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In relation to Smylie Kaufman’s first (and solely) PGA Tour victory, possibly his late grandmother ought to have acquired among the credit score.
Kaufman, aided by a victory on the Net.com Tour’s United Leasing Championship in Could 2015, earned his PGA Tour card for the 2015-16 season, which began on the Frys.com Open at Silverado. Kaufman tied for tenth. That was a giant enhance, as that prime 10 helped his precedence rating, which means he had much less stress on him to carry out the next week on the Shriners Hospitals for Youngsters Open in Las Vegas.
Kaufman instructed the story of that first PGA Tour victory (which got here in simply his fifth PGA Tour begin) to GOLF senior author Dylan Dethier in the newest episode of Breakthrough — you may watch in full right here — however that win won’t have occurred with out his grandmother setting him straight.
As Kaufman tells it, it was late within the day early within the match when he chunked a chip on the sixteenth gap. Then got here the fireplace.
Smylie Kaufman’s Masters modified him. Simply not the way you’d anticipate
“I used to be mad, I used to be stomping,” he mentioned. “I used to be cussing.”
His grandparents and his girlfriend (now his spouse) have been the one individuals watching him on the time.
“My grandmother, I feel it was the subsequent day, she got here as much as me and mentioned, ‘You gotta begin performing higher,’” Kaufman mentioned. “She would by no means actually say something to me like that, except it wanted to be mentioned. Her phrases, when she did communicate, they carried a variety of weight.”
Kaufman mentioned he’s unsure if that discuss together with his grandma modified his consequence on the Shriners, however it’s one in every of his most vivid recollections from that week in Vegas. He mentioned he was basically going via the motions, not taking part in nice however not taking part in poorly (67-72-68). He was seven off the lead with 18 holes to play.
Kaufman knew it wasn’t life like that he’d win — “there have been loads of men [teeing off] behind us,” he joked — however one thing clicked that Sunday.
“I completely striped it,” he mentioned. “Completely striped it. I used to be just one underneath via seven holes, the place I felt like I may have been six or seven underneath via these holes.”
After a birdie on 8, Kaufman and his caddie have been ready for the inexperienced to clear on the par-5 ninth. They glanced on the scoreboard and talked concerning the wind.
“And [my caddie] mentioned, ‘I feel we nonetheless have one thing to say about this match,’” Kaufman mentioned. “I’m like, ‘I’ll have what you’re having.’ [Laughs] Successful wasn’t even on my radar by any means. Then I feel the final 11 holes I used to be 9 underneath or one thing. Form of blacked out a little bit bit.”
Kaufman eagled 15 and mentioned a TV digicam confirmed up when he was within the sixteenth fairway at TPC Summerlin. That’s when he knew he was on the verge of one thing particular.
“I feel most individuals at the moment, in case you are a rookie, when the cameras present up you’d be like, ‘Wait, do I’ve a shot to win this factor?’” he mentioned. “For me, when the cameras confirmed up I used to be like, ‘Alright, lights are on. Let’s go. You’re constructed for this.’”
Kaufman’s back-nine 29 was good for a 10-under 61. He then waited across the clubhouse for about two hours to see if his 16-under whole would maintain up. It did.
For extra from Kaufman, together with his mistake in U.S. Open prep, taking part in within the remaining pairing on Masters Sunday (and the film he watched beforehand), the frustrations he handled whereas looking for his sport and extra, click on on the YouTube hyperlink beneath.
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