They say never underestimate the heart of a champion.

Or his golf game.

Of course, we added the latter in honor of Passaconaway’s John DeVito, a Nashua native who now hails in Methuen, Mass.

In other words, as we begin the Round of 32 in the 117th NHGA State Amateur Championship this Thursday morning, don’t forget about DeVito.

After all, he is the defending champion.

“The way I played in medal play, I really don’t deserve to be looked at,” DeVito said.

And maybe he’s right, after he finished plus-10 in the two-day stroke play qualifying round, in which he barely got into the field of 64 just at the cut line at 152.

But ahhh, the beauty of match play for some is that the sins of the first two days are all forgiven. As long as you don’t repeat them.

DeVito didn’t yesterday, beating Carter Country Club’s Pat Pelletier, 4 and 2.

“I knew I was going to have to play really good to beat Pat,” DeVito said on Wednesday. “He’s an ex pro, won multiple tournaments. I really had to bring my best game. I kind of did that, at least on the front nine.”

DeVito held off a Pelletier birdie charge at the end, but really got going when he holed out a greenside bunker shot for birdie on the first hole. Hey, sometimes it is how you start.

“It was kind of a long bunker shot, so it was a real bonus,” DeVito said. “I’d probably have to make a put just to halve the hole. So it was pretty huge right at the start.”

DeVito knows he has to be wary of the Nashua Country Club players, who know all the turns and breaks on the greens. “That’s a huge advantage, especially against somebody who doesn’t play here a lot,” he said. “On the 15th hole, I thought I hit such a good putt to end the match for birdie. And the last foot it just trickled off. That’s something a member here may know.”

This morning at 8:10 DeVito takes on a State Am staple in Portsmouth’s Craig Steckowych. Steckowych was joking about how he hoped DeVito might be out , well, enjoying a beer or two last night.

“I’ve got Mr. DeVito so I’ll be the underdog,” Steckowych said with a grin. “I know John, I’ll enjoy playing with him. Hopefully it will be a good match. I’m looking forward to playing him. Maybe the underdog role will bode me well. … You look at John, he played a really good player at 4 and 2. And he wasn’t too far from the cut line. … He might have felt a little pressure. Happens to a lot of people.”

And of course, the pressure increases today.

“Either way, you’re going to face really good players, no matter what seed you are,” DeVito said. “I just have to be ready for these long, really hot days. … Last year was super hot.”

So was DeVito back then, ironically at Steckowych’s home course, Portsmouth Country Club. Let’s see if he can do something once again that we’ll remember.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on twitter @Telegraph _TomK.

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