SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Former LSU Tiger standout Smylie Kaufman came within two shots of capturing his second professional win on the Web.com Tour this season when he fired a score of 21-under par 267 in 72 holes to finish runner-up at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr. Pepper wrapping up Sunday at Highland Springs Country Club.
Kaufman, who picked up his first professional win back on May 3 at the Web.com Tour’s United Leasing Championship Presented by PTI, posted a 2-under 70 in the final round to finish two shots off the pace set by the winning tournament score of 23-under par 265 by South African champion Dawie vander Walt.
Kaufman teed off in Sunday’s final round four shots back of vander Walt after opening the championship with brilliant rounds of 7-under 65 on Wednesday, 5-under 67 on Thursday and 7-under 65 on Friday.
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Kaufman took home $72,900 from the weekend with his second-place finish at this year’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr. Pepper as he catapulted himself into his No. 5 position on the official Web.com Tour Money List for the 2014-15 season. He moved seven spots up the list with his finish after teeing off in the No. 12 spot in season earnings for 2014-15.
Like each of his fellow competitors on the Web.com Tour, Kaufman is looking to finish in the Top 25 of the final money list this season to earn official membership on the PGA TOUR for the 2015-16 season. Kaufman has racked up his $245,748.03 in total earnings this season in 15 starts on the Web.com Tour in his first professional season, which includes seven cuts made on the year.
He is now well positioned to secure his PGA TOUR card thanks to an impressive rookie season as a professional as he is nearly $100,000 in earnings ahead of the 25th-ranked player on the Web.com Tour The 25.
LSU’s former PING All-Southeast Region performer has cracked the Top 10 of the final leaderboard on the Web.com Tour a total of four times this season as he also tied for fourth place in back-to-back appearances on his travels to Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER on March 29 and El Bosque Mexico Championship on April 19.
Kaufman wasn’t the only former LSU Tiger to crack the Top 10 of the final leaderboard at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr. Pepper this weekend with former All-American Curtis Thompson taking home a check in the amount of $14,962.50 after tying for 10th place overall with his final score of 18-under par 270 in 72 holes played at Highland Springs Country Club.
Thompson moved into the No. 71 spot on the official Web.com Tour Money List following the event as he has taken home a total of $64,176 in earnings in his rookie season as a professional in 2014-15.