Michigan Golf Journal October 2021

Cum Laude honors and as a member of the National Honor Society. He co-led the team to the Division 1 Regional title to qualify for the state finals for the school’s first time in nearly 30 years, and to the program’s first unbeaten record in a season for almost 40 years. He made the All-Oakland County honorable mention team. He averaged 39.8 for 9 holes, 75.2 for 18 holes, to lead the team in total-season scoring by a few fractions over teammate Nate Hazen, the now graduated Athens football quarterback who was neck and neck with Bennett all season. Bennett is known as very fun-loving, but also very talkative person who moved around a lot with boundless energy his first two years on the high school team. Those traits sometimes got in the way of playing competitive golf where a quiet persona is paramount in respect for others playing the game. During his sophomore season, he figured out why his energy level was higher than most – the Asperger’s. His energy remains high today, but as he has adjusted and matured; he maintains control better now. “When I first found out I thought to myself, ‘oh, that makes sense, that’s why I act like that,’” Bennett told me. Athens head coach Dan Cooper knows about people with special needs. He has a family member in a similar situation. He didn’t know Bennett had Asperger’s when he joined the team, but Cooper still knew from the first of his four years playing varsity golf that Bennett would hold a special place on the team despite his outward actions that other players didn’t understand upon first meeting him. “All I had to do was coach those kids to look at Benny, smile, and tell him it was time for their shot and could he please stand still for a minute,” said Cooper, who calls him Benny. “And Benny would go statue on them. He wouldn’t move a muscle.” A fellow golfer that Bennett admires and respects is PGA Tour player Billy Mayfair , a five-time pro Billy Mayfair with Bennett Lewis Continues on next page >> 5 October 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com