U.S. Amateur champ likely to make RBC Heritage his pro debut

Reigning U.S. Amateur and NCAA champion Bryson DeChambeau — only the fifth man to ever hold those two titles simultaneously — has accepted a sponsor exemption to play next month’s RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing in what figures to be his professional debut.

The former SMU standout becomes the third consecutive U.S. Amateur champion to follow up his Masters invitation with a week at Harbour Town Golf Links. He nearly won the Australian Masters last November, finishing two shots behind Peter Senior.

“From what I’m hearing and seeing and reading from other professionals and others, he’s the real deal,” tournament director Steve Wilmot said. “We’re certainly looking forward to him playing here.”

The others to win both U.S. Amateur and NCAA in the same year form a pretty exclusive club — Jack Nicklaus (1961), Phil Mickelson (1990), Tiger Woods (1996) and Ryan Moore (2004).

DeChambeau joins a field that already includes reigning major winners Jason Day and Zach Johnson, five-time RBC Heritage champion Davis Love III and recent winners Brandt Snedeker, Graeme McDowell and Matt Kuchar.

Heritage Week begins April 11, with the tournament’s 48th edition starting play three days later.

DeChambeau also has a news conference scheduled in two weeks at Harbour Town in which the California native is expected to announce his intentions to turn pro after the Masters.

Though his Masters eligibility is tied to staying an amateur, DeChambeau has embarked on a path since last autumn that has given all indications he’ll leave those ranks once his final putt falls at Augusta National.

He left SMU in September, shortly after the golf program was hit by NCAA sanctions that would deny him a chance to defend that title. That led him overseas, where he played one event in Argentina and two in Australia that ended with his runner-up finish.

He also played all three Middle East stops last month on the European Tour, holding the first-round lead at the Dubai Desert Classic after an opening 64. He wound up tied for 18th.

The RBC Heritage, by the way, also reserves one of its berths for the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, which is how Matthew Fitzpatrick (2014) and Gunn Yang (2015) secured their berths. That berth also requires keeping amateur status, Wilmot noted, adding that DeChambeau also had inquired a separate exemption.

“The question came up about the possibility (for a standard exemption) if he was to potentially need one,” Wilmot said. “Certainly we’re sensitive to his (current) status.”

Known as something of a mad scientist who fashioned a set of irons with each the same length and weight, DeChambeau’s results have shown there’s more than madness to his method.

He captured the NCAA title last June in Florida, waiting out the final six groups before emerging with a one-stroke victory. Two months later, DeChambeau completed the double with a dominant 7 & 6 romp in the U.S. Amateur final over Derek Bard.

Daily tickets and weeklong badges can be purchased online at RBCHeritage.com or by calling the tournament office at 843-671-2448.

This story was originally published March 10, 2016 at 8:39 PM with the headline "U.S. Amateur champ likely to make RBC Heritage his pro debut."