Georgia Southern’s Ben Carr had only just signed his scorecard following his second round at The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club Friday when he started to unpack the week.
“I think my biggest takeaway is that I definitely belong out here and can compete with these guys,” he said. “It was a blast, and I'm really honored that I got to play. I just wish it would have gone a little better.”
Carr has come a long way in the last eight months. It was just last August when he had a self-proclaimed meltdown after finishing 52nd at The Western Amateur, an event that annually draws some of the best amateurs in the country. He just was not sure he was good enough to compete at that level.
It was a crisis of confidence that began to dissipate in a big way at the end of that month, when the fifth-year senior took runner-up honors at the U.S. Amateur, a result that earned him an invitation to The Masters last week. His experience at Augusta National Golf Club has given him even more conviction about his ability on the golf course.
At 5-over for the tournament, Carr missed the cut by just two strokes, and his scores do not tell the whole story. Playing in just his second professional event and in his first major – at Augusta National of all places - he hit 26 of 36 greens in regulation overall and tied for second in the field by hitting 77.78 percent (14 of 18) in the second round. Had a few more putts dropped, he would have been playing on the weekend.
“I kind of proved to myself that I can definitely play with the best players in the world,” Carr said. “I don't mean that in a cocky way; that's just how I feel. I learned a lot. From that first time out to now, I learned that I can play in front of crowds and calm the nerves and play with nerves. It was an incredible experience. I hope I'm back one day, but if not, it was awesome.”
Carr looked and played like he was extremely comfortable throughout the week. Much of that came from the guidance he received from Larry Mize and Russell Henley, two pros who reside his hometown of Columbus, Georgia, who took him under their wing. His caddie, Donald Cooper, was instrumental in calming the nerves, and on top of that, the patrons made him feel right at home.
"It was awesome,” he said. “I got so many 'Go Eagles,' 'Hail Southern,' 'GATA' really for the last five days. I got a ton of support out here, and that was probably the coolest part of the whole week is just hearing everybody cheer me on. Being so close to school and close to home in Columbus, you couldn't write it up any better playing an hour and a half down the road and getting to play this tournament as an amateur. I'm very lucky.”
Carr now turns his complete focus to the remainder of his collegiate career at Georgia Southern, where numerous opportunities abound for himself and his teammates. The 28th-ranked Eagles will compete in the Sun Belt Championship April 23-27, and Georgia Southern will attempt to make another deep run in the NCAA Championship.
"We’re moving into postseason, so there's a lot to be excited about in the next two months,” he said. “I can't wait. Three more tournaments and hopefully we're at Grayhawk (site of the NCAA Finals) and I think if we are, I think we have a really good shot."