Fansided

The mystery of Smylie Kaufman’s disappearing golf game

By David Salituro

OAKVILLE, ON - JULY 27: Smylie Kaufman of the United States reacts to his tee shot from the 16th teeduring round one of the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club on July 27, 2017 in Oakville, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
OAKVILLE, ON - JULY 27: Smylie Kaufman of the United States reacts to his tee shot from the 16th teeduring round one of the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club on July 27, 2017 in Oakville, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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Once one of the most promising young stars on the PGA Tour, Smylie Kaufman finds himself suffering through a terrible slump.

On the Sunday of the 2016 Masters, attention was focused on Jordan Spieth’s attempt to win the Green Jacket for the second straight year. It was easy to overlook his playing partner in the last pairing, Smylie Kaufman.

Kaufman shot a 69 in the third round to get in that final group, but his Sunday did not go as smoothly. He shot a nine-over 81 and dropped to 29th. His career in the two years since then has resembled that Sunday afternoon.

The 26-year-old Kaufman is mired in a terrible slump. This week at the FedEx St. Jude Classic he had rounds of 79-75 and missed the cut at 14-over. It is his 13th consecutive missed cut on the PGA Tour. During that time he has more rounds in the 80s, six, than in the 60s, two.

He believes, however, that his struggles are only temporary. After posting rounds of 80-79 at the Wells Fargo Championship in May, Kaufman tweeted “I know there will be good times ahead.”

Again, after a disastrous two days at the Honda Classic in February, he reiterated his belief that he will soon come out of his slump. “I know how talented I am. I’ve got gears that other guys don’t have. I’ve got shots that other guys don’t have. It’s just a matter of getting over it and getting through it,” he said. He fired his swing coach after shooting 83-80 that week.

It wasn’t always this difficult for Kaufman. In 2015, playing in just his fifth PGA Tour event, he won the Shriners Hospitals for Childen Open with a final-round 61. That win got him into the Masters and his grouping with close friend Spieth. At the time he looked like one of the most promising young players on tour.

Since then, however, Kaufman has become better known for his spring break trips to the Bahamas with Spieth, Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler than for his golf accomplishments. In May he returned to his alma mater, LSU, to work with his former coach Chuck Winstead and find a fix.

“My speed off the tee and short game is as good as anybody’s,” he said in Baton Rouge. “I just want to hit it where I’m looking. I want to have clarity on my misses, my good shots and bad shots. Having the conviction in my own golf swing again.”

Kaufman has struggled in all facets of the game this season. He ranks last on the PGA Tour in both driving accuracy and greens in regulation, and 170th in putting. He is 187th in the FedEx Cup standings. With his two-year exemption for winning expiring after this season, he needs to finish in the top 125 to maintain his status on tour.

Life off the course hasn’t been as difficult for Kaufman. In April he married his high school sweetheart, Francie Harris. Spieth, Thomas and Fowler were all there, of course, and posting pictures of their exploits on social media.

Kaufman has found peace and stability in his personal life. Now he just needs to find a way to rediscover his golf game.

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