He's a decorated amateur, now a Texas sophomore tackles golf's elite, making his PGA Tour debut at the challenging Arnold Palmer Invitational.
This week, some of golf's biggest names will tee it up in one of the PGA Tour's premier events, the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
Among the names in the 72-man field are ex-Longhorns Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Pierceson Coody and Jhonattan Vegas.
However, those four aren't the only Texas representation in Orlando this week.
Star sophomore Daniel Bennett is competing at the API via a sponsor's exemption. Bennett has experience playing on the DP World Tour, but this will be his first taste of PGA Tour action.
Bennett was chosen as one of the Arnold Palmer Cup Award winners at last year's Arnold Palmer Cup, which led to his exemption into this week's event.
“I was shell shocked. I thought they made a mistake,” Bennett told the Orlando Sentinel. “I heard my name, and it was kind of weird. I kind of felt like they were going to call my name, and then when they did, my head shot up immediately, and I was like, ‘No way.’”
The API is consistently one of the toughest events on tour, thanks to Bay Hill's deep rough, firm and fast Bermuda greens and it's numerous water hazards.
It'll be a big change for Bennett going from college setups to a big boy setup like this one, but make no mistake - Bennett is a big-time player.
As a freshman, the South African won the Phil Mickelson award, which annually honors the nation's top freshman golfer. He became the fifth Longhorn and the first since Cole Hammer in 2019 to win the award.
Bennett also has experience and success at some of the biggest amateur events in the world.
Last summer, he made it to the round of 16 in both the Amateur Championship (or British Amateur Championship) and the U.S Amateur Championship.
The API will certainly be a step up from the competition in those events, but Bennett has proven that he's one of the most talented amateurs in the world.
If there was a list for collegiate golfers with the ability to compete in a event of this stature, he would be on there.
“I think he fits right in,” Texas head coach John Fields told the Orlando Sentinel. “It’s a matter of him getting comfortable wherever he is and allowing himself to keep that delusional confidence and go get it.”
Bennett is set to begin his tournament on Thursday at 6:40 A.M. Central Time.