section_path: Early life and amateur career
section_name: Early life and amateur career
paragraph_text: Early life and amateur career
  
  DeChambeau was born on September 16, 1993, in Modesto, California, to John Howard Aldrich DeChambeau and Janet Louise Druffel. He moved to Clovis, east of Fresno, at age seven. He attended Clovis East High School and won the California State Junior Championship at age 16 in 2010. He graduated in 2012 and accepted a scholarship to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, majoring in physics. DeChambeau wore an anachronistic flat cap while on the golf course due to his admiration for Ben Hogan and fellow SMU alumnus Payne Stewart.
  
  In June 2015, DeChambeau became the first SMU Mustang to win the NCAA individual championship, recording a score of 280 (−8) to win by one stroke. In August, he won the U.S. Amateur title, defeating Derek Bard 7 & 6 in the 36-hole final. He became the fifth player to win both the NCAA and U.S. Amateur titles in the same year, joining Jack Nicklaus (1961), Phil Mickelson (1990), Tiger Woods (1996), and Ryan Moore (2004).
  
  DeChambeau made his PGA Tour debut as an amateur in June 2015 at the FedEx St. Jude Classic near Memphis, Tennessee, and finished in 45th place. He played in his first major championship at the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, but missed the cut by four strokes. DeChambeau was unable to defend his NCAA title in 2016 after the SMU athletic department was handed a postseason ban by the NCAA. He decided to forgo his senior season to play in a number of events before turning professional. At the 2015 Australian Masters in November, DeChambeau was runner-up with John Senden and Andrew Evans, two shots behind the winner Peter Senior. He was the low amateur at the Masters in 2016 and tied for 21st place.
  
  DeChambeau was born on September 16, 1993, in Modesto, California, to John Howard Aldrich DeChambeau and Janet Louise Druffel. He moved to Clovis, east of Fresno, at age seven. He attended Clovis East High School and won the California State Junior Championship at age 16 in 2010. He graduated in 2012 and accepted a scholarship to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, majoring in physics. DeChambeau wore an anachronistic flat cap while on the golf course due to his admiration for Ben Hogan and fellow SMU alumnus Payne Stewart.
  
  In June 2015, DeChambeau became the first SMU Mustang to win the NCAA individual championship, recording a score of 280 (−8) to win by one stroke. In August, he won the U.S. Amateur title, defeating Derek Bard 7 & 6 in the 36-hole final. He became the fifth player to win both the NCAA and U.S. Amateur titles in the same year, joining Jack Nicklaus (1961), Phil Mickelson (1990), Tiger Woods (1996), and Ryan Moore (2004).
  
  DeChambeau made his PGA Tour debut as an amateur in June 2015 at the FedEx St. Jude Classic near Memphis, Tennessee, and finished in 45th place. He played in his first major championship at the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, but missed the cut by four strokes. DeChambeau was unable to defend his NCAA title in 2016 after the SMU athletic department was handed a postseason ban by the NCAA. He decided to forgo his senior season to play in a number of events before turning professional. At the 2015 Australian Masters in November, DeChambeau was runner-up with John Senden and Andrew Evans, two shots behind the winner Peter Senior. He was the low amateur at the Masters in 2016 and tied for 21st place.