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CAREERBUILDER CHALLENGE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CLINTON FOUNDATION

January 24, 2016

Smylie Kaufman

La Quinta, California

SMYLIE KAUFMAN: I got off to such a good start, obviously, so disappointed in what happened on 16. Kind of let one get away on 14. But overall I did really well today and left it all out there. And it was a really good learning experience for me, because I really felt the pressure and really was excited to be kind of right there in it.

So, for me I was just excited to go out and put a lot of birdies together and it's disappointing finish, but for the most part pretty pleased.

Q. Did you have a target score?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: No, it's funny, I think I was tied for 29th in Vegas. When I won, I was tied for 29th. So I kind of like, I think when I was 6-under, it was like, you never know, so. I did have like a little glimpse that maybe I could post something just stupid. I was hitting it good, feeling really good with the putter. No target score though, just try and makes a many birdies as I could.

Q. Was it the lie on 16 or the wind?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: Looking back, we talked about it, I think we just didn't set a good left boundary for how far left I could go. I hit a pretty great drive, to be honest, and it just didn't cover the line I thought. And that bunker is death. Then I hit another shot out there and I was aimed just right of the green trying to hit a draw in there and I had a hook lie with a right-to-left wind and just rode it too far. And that bunker is just, I made it, it's just a nightmare down there, because you can't do anything.

So, it's a learning experience, in that regard, I tried to keep my composure in that situation the best I could. But it is what it is.

Q. The par-5, number 8 you hit a pretty high shot about 227?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: Yeah, 5-iron.

Q. Seemed like you got lucky with the strike at least, right.
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: Yeah, on number 8 I hit a good 5-iron. Hit a good putt for eagle and an easy one for birdie. So it was a good birdie at that time.

Q. You seemed a little bit visibly frustrated, once you got to 9, you had that birdie look from 25 feet and missed it.
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: No, that's fine. 9's a tough hole. I thought it would get a little further up into the grain to have a little better shot at birdie, but I was very pleased with my front nine score, so.

Q. When you look at the first part of the wrap around season you and some other guys you got out here and started winning, which doesn't happen very often. Everybody talks about how good preparation the WEB.COM is.
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: Yeah, it is.

Q. Do you think it's like a different -- is there much difference between that and this?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: Not really, just more people. Just a bigger audience, I think. For me it's the same game, just try to prepare the best I can, just come up with a really good game plan and try to execute. I know I'm going to make a bunch of birdies if I'm playing my good golf and that's what I did this week. If I can just keep the bogeys off the card, I would be right there in it this week. That goes for a lot of tournaments this year. If I'm able to just keep some of the bogeys and silly mistakes off my card, I'm making plenty enough birdies to compete each week. So for me, moving forward, it's going to be about trying to manage my way around the golf course a little better and eliminate key errors that seem to happen every now and then.

Q. I was reading back on some of your career and you had gone to a teacher about halfway through your LSU career that made a huge difference?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: It was my senior year, after the fall. I was an average college golfer. I didn't have a great -- my golf swing was fine, but it wasn't very consistent. Really developed a plan my senior year, headed into my spring. Had a great spring. Made the U.S. Open right out of college. And I think playing that experience of playing with the best guys in the world, that really let me know that I was good enough, if I just keep working at it and I just seemed to get better every year, so just want to keep improving.

Q. Did he do anything real technical?
SMYLIE KAUFMAN: No, it was just, we were -- it was just keeping my arms on my body a little better and keeping it more consistent day-to-day where it wasn't going to get too far off if it was off. Golf is all about from tee to green just being able to understand if something's off, how to fix it. Like whatever that is, just something you can go to. And I think that's helped with me working with Tony.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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