Why did amateur Daniel Bennett get invite to PGA Tour signature event?

Daniel Bennett was standing on the 1th tee at Bay Hill Club & Lodge when he looked over and saw Rory McIlroy hitting a tee shot on 15. The tee boxes on the two holes are connected, and it was the first time Bennett had been that close to the world No. 2.

Talk about an eye-opening experience for the sophomore at the University of Texas. Bennett is making his first PGA Tour start this week at the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational, the only amateur in the field.

"I'm taking it all in and it's nice," Bennett said Tuesday. "I feel kind of comfortable, to be honest, which is weird to say, but yeah, I hope I would be able to play out here one day and this is kind of just that first step."

How is the reigning Phil Mickelson Award winner, given to the top freshman in college golf, in the field? Thanks to a vote by his peers from the 2025 Arnold Palmer Cup.

The Palmer Cup is an annual competition between the top men's and women's collegiate players from the United States against their counterparts from around the world. Bennett, a member of the International team, received the exemption after a vote last year, and his Tour debut is coming on one of the biggest stages in the world this week.

He has played professionally on the DP World Tour in a couple of events in his native South Africa, but Bennett acknowledges this week is different.

"I played four in the last couple years that have been good experience obviously," Bennett said. "But it's nothing like a PGA Tour event, I don't think. This is another level. Those guys out there are really good and, yeah, it will be good to kind of see where my game's at against some of the best in the world. Yeah, just obviously grateful to be here."

This was also a cool answer. Bennett was asked whether he had a "pinch me" moment this week.

"I stepped up on the 11th tee box, and Rory was hitting his tee shot on 15, and it's obviously the same tee box, so pretty cool to be standing like right next to him." pic.twitter.com/TGoAqztI8H— Cameron Jourdan (@Cam_Jourdan) March 3, 2026

Bennett's Tuesday practice round was with Texas alum Pierceson Coody. Bennett said he has gotten to know Coody, who spends time in Austin with the golf team from time to time, and has been a good teacher this week.

"Kind of just seeing how him and his caddie work through some of their stuff. Just what they do in their practice rounds, how diligent they are with numbers and making sure everything's right," Bennett said. "The amount of time they spend around the greens, it's different. I mean, in college, obviously, we play practice rounds and we only get one day to prepare. Then you come out here and you have three days early in the week to prepare and you've got a lot of time. I think learning how to use that time properly is really important. Yeah, these guys when they're out on the course, I mean they obviously prepare really well. So that's a big thing I think that I picked up from him. Yeah, he helped a lot today. Kind of just giving me some advice on what he's done here in the past and, yeah, cool to play with someone who's been out here."

Bennett is the latest amateur to tee it up at the signature event, with world No. 1 Jackson Koivun making the cut last year in his start. Other players to compete in the API as amateurs include David Ford and Ludvig Aberg.

Koivun set the bar high in 2025, but Bennett is trying to enjoy the week as much as he can.

"I've obviously got very low expectations coming in," Bennett said. "Yeah, hopefully I can go out and compete and be around this weekend. Yeah, I'm just going to go out there and have fun and have a good time and just enjoy this experience."

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Amateur Daniel Bennett plays in Arnold Palmer Invitational