Smylie Kaufman polished off his final-round, 10-under 61 at TPC Summerlin more than two hours before the 54-hole leaders made their way to the finish line of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
The 23-year-old Louisiana State University product probably had no clue that his 16-under 268 total would hold up and give him his first PGA Tour win, but it did.
One by one, players faded by the wayside, unable to match Kaufman's tally. Eventually, there was no one left.
Kaufman's first name is Carter, but he goes by his middle name Smylie, pronounced like the face, which was given him as an ode to his grandmother's cousin. He turns 24 on Nov. 30, turning professional after graduating in 2014. He earned his status on the 2015 Web.com Tour with a T-64 finish in Q-school, then won the United Leasing Championship during the regular season. The win, on the heels of consecutive T-4 finishes, locked up his PGA Tour status for 2015-16, eventually finishing sixth on the Tour's regular season money list.
In his debut as a full PGA Tour member, Kaufman finished T-10 at the Frys.com Open.
And, just in case you're wondering, Smylie has a younger brother. And he goes by Luckie, his given middle name inspired by his great-grandfather.
