After a combined 63 tournaments in purple and gold, two of the most distinguished LSU golfers began their professional golf careers in January.
Curtis Thompson and Smylie Kaufman both played sublime roles for LSU golf last season. They were driving forces in their senior seasons, helping the team to an appearance in the Final Four of match play in the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships.
“I learned things from LSU that I would not of learned anywhere else,” Kaufman said.
Kaufman stressed his game is as good as it has ever been going into his professional career. One of the biggest changes he’s made is controlling his body and keeping it physically fit and healthy.
“One thing that has been different is I am working out a lot now with Kolby Tullier from the Baton Rouge area,” Kaufman said. “He has been helping me a ton.”
Tullier, a Titleist Performance Institute certified expert, has been known to help golfers better their games by improving their mechanics. He focuses his training to professional athletes who need training specifically correlated to their respective sports, as he has previously worked with former LSU-turned-PGA golfers John Peterson and Andrew Loupe.
Thompson and Kaufman competed in their inaugural tournament for the Web.com Tour at the Panama Claro Championship in Panama City, Panama on Jan. 29.
Thompson, a three-time collegiate All-American, shot 4-under par for a 72-hole score of 276 (68,69,70,69). The score was low enough to push Thompson into a sixth-place finish and bring the 22-year-old alumnus a smidgen less than $20,000.
He recently competed in his first PGA Tour event at the Sony Open in Hawaii where he did not make the cut into the weekend with a score of 1-over par. In his next expedition on the Web.com tour at the Columbia Championship, he shot a first and second round score of 148.
After Panama, Kaufman went straight to Los Angeles where he shot a 70 (2-under par) in a qualifying round for the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open.
Kaufman said there is a slight chance he may compete in some international Web.com events soon but looks to gain qualification to upcoming PGA Tour events. The next Web.com event he may take part in will be the Chitimacha Louisiana Open beginning on March 26 in Lafayette.
While traveling the globe, Kaufman said he will always hold on to what he learned from LSU.
“I learned a lot from [LSU men’s golf] coach [Chuck] Winstead,” Kaufman said. “He was very helpful.”
Kaufman knows his golf game is now about himself and not a team as he had at LSU.
“I know that I just have to keep getting better, developing my game and the results will keep coming,” Kaufman said.
You can reach Christian Boutwell on Twitter @CBoutwell_TDR.