Rookie Bettencourt bounces back after clubs stolen

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Matt Bettencourt entered the 2009 season as a PGA TOUR rookie after claiming the 2008 Nationwide Tour money title.

IRVING, Texas -- Matt Bettencourt's trips to the Metroplex are nothing, if not eventful.

A year ago, he wound up in the hospital with kidney stones the night before the Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch in nearby McKinney. He wound up winning the tournament.

Then, Wednesday morning, he loaded his clubs in his courtesy Cadillac Escalade in the Holiday Inn Express parking lot across from the 14th hole at TPC Four Seasons and went in to have breakfast. He came back out to find his window smashed and his clubs and other valuables, including his wedding ring and watch, stolen.

"I was going to play Gleneagles, where the British Open qualifier is [on] Monday,'' he said. " . . . Came back out in 20 minutes and everything was stolen . . It sucks, but what are you going to do?''

To make things worse, the security cameras weren't working.

TaylorMade pulled a set of clubs together for him, including a new R9 460 driver and an Odessey XG putter. He was able to practice a bit yesterday afternoon, but didn't get to play with the set until Thursday's first round, where he shot a 1-over-par 71.

"They made something very similar to mine, but shafts and clubs are different,'' he said. "You have to figure out distance.''

And you're out of your comfort zone, especially with your driver and, in his case, the Itsy Bitsy putter he's used for the last 15 months. But he said the toughest part was the distances. He doubled the 15th coming in and bogeyed the 16th.

"I hit some bad shots today, but held my round together,'' Bettencourt said. " . . . My irons were a couple yards off. Everything's so precise. Cost me two strokes on 16.''

With that, he headed in for lunch, then on to the range to work with this set of clubs. He'll get a new set made to his specs next week.

The good news? He likes the driver. And he's proven he can bounce back from a tough situation. Especially here in the Metroplex.