2021 Palmetto Championship: Smylie Kaufman Has Day He Won’t Forget
By Tim Letcher
Smylie Kaufman had a day to remember on Friday at the 2021 Palmetto Championship. Unfortunately, Kaufman won’t remember this day fondly.
Kaufman played the back nine first and he opened with a par on the 10th hole. But things quickly got away from him.
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On the par-4 11th hole, Kaufman hit his tee shot into the trees. After taking an unplayable, his third shot got him to about 180 yards from the hole. Eventually, Kaufman would get there and would make a double bogey.
That’s a trend that would continue for Kaufman. On the very next hole, he got into trouble off the tee again. He would fight his way through two shots out of a waste bunker and would eventually make a double bogey. He was 4-over par through just three holes.
Kaufman would par the 13th hole before bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes. He was 6-over par on his round at that point.
The double-bogey train would return on the par-4 16th hole. Again, it was an errant drive that got Kaufman into trouble. By the time he finished the hole, Kaufman had carded his third double bogey in his first seven holes. He was 8-over par, which is where he finished his first nine.
The back nine would only provide minimal relief for Kaufman.
After a par on the first hole, he got himself into trouble on the second hole. Another poor drive forced Kaufman to take yet another penalty. He would also face another waste bunker on his way to a triple bogey, which left him at 11-over par on his round.
Kaufman would par the third hole before making his lone birdie of the day at the par-5 fourth. There, he hit the green in regulation and made a nine-foot birdie putt.
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But the prosperity didn’t last. Kaufman would bogey the sixth hole to drop back to 11-over par. He finished his round with a double bogey on eight and a bogey on nine. That left him with a 14-over par 85 for the day.
It was the worst round of the day by far and it left Kaufman in last place. It was certainly a day he will never forget.