Only five players have won the NCAA and the US Open title in the same year. The exclusive list contains legendary players such as Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, and Tiger Woods. The newest entrant to that list, has been Bryson DeChambeau.
Bryson DeChambeau’s ‘incredible’ Amateur record
DeChambeau was always considered a ‘boy wonder’ by those observing closely. He won the California State Junior Championship at age 16. Following his NCAA-US Amateur double, he made his PGA debut as an amateur at the FedEx St. Jude Classic and finished at a respectable 45th place. Though he missed the cut in his first major championship at the US Open, he followed that up with a T21 finish at the Masters Tournament in 2016.
That position would have guaranteed DeChambeau prize money worth $116,000. But the rule of amateur status does not allow their players to take the prize money in a handicap competition.
Hence, right after the Masters came to a close, DeChambeau turned professional. He made his debut a week later at the 2016 RBC Heritage in Harbour Town Golf Links, South Carolina.
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With all the records at the amateur level, fans were keen to see if he could hold his ground against much-experienced pros. The likes of Ian Poulter, Tony Finau, Jason Day, and Vijay Singh all contested that tournament, and remarkably, DeChambeau beat them all.
DeChambeau’s professional debut
He managed a fantastic T4 finish after an outstanding score of 68 in the final round. He made 17 birdies across the competition, and 5 in the final round. The tournament was won by South Africa’s Branden Grace, in the process claiming his first PGA Tour win.
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(@golfstatz)That finish at the RBC Heritage earned DeChambeau a paycheck worth $259,600. Earning prize money on debut is a rare sight, let alone a sum worth a hundred thousand! Furthermore, DeChambeau’s feat gets more impressive when you consider the debut finishes of other prominent stars such as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, among others.
How did other stars fare in their Professional Debut?
Back in 1995, a 20-year-old Tiger Woods earned a decent T60 finish at the Greater Milwaukee Open. He did win the Masters Tournament, however, in his very next year, by a margin of 12 strokes. Rory McIlroy made his professional debut at the Quinn Direct British Masters in 2007, where he shot 2-over par with a score of 290, which put him tied at 42nd place.
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While DeChambeau hasn’t built on the promise yet, he still has a US Open title in his kitty already. Still only 28, ‘The Scientist’ would look to break more incredible records in the future.
Watch this story: Bryson DeChambeau, who is facing repercussions for joining LIV, suffers yet another major setback
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