Smylie Kaufman talks Rickie Fowler’s ace, taking part in Pine Valley

Having the possibility to play a spherical at Pine Valley is a dream for each golfer. However making an ace on the world’s top-rated course when you’re there? That launches the expertise straight into the bucket-list stratosphere.

That’s precisely what occurred to Rickie Fowler on a latest go to to the course, and PGA Tour pro-turned-broadcaster Smylie Kaufman was there to witness it. What was that like? Kaufman dished on the expertise to Subpar hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz on this week’s episode.

“I get to the third tee, I’m like, I’ve obtained to seek out one thing,” Kaufman mentioned. “After which Justin [Thomas] is off to a pleasant begin. And he’s like, effectively, you’re gonna have to get your telephones out as a result of I’m about to make a hole-in-one. I’m like, candy. At the very least I’ll be at Pine Valley watching them make an ace. And he hits this lovely 7-iron, and simply form of hits this, simply softer one, comes up like eight yards quick, proper on line within the bunker. And he was like, sick, good shot.

“After which Rickie will get up and hits this majestic, excessive, five-yard draw 7-iron, and it lands — as a result of it’s a front-left pin, which is definitely a extremely arduous hole-in-one, and lands precisely the place it ought to, and for the final 10 ft it felt like a 12 months, as a result of it seemed prefer it was simply gonna go in the entire means. Goes in, and all of us go nuts.”

Kaufman has been struggling along with his recreation on the opening holes that day and laughed as he recalled how he needed to hit after Fowler’s ace.

“After all, I obtained to hit subsequent, and Bambi is over there 30 yards proper of the inexperienced, and, about take Bambi and his mom out,” he mentioned. “It was only a powerful scene over there.”

Kaufman mentioned that after taking part in the course, he understood why it has a stranglehold on the rating’s prime spot.

“I used to be all the time hesitant — why is Pine Valley rated No. 1 and the whole lot?” Kaufman mentioned. “And I get it. It is without doubt one of the coolest layouts I’ve ever performed. Simply the thought behind each single gap. It’s so difficult and it simply exams each a part of your recreation. And I’ll let you know what you bought to do on the market. It’s worthwhile to hit it within the fairway.”

For extra from Kaufman, take a look at the complete Subpar episode under.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of feminine varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everybody on the masthead. She will out-hustle them within the workplace, too, the place she’s primarily chargeable for producing each print and on-line options, and overseeing main particular tasks, corresponding to GOLF’s inaugural Type Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview collection, “A Spherical With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in each within the journal and in video kind on GOLF.com.