He has given nicknames to his irons, which, by the way, are all the same length.
He has style -- check out the Hogan-like cap.
Has plenty of game, too, as he’s one of just five to win the U.S. Amateur and NCAA individual championship in the same year, the others being Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Ryan Moore.
And now Bryson DeChambeau can start earning money.
Finishing off his amateur career by making birdie on the 72nd hole in last week’s Masters where he was the low amateur, DeChambeau made the short drive to Hilton Head Island, S.C., to begin his long-awaited journey as a pro.
It has all the makings of being quite a ride.
‘’It’s been a long time coming, and last week was a great way to finish off my amateur career, mainly that putt on 18 from 20 feet, and walking off and saying that was my last putt,’’ the former Southern Methodist star, 22, told reporters ahead of Thursday’s start in the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links. ‘’ I had an internship. I thought that if I could practice and play in professional events as much as possible leading up to this week, that I could be prepared coming into this week.’’
It was quite an internship. While he has turned heads with his one-plane swing and his revolutionary concept of having his irons the same length, which is at odds with tradition that holds that irons with more loft -- like wedges -- are shorter than clubs with less loft -- like 4-irons -- he’s attracting eyeballs because of his play.
He hasn’t missed a cut, tying for second in the Australian Masters, tying for 54th in the Abu Dhabi Desert Classic, tying for 18th in the Dubai Desert Classic, tying for 27th in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he shot a final-round 66 alongside Rory McIlroy, and finishing in a tie for 21st in the Masters.
‘’He’s a great young player. He’s very mature for his age, very smart. He’s got a really, really bright future,’’ McIlroy said ‘’Seeing the way he played out there, he has real control of his golf ball. He can hit it both ways, control the trajectory. He thinks well around the golf course, is a good putter.
‘’He’s got every aspect of the game.’’
The physics major who says he’s an artist who loves to create is on solid footing outside the ropes, too, having inked deals with Cobra Puma Golf and Bridgestone. While dollar signs don’t drive DeChambeau, he knows he has to rack up a lot of cash in a short window to earn his PGA Tour card.
He can play up to 12 PGA Tour events, with the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Masters being his first two. And those were on exemptions. He can only accept seven sponsor exemptions, with the RBC Heritage being his first. He said he will also play next week’s Valero Texas Open, the Wells Fargo Championship, the Colonial, and the AT&T Byron Nelson Championship.
He’ll also play in the Memorial and Quicken Loans, but those are exemptions and won’t count against the seven.
‘’Well, I do know what they are, but I don’t worry about it, it doesn’t affect my psyche or anything like that,’’ he said when asked if he’s worried about dollar signs. ‘’For me, it’s going out there and winning championships. And I believe that I can do it. It’s just a matter of executing shots and playing four great rounds of golf. And if I can do that, that’s all that matters. Money is not anything to me. …
‘’You’re still going out there and every shot counts, I’m going to try to make my card. But that’s in the back of my mind. I’m not really worrying about that just play some golf and do my best, just like I have the past few weeks, and I think it should be fine.’’
PHOTOS: SUNDAY AT THE MASTERS
