SYDNEY, Australia – You could argue that Smylie Kaufman has been figuratively down under for a while. Now, he’s literally there as the search for his game continues halfway around the world. Kaufman has popped up in the Australian Open in Sydney this week and will play the Indonesian Masters in Jakarta on Dec. 12-15 before returning to Australia for the Australian PGA Championship on Dec. 19-22. The now 28-year-old won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in just his fifth PGA TOUR start back in the 2015-16 season and then shot further into stardom in the months that followed. In his first Masters start in 2016, he sat just a shot off the lead through 54-holes and was part of a viral spring break trip with fellow young studs Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas. But as the rest of that group continued a climb into the stratospheres with FedExCup, THE PLAYERS Championship and major championship victories, Kaufman started a freefall. Since being tied fourth at the Sanderson Farms Championship in October 2017, Kaufman has missed the cut in 25 of 27 PGA TOUR starts with a WD in another. He had the same troubles in a handful of Korn Ferry Tour starts and even pegged it up on a mini tour a few months ago. The reason for the demise is a mix between a right wrist and left elbow injury and some shattered confidence that was initially exaggerated by a steady stream of social media criticism. Like other players who have gone through rough patches, Kaufman says it is the unknown that plagues him. His iron play particularly had gone awry and sent his trust levels into cavernous territory. Sound familiar? FedExCup leader Brendon Todd has just come out the other side of a similar dark place, winning twice already this season after years of heartache. His recent success gives Kaufman heart. “Guys out here… they have something they can rely on. That’s where the struggle comes, when a player feels they don’t have something they can trust or rely on and they don’t know what the ball is going to do and how it is going to react,â€� Kaufman said. This is not easy golf out here and I think people don’t always understand how hard the game can be if you don’t know exactly what your ball is going to do. “It’s just a guessing game when it comes down to it.â€� Amidst all the gloom, there have been a few glimmers of hope in recent times. Kaufman has learned how to deal with those who take shots at him from behind a keyboard and is looking at positives rather than negatives. And he feels his ball-striking is not as loose as it had been, putting him on a path back to belief. His last round on the PGA TOUR was a 4-under 67 in the second round of the Bermuda Championship and while he still missed the cut after an opening 76, it was his lowest round on either the PGA TOUR or the Korn Ferry Tour in 531 days. He had been +136 in 35 rounds since shooting 67 in the second round of the 2018 AT&T Byron Nelson. And so, with only past champion status to call on in America, a trip across the Pacific was arranged. Kaufman wants tournament reps while he finds himself in a more positive mindset. Sadly, he opened with a 4-over 75 at The Australian Golf Club – a theme he has been fighting for so long now. A missed flight from the U.S. left him arriving on Tuesday and suffering some severe jetlag, but he refused to blame his fatigue on his score. “It has been mainly Thursdays for me. Just the buildup and the pressure has made Thursdays feel like Sundays,â€� Kaufman said after his first competitive round down under. “It’s hard for me to just go out there and be comfortable and ready to go. So I think that’s huge for me these next three weeks. I get three Thursdays and Fridays to try to feel more and more comfortable. The more tournament golf the better.â€� Kaufman had politely declined media requests over the last few months as he focused on finding his game, but in Australia he seems to have turned a corner in confidence. His trademark smile returned at times, fueled by the generous support afforded to him by the galleries. While he has scaled back his social media presence from the early days, Kaufman has noticed a shift in the landscape of late. There are less haters and more and more supporters and votes of confidence. More and more golf fans are now appreciative of the dedication and sacrifice Kaufman is making to turn things around. “The fans here were great. That was fun. There were some key marquee groups behind so we played with some big crowds and that was a nice change for me from home where I haven’t really been playing in front of anybody much lately,â€� Kaufman adds. “I was actually surprised to see how many people seem to know who I am so it was kind of nice to have fans here who enjoy following me and watching and hopefully I can give them a little more of a show tomorrow. “I have always believed your talent doesn’t go anywhere. I don’t feel that far off, that’s the thing. I really don’t.â€� Kaufman says he is a visual learner and when he is able to clear his mind golf becomes easy. But clearing the nagging thoughts has proven difficult at times. “When you play so bad for so long… you’re always trying to figure out a Rubik cube,â€� he says. “I was in a funk there… When you go through a tough stretch, you’re more in analytical mode and you’re using a different part of your brain. Now I’m basically working on strong visuals. I can do it on the range. I can do it on the putting green. I just have to take it to the course.â€�
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