Aggies stand in third place at 6-over, seven strokes behind Texas and four behind No. 1 Oklahoma. Rounding out the top 10 teams were Baylor (+9), No. 25 Texas Tech (+10), Louisville (+10), Houston (+22), North Texas (+22), Nebraska (+23) and Kansas (+25).
The Aggies received a crucial even par round of 72 from sophomore William Paysse and a 1-over 73 from senior Dan Erickson. Senior Walker Lee and freshman Daniel Rodrigues contributed 5-over scores of 77. Three Aggies were among the top 25 on the leaderboard with Bennett at the top spot, Rodrigues in a tie for 16th (+3) and Payssee tied for 22nd (+4),
The Aggies will be in the tournament's final group on Sunday with Texas and Oklahoma and the trio of competitors will begin teeing off from the first hole at 9:20 a.m. Admission is free.
Head Coach Brian Kortan said:
On Sam Bennett "He got off to a great start and gave the entire some momentum early in the round. He leaked a little oil late in the road and gave back a few shots, but overall it was solid round for Sammy. He's playing great and has put himself in a great position heading into Sunday."
On the team's round "We definitely didn't finish well. We gave up six shots in the final three holes, so the guys left the course with a sour taste in their mouths. We still have a chance to win a golf tournament tomorrow, but it will take a big effort. We're competing against some really good teams, so it won't be easy but I'm pleased that we are in position. These are prideful guys and I know they will give everything they have in the final round."
Aggies on the Leaderboard (Rd. 2):
| Place | Team/Player | Rd. 1 | Rd. 2 | Total |
| 3 | Texas A&M | 290 | 292 | +6 |
| 1 | Sam Bennett (1) | 68 | 70 | -6 |
| T16 | Daniel Rodrigues (4) | 70 | 77 | +3 |
| T22 | William Paysse (5) | 76 | 72 | +4 |
| T34 | Dan Erickson (2) | 76 | 73 | +5 |
| T64 | Walker Lee (3) | 79 | 77 | +12 |
Texas A&M Individuals
| T22 | Brandon Smith (Ind.) | 72 | 76 | +4 |
| T53 | Jimmy Lee (Ind.) | 75 | 79 | +10 |
| T80 | Matthew Denton (Ind.) | 78 | 81 | +15 |
Follow the Action:
Fans can follow the action at Golfstat.com, and updates will be available via twitter on @AggieMensGolf.
###
About Texas A&M Athletics | Home of the 12th Man:
One of the most successful Athletics Departments in the nation, Texas A&M ranked No. 15 in the 2018-19 Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup standings and is one of eight Division I institutions nationally to finish in the top 20 of the prestigious ranking of athletics success for at least 13 consecutive years. For more information, go to www.12thMan.com.
About Texas A&M University:
Texas A&M University, the flagship university within the Texas A&M University System, is a tier-one research institution with nearly $1 billion in research grants and more than 69,000 students. The President of Texas A&M University has strategic oversight for campuses in College Station and Galveston, TX and Doha, Qatar. We include The Health Science Center with the College of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, as well as The Texas A&M School of Law and Mays Business School. For more information, go to www.tamu.edu.
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