CROMWELL, Conn. – The cheers flowed for “Scheffler!” off the 18th green at TPC River Highlands, but the hearty New England fans had the name slightly off. They had the right idea, though, roaring for another man at the top of his profession in the sporting world.

ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter made his golf broadcasting debut in Thursday’s opening round of the Travelers Championship for PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+, serving as an on-course reporter for the Marquee Group of Rory McIlroy and Keegan Bradley, who each opened in 6-under 64 at TPC River Highlands. The duo combined for 13 birdies against one bogey, dazzling the fans at the season’s final Signature Event – as did Schefter, a former newspaper reporter who became ESPN’s leading football news-breaker. Schefter posed for pictures and chatted with fans throughout the late morning and early afternoon, generating nearly as much buzz across the property as the subjects of his coverage.

Schefter enjoyed it as much as they did.

“I think what I’m going to do now after today; I think I am going to legally petition to change my last name from Adam Schefter to Adam Scheffler,” Schefter quipped afterward. “I think if I’m Adam Scheffler, I think I’ll have some success in the golf world that I might not ordinarily have.

“My game plan was to have fun,” Schefter continued. “I tried to make sure that I would not break any rules; that was my big fear. I didn’t want to step somewhere where I shouldn’t be, I didn’t want to be in someone’s shot. I just wanted to make sure that everything went well and that I didn’t screw up anything, and by that standard, I think today was a success.”

It was an opportune time for Schefter to make his golf broadcasting debut, just two days after longtime NFL executive Brian Rolapp was announced as the PGA TOUR’s incoming CEO – and with TPC River Highlands located in Cromwell, Connecticut, just 21 miles from ESPN’s offices, the stars aligned. (It wasn’t the only crossover this week, as ESPN’s Chris Berman also played in Wednesday’s pro-am at the Travelers.)

Schefter doesn’t play as much golf as he would like, he said, and he chose not to reveal his handicap (like Rolapp). But his fandom has grown in the last eight or nine years, largely via golf pools, and he relishes the challenge of figuring out who might win in a given week. He watches as much golf as anyone, he said, and J.J. Spaun’s emotional victory at last week’s U.S. Open particularly resonated with him. “There’s nobody that watches more PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ than me,” Schefter said. “You can watch as much as me, but you can’t watch more than me when I’m watching Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, until the finish of that tournament.”

The PGA TOUR LIVE production team was thrilled to have him.

"I first talked with Adam about the first-round coverage plans on Tuesday, and his enthusiasm was palatable," said PGA TOUR LIVE Senior Producer David Gross. "He truly loves golf and respects the job we do. Adam was well-prepared to walk with Rory McIlroy and Keegan Bradley, so much so, he had his outfit picked out days in advance (down to the Michigan hat and shoes). I think he had a great time out there, and it really made the stream fun to produce. His energy was contagious. He communicated well throughout the process. He did an equally great job at planned golf/NFL crossover content as he did with live, on-the-fly segments like when we compared fellow on-course reporter Robert Damron to NFL players."

Schefter isn’t a complete novice when it comes to covering golf, either. He once gathered quotes for veteran sportswriter Rick Reilly at a U.S. Open at Winged Foot, and he covered Michelle Wie at the Sony Open in Hawaii when he worked for the Denver Post. But this was new terrain for the adopted golf junkie – who despite his prowess in uncovering football scoops, hasn’t found the same luck in predictive golf analysis.

“It’s really fun to try to figure out which golfer that week has a chance to win, and what I’ve figured out in this sport is that it’s a dart throw. Nobody ever has any idea who’s ever going to win,” said Schefter, who sported a University of Michigan cap (his alma mater) and an orange PGA TOUR LIVE polo. “It’s great to see the moments that these golfers create, just to take them in and follow them into your database of lifelong great sports memories.”

Schefter called the action Thursday alongside PGA TOUR LIVE veteran Robert Damron, who was a TOUR mainstay in the late 1990s and 2000s and made six Travelers appearances, highlighted by a seventh-place finish in 2003. Damron, admittedly not a close NFL observer, had to look up Schefter’s name when he learned of his broadcast partner on Tuesday evening – but he immediately made the association.

As the duo navigated the fourth fairway with McIlroy and Bradley, the conversation turned to NFL players who enjoy golf (Damron has played in Orlando with veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen, who can’t get enough of the game). Damron guided his counterpart on where to stand – they found shade under a tree next to the fourth green, a veteran move. For his part, Schefter wasn’t afraid to chide Damron on his fashion selection, noting the longtime pro’s choice of a black shirt on a humid morning in Connecticut.

After concluding his round, McIlroy gave Schefter a thumbs-up while running up the steep hill between TPC River Highlands’ 18th green and clubhouse. Schefter then interviewed Bradley, the upcoming U.S. Team Ryder Cup captain, who was showered with “U-S-A!” chants throughout the morning and early afternoon. Schefter opened with a general question on his round (seven birdies against one bogey), then got specific about Bradley’s tee shot at the par-3 16th, which settled within 4 feet. Bradley’s eyes lit up at the query. “You’re good! Geez Louise,” Bradley quipped before discussing the shot.

Schefter and Bradley posed for a photo afterward – not a common occurrence between a professional golfer and broadcaster, but this was not a normal day.

“Just hearing his voice is so iconic with football,” Bradley said afterward. “I'd turn on the TV hoping to hear (New England) Patriot news, and he's the guy. That was really fun. It was a thrill to meet him and have him out there.”

Might Schefter accept a call-back from PGA TOUR LIVE? He didn’t rule it out. The NFL operates on essentially a 12-month news cycle, but if there’s ever a slow news time in football, it’s during the Travelers Championship. Perhaps this will become an annual occurrence – and some of those “Scheffler” chants will turn to “Schefter.”

“Well, it was a great first day at work … it was that way from the moment it began, when Keegan Bradley walked out to a grand ovation,” Schefter concluded on PGA TOUR LIVE.

“I had a great time. Whatever they want to do, I’m always game for,” Schefter added afterward. “To me, it’s a privilege and an honor to be out here. If I get invited back, I’ll come back, but they might say, ‘We’ve had enough of you on the course, Adam Scheffler. We don’t want to see you again.’”

Sounds like he'll be back.

"I thought today's coverage was a lot of fun," Gross said, "and I hope we get to have him join us again down the line."