Bryson DeChambeau’s pro debut ‘just another round,’ which is just how he wanted it

Temperatures had fallen and breezes picked up by the time Bryson DeChambeau reached Harbour Town’s 18th tee Thursday evening, chasing the handful of remaining patrons inside the hospitality tents bordering the Heritage Lawn.

As they waited on the tee, though, the buzz of voices and clinking glasses began to diminish.

Faces suddenly filled what had been empty spaces in the grandstand — not a rush, mind you, but a couple dozen who broke away long enough to catch a glimpse of golf’s newest addition to a talented young stable.

DeChambeau didn’t disappoint, though Thursday’s 1-under-par 70 in his professional debut wasn’t exactly a highlight show, either. Three birdies, two bogeys. He enters Friday’s second round of the RBC Heritage four shots off the pace set by Luke Donald and Branden Grace.

As debuts go, call it just another round of golf. Which is pretty much the way DeChambeau wanted it to be.

“I know most people would have expected me to feel different,” the newly minted pro said, “but it is another event that I want to go do my best in. And hopefully capitalize.”

In effect, that’s the manifestation of his extended “internship” after leaving SMU in the fall, after winning both the U.S. Amateur and NCAA individual titles. Get used to the sights and sounds and rhythms of a professional event, so that when it came time to play for a paycheck all the jitters were out.

“Take all those nerves and adrenaline out of it, which it did,” he said. “On the first tee, it was, ‘Hey, look, this is just another tee shot.’ And I went ahead and striped it.”

Indeed, DeChambeau ripped a low screamer 289 yards down the left side of the first fairway. His approach to a back pin didn’t check up in time — a recurring theme all day — and he went wide on a 5-foot par save that might have indicated nerves.

But the 22-year-old Californian bounced back well at the par-5 second, coming up just short of the green in two and deftly sending a low pitch 3 feet past the hole to set up a birdie.

Two more birdies followed on the front nine, and nearly a third after he almost drove the green at the short par-4 ninth. His low bullet splashed into the front bunker, and he couldn’t convert the birdie try after blasting onto the green.

“To actually pull that (drive) off and almost get it up-and-down was pretty special for me,” he said. “It gave me that much more confidence.”

Alas, he couldn’t keep the momentum going on the back nine as winds picked up and Harbour Town’s firm greens became even firmer. He wound up not making another birdie on the day, though to his credit he also gave just one shot back to par.

“I didn’t do my job on the back nine,” he said.

OK, but did DeChambeau at least get to enjoy it? After all, you only get one debut round.

“It’s always fun,” DeChambeau said. “Golf is a game of enjoyment, and that’s what I try to bring out here.”

Thursday’s fans certainly were intrigued, lining up along the rope perhaps 60 yards during his early holes. A couple had already shelled out the $30 in the merchandise tent for Ben Hogan-style caps — with the new Puma logo — that DeChambeau has made part of his look.

“That was encouraging,” DeChambeau said. “I loved seeing them and getting ‘Hey, Bryson!’ It was fun to hear that and get some support from the locals.”

It’s certainly been a good month for DeChambeau, who last week claimed low-amateur honors at the Masters and even flirted with the lead on the second day. New endorsements this week with Puma and Bridgestone should pad his bank account nicely.

And perhaps the best news of all came just before Augusta when he got word that his dad, Jon, is in line to get the new kidney he needs.

Mike Watney, a family friend, former Fresno State coach and uncle of PGA Tour pro Nick Watney, texted Bryson a few days before the Masters to say he’d donate one of his kidneys.

“I was at a photo shoot,” DeChambeau said. “It really kind of threw me off. I said, ‘Guys, I’ve got to think about this one for a minute.’ That was really cool.”

It’ll be a few weeks before tests determine whether Mike Watney is a match. If not, he’ll still be able to donate to someone who is. And in the process, Jon DeChambeau moves all the way to the top of the priority list.

“It means the next person that’s compatible with his blood type, he gets the kidney,” DeChambeau said, noting that he tries to push all those concerns aside while he’s on the course. “He’s still my dad, and I do think about that,” he said. “But I try to compartmentalize what I need to be focused on. This is now my job, and I need to be focused on my job.”

So far, so good.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 9:27 PM with the headline "Bryson DeChambeau’s pro debut ‘just another round,’ which is just how he wanted it."