Smylie Kaufman uses final-round 61 to win Shriners Open — PHOTOS
The puns on his first name undoubtedly have been used countless times. So let’s just say Smylie Kaufman had a lot to smile about Sunday.
The PGA Tour rookie had the best day of his brief professional career, tearing up TPC Summerlin with a final-round 10-under-par 61 and holding off six pursuers to win the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
Kaufman finished with a four-day total of 16-under 268. It was the highest winning score for the Shriners Open since the tournament went to a four-round format in 2004. In 2005, Wes Short Jr. won with a 266.
“I always knew the potential was there,” Kaufman said. “It was just a matter of figuring everything out and staying committed to most every one of my golf shots.”
Kaufman’s brilliant round, one shot off the course record of 60, came while a number of challengers were still playing. So he knew he had a long wait before finding out his fate.
But the 23-year-old from Birmingham, Ala., who starred at Louisiana State, managed to stay in front in what was his fifth pro tournament.
“It’s funny, on nine I asked my caddie, ‘Who do you think is going to win this week?’ ” Kaufman said. “He’s like, ‘Well, I mean, I think there’s more to be said. I think you can post a number and you could see what happens.’ He knew better than I did, because I did it.”
Kaufman earned $1,152,000 for the victory. He also received 500 FedEx Cup points, got a two-year exemption on the tour and secured a spot in the field for the 2016 Masters.
“Honestly, it hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Kaufman said on what winning means for this season and his status on the tour through 2018. “I left it all out there and posted a number, and luckily it held up.”
Kaufman started quickly with a birdie on his second hole, but then he leveled off and was at 1 under for his round until he made birdie at No. 8. That seemed to get him going, as he went on to record four straight birdies and was 5 under through 11 holes.
He added another birdie at No. 13 before carding an eagle at the par-4 15th to get to 8 under for the day. He finished up birdie-par-birdie for a 61 and the lead at 16 under.
Did he see a 10-under round when he teed off?
“No. I just knew I was playing good, and you never know what’s going to happen out here,” Kaufman said. “I just holed some putts on the back nine and stayed committed to what I was doing.”
He had been part of a Sunday game of “tag” at TPC Summerlin. Brett Stegmaier, the third-round leader at 13 under, started out as it. Then it was William McGirt’s turn. Then Kaufman was it. Then Kevin Na briefly was it before Kaufman was tagged again as the leader.
Finally, after five-plus hours, Kaufman put an end to the chase, as Na self-destructed with a horrible chip shot at the par-3 17th that led to bogey, and Stegmaier couldn’t pick up the one extra shot he needed to pull even.
As his pursuers took their run at him, Kaufman hung out at the driving range, hit some balls, then watched the final few holes at the caddies’ tent with his caddie, Aaron Alpern.
“I dodged a lot of bullets coming down the stretch with guys coming in, and I’m really thankful to get the W,” Kaufman said.
Kaufman played well in finishing tied for 10th last week at the Frys.com Open in Napa, Calif. And when he had a 67 on Thursday at TPC Summerlin, perhaps everyone should have paid attention, though his second-round 72 hardly inspired confidence that he would be a factor.
But Kaufman felt good about his game, and it all came together for him Sunday. And for the second straight week, a Tour rookie came away with the top prize. Last week, it was Emiliano Grillo.
“It feels unbelievable,” Kaufman said. “A lot of hard work and dedication has gone into this.
“Emiliano and I had dinner a couple nights last week, so I guess you need to eat with Emiliano and you get to be a champion.”
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.