LA QUINTA, Calif. – It would be easy to mistake Aaron Wise for a kid trying to make a few extra bucks cleaning golf carts and schlepping bags around the course. The reigning NCAA individual champion out of Oregon is 20 years old, looks even younger and has not yet reached full celebrity status on the PGA Tour. But it’s very likely coming soon for Wise, who says he isn’t recognized very often away from the course.

“I hear a few people,” Wise said. “I heard a guy in my hotel go, ‘Oh, that’s Aaron Wise. I remember seeing him.’ So slowly, it’s happening.”

Wise is playing in his seventh Tour event since turning pro this week at the CareerBuilder Challenge and already seems at ease among the world’s best. He’s four shots off leader Dominic Bozzelli having shot 68 Thursday at La Quinta Country Club and didn’t sound totally thrilled about the performance.

“Ballstriking wasn’t as good as I would want it. It hasn’t been for a few days,” Wise said. “We’re just trying to work on it and get better and better each day. I came out and missed a lot of shots right, but my short game was really, really good today. Bunch of up and downs and some good putts dropped, so that’s what kept the score good.”

Wise, who won the NCAA individual title by two shots at Eugene Country Club last May, missed the cut in his first two events this season but finished T-10 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open with rounds of 66-65-71-68. He also finished T-16 at the John Deere Classic in August and doesn’t seem at all worried about trying to live up to his champion status during his first go-round on Tour.

“It’s been a roller coaster ride,” Wise said. “You kind of keep re-setting goals and going out and trying to achieve them. Everything’s kind of been happening so fast for me. I think I’m handling it well and (I’m) ready to play on this stage. Hopefully I can do well enough in these next few events to stay here.”

Thursday marked only the second time Wise had seen La Quinta Country Club, getting a lone practice round in before the tournament started. He certainly looked comfortable with his play, and figures to continue rising in the golf world as he gets more comfortable with everything else, such as playing in front of thousands of fans instead of dozens.

“It doesn’t really bug me and the more I get out here, the more the white noise in the background goes away and you’re able to focus,” Wise said. “Dealing with all those little things, you get more comfortable out here. Every time I’m out here I get more and more comfortable with what the PGA Tour brings.”

And he’ll want to get much more comfortable hearing “Oh, that’s Aaron Wise,” as he continues to move further toward the center of the golf spotlight.