SYLACAUGA, Ala. – While competing this weekend at the 95th Alabama State Amateur Championship, LSU freshman Smylie Kaufman fired a tournament record 16-under par 272 to capture his state’s premier amateur title in the event ending Sunday at FarmLinks Golf Club.
Kaufman, a native of Birmingham and product of Vestavia Hills High School, fired consecutive rounds of 5-under 67 on Thursday, 6-under 66 on Friday, even-par 72 on Saturday and 5-under 67 on Sunday to win his first state amateur title with what is believed to be the lowest 72-hole score in tournament history.
Alabama freshman All-American Bobby Wyatt followed two shots back in second place with his score of 14-under 274, while third-round leader Hunter Hawkins and Will McCurdy finished three shots back.
Kaufman actually teed off in Sunday’s final round trailing Hawkins by five shots, but propelled himself to the title with a 5-under par 67 on the strength of his clutch putting down the stretch.
Kaufman used a 2-under 34 on the front nine to cut his deficit to just a single stroke behind both Hawkins and Wyatt on the leaderboard. That’s when Kaufman took control of the tournament on the back nine that opened with a birdie on the reachable par-five No. 10. Following back-to-back pars on No. 11 and No. 12, Kaufman dropped three 15-foot putts in a row for birdies on No. 13 and No. 14 and a clutch par save with No. 15 to take an insurmountable four-shot lead over Wyatt with just three holes to play.
Despite Wyatt cutting Kaufman’s lead to just two strokes with birdies on Nos. 16 and 18, the event crown was clinched by Kaufman with three-straight pars on Nos. 16, 17 and 18 for a winning score of 272.