Kalen DeBoer just hit it too strong.

Staring down the 18th hole at Greystone Golf and Country Club on Wednesday, Alabama football’s head coach swung a pitching wedge from just left of the fairway. Behind the green, a grandstand with a tent had been set up. On his final hole of the pro-am event ahead of the Regions Tradition, an opposing fan let out a “War Eagle” during his backswing. DeBoer sailed the ball well over the tent.

“We got some extra juice right now,” DeBoer said.

DeBoer, a 17.7 handicap as of Friday, could only laugh. Especially after one of his playing partners hit it too hard shortly thereafter, nearly taking out poor Stewart Cink, who stood near the green.

The event, though, has never really ben about golf. At least not for Alabama’s coaches.

Nick Saban, a 10.6 handicap, playing the pro-am for the first time since retirement, explained it before the coaches headed for the range.

“I try to make people feel good, make them feel better,” Saban said. “Nobody remembers anything you say, but they do remember how you make them feel. Hopefully, we can still make some people feel good.”

DeBoer is taking a page out of his predecessor’s playbook. Friday on the golf course, it showed.

‘Emphasis on the Roll’

DeBoer made no bones about his golf game before Wednesday’s celebrity pro-am. He said as much, noting the event was more about interacting with fans around the course than shooting under par.

“Just really looking forward to spending some time,” DeBoer told reporters. “I’m not sure about the golf game piece, just seeing all the fans and seeing everyone that supports our program. Looking forward to a great day.”

After a brief press scrum, he hit the range. Inside DeBoer’s black Sun Mountain golf bag: a Cobra Radspeed XB driver, a set of Callaway Mavrik Irons, Callaway Jaws wedges and a Odyssey White Hot OG blade putter.

Donning a polo shirt advertising UA’s Yea Alabama NIL collective, knee-length Nike golf cargo shorts, a Crimson Tide cap and Nike Air Max 1 ‘86 OG spikeless shoes, he warmed up next to Saban. For a few minutes, the past and future of the Crimson Tide’s head coach hit shots next to each other toward a field goal post that had been placed in the driving range, all while a cover band ran through “Walking in Memphis.”

DeBoer was scheduled to tee off at 8:50 a.m. alongside Cink and fellow amateurs Ron Price, Skip Cooper and David Turner.At the first tee, Jim Dunaway of The Next Round introduced each player. Auburn’s mascot hammed it up just off the tee box, before Dunaway told him to pretend it was 4th-and-31 in the Iron Bowl and move right.

“Coach, if you’re gonna shank one, Aubie, again, is right to your right here,” Dunaway said, drawing a laugh from the crowd. DeBoer didn’t shank it into any Tigers. His tee shot was fine, angled toward the left front of the fairway. Still, Alabama fans shouldn’t fear the PGA Tour might be in his future.

“The one thing I know is that the fans will never be worried about me playing too much golf and (not) focusing on football after they watch what happens today,” Deboer deadpanned.

Whether by design or anxiety around the greens, DeBoer appeared a huge proponent of the Texas Wedge. Whether from rough or fairway, if there was a way he could putt a ball near the green, he took it.

He also seemed to be a good teammate. He celebrated stellar shots from everyone else in the group and took advice from Cink, along with Alabama staffers Josh Maxson and Ellis Ponder, who traveled with him around the course.

At one point, Ponder shouted to ask what club the coach would prefer for a short shot from the fairway.”

“Eight,” Deboer said, adding a quick joke. “Wanted to say 60 (degree) in front of everyone.”

He showed a penchant for getting out of trouble under pressure. A few times, fans were warned to look out, as DeBoer faced a tough lie. Nobody was injured and the coach dug his way out each time.

No matter what kind of shot he took, the attendees were on his side. DeBoer topped a shot on hole 12, sending it skittering a too-short distance.

“Still Roll Tide,” one fan yelled out.

“Emphasis on the Roll,’” DeBoer retorted.

On the ninth hole, DeBoer sent one dangerously near a group of geese on the course.

“You killed an Alabama duck,” one course volunteer said.

“Thank you for coming to Alabama,” she added, after a pause.

DeBoer’s group finished with a 59, good for third in the event.

Meet the Gumps

Alabama’s head coach hopped out of his cart and raced up a hill. In the midst of his back nine, a group of fans watching from a backyard called out to ask for a photo, and DeBoer obliged, charging up the slope, posing momentarily for a selfie, then returning to his cart.

Just like Saban before him, the fans lining the course wanted to interact. DeBoer signed and signed and signed, making the days of children and eBay merchants alike.

“Win the national championship this year?” one youngster asked, clearly the product of Saban-era expectations.

It was the Crimson Tide staffers job to disappoint some signature hounds, while helping out the younger crowd and delivering some items to DeBoer by hand. He signed helmets, footballs, photos, cards, golf balls, even a baseball at one point.

Fans weren’t the only ones wanting to meet DeBoer. Kristen Saban introduced herself on the front nine, saying her father, playing in the group behind, was having a good day on the course.

On the 531-yard par-5 13th, Zach Holton, a Birmingham native and the world’s No. 3 ranked professional long driver, shook DeBoer’s hand. He then explained that he’d be hitting the tee shot, one that the group was welcome to use.

The shot thoroughly impressed DeBoer and company. Even more so when they tracked down the ball a mere 107 yards from the cup.

“Zach, Saban’s coming next, so if you can kind of top it,” another member of the Cink-DeBoer group joked as they left the tee box.

DeBoer hit first, sending his shot to the back of the green, technically reaching the dance floor in two shots, a fact he pointed out to reporters. Some suspect putting hurt the group on the green, but they still escaped in a solid position.

Before the 14th hole, DeBoer had a bottle of Redmont Vodka thrust into his hands for a sponsor photo. He then continued his publicity tour around the course, signing and posing his way through the rest of the back nine.

On the final hole, he posed with event staffers, signing autographs for them before teeing off. His second shot ended up in the water, a fact revealed by an “Awwwwww,” emanating from fans by the green, as DeBoer grimaced.

The disappointed expression was short lived, as former Alabama DB and College Football Hall of Fame member Antonio Langham appeared on the fairway to introduce himself. DeBoer seemed thrilled to meet Langham, inviting him to visit the current Crimson Tide.

“Come by,” DeBoer said. “You’re welcome anytime.”

Then, he hiked up to the side of the creek, where he’d taken a drop. One swing later, the ball soared over the tent. Jumping onto a golf cart post-round, DeBoer headed off for Paul Finebaum’s TV set.

These days, Nick Saban may have the edge on his replacement on the golf course. For DeBoer, though, consider his first Regions Tradition Pro-Am another inviting and cordial episode in what Alabama’s fans hope to be a long and successful tenure.