Who Is Daniel Bennett? The 20-Year-Old Sophomore Playing In The 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Looking ahead to the Arnold Palmer Invitational this weekend, we take a deep dive into the career of Daniel Bennett, who will be the lowest-ranked player at the event.

Some of the very best golfers in the world will be at Bay Hill Club from Thursday onwards as Russell Henley looks to defend his title.

Rory McIlroy will have something to say about that, given the form he's in, while Scottie Scheffler's impressive record on this course makes him a hot favorite regardless of his recent wobbles.

However, there are some big names missing the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational, which makes room for some lesser-known players to enter the field.

One such name is Daniel Bennett, who will make his PGA Tour debut at Bay Hill. So, here's what we know about the young South African golfer.

Why is Daniel Bennett playing the Arnold Palmer Invitational?

Bennett has been granted entry to the playing field for this year's API thanks to a sponsor exemption.

He played the Arnold Palmer Cup last year, representing the International team, where he won the Palmer Cup Award. He even hit a hole-in-one at that tournament, which massively helped his chances of securing this life-changing opportunity.

Taking home that prize was enough to secure Bennett this coveted spot at one of the PGA Tour's biggest events.

Being handed the award and the exemption came as a surprise to Bennett, who told the Orlando Sentinel: "I was shell shocked. I thought they made a mistake. 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.’ "

Daniel Bennett is the lowest-ranked player in the field

Going into this week's event, Bennett sits at 2842nd in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).

Given he has never played a PGA Tour event before, that figures.

That puts him way behind even the biggest outliers in the field. Joel Dahmen is the second-lowest ranked player, at 160th in the world, while Taylor Moore sits at 138 in the OWGR and Andrew Putnam is at 122. Bennett is the only collegian athlete to take part in the API this year.

However, it's worth noting Bennett is ranked 16th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) right now. He has previously been as high as 14th.

Key details about Daniel Bennett

Bennett was born in Botswana to a family from South Africa.

He and his family moved to Canada in 2015, and that move put an end to his dreams of becoming a professional cricket player. Instead, he took up golf at the age of 10, and the rest is history.

After playing his first round of golf, Bennett recalled: “Ever since then, I’ve basically played every day as much as I can."

He is just 20-years-old, and is currently a sophomore at the University of Texas - the same college attended by Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth.

While attending a boarding school in Pretoria as a teenager, Bennett was approached by various colleges looking to give him a scholarship for golf.

Texas coach John Fields told Bennett to become the number one amateur in South Africa and then he could be signed up. He did just that, and impressed Fields with his "story of perseverance" to make it to the top.

Daniel Bennett's golfing career so far

Alongside the Palmer Cup Award, Bennett has also won the Phil Mickelson Award, which is bestowed upon the best freshman in the USA. Previous winners include none other than world number one Scottie Scheffler, so Bennett is in good company.

In terms of events, Bennett has one top spot to his name, winning the Boland Amateur Stroke Play Championship in 2024. He is still seeking his first collegiate win, but he has placed in the top 10 on the amateur circuit 16 times already.

One of his most impressive victories came in the 2023 Nomads South Africa Boys Under-19 Championship, where he won by a whopping 21 strokes.

He has also achieved first-team All-American honors from PING and All-SEC recognition.

Bennett is known to have a really strong short game, which will serve him well at Bay Hill.

Bennett took some time to get into the swing of things when he took up his place in Texas, but his coach, John Fields, wasn't too concerned.

He told the Orlando Sentinel: "His first few weeks in Austin were a little bumpy. But it’s apropos. Everything he does starts a little rough, then he just kind of gets comfortable and figures out how to get it done.”

It will be fascinating to see how this all plays out at Bay Hill Club this week for Bennett. Will he buckle under the pressure, or relish being on the big stage? Only time will tell.