Austin

Smotherman

The SMU product piled up 20 birdies this week at Vidanta Villarta. A solid tee-to-green game was the recipe for success as he ranked fourth in that department for the week (+9.4). He went 18-for-21 scrambling on the week, second-best in the field. This will go in the books as his first top 20 of the season and the first top 5 of his PGA TOUR career (44 starts). This was a much-needed finish for Smotherman who entered the week just 160th in the FedExCup race, vaulting him to 114th.

The SMU product is a past champ at the Mexico Open but won on a different course, and with a different tour hosting. “I mean, still get a little bit of some goosebumps thinking about it, for sure. Just the reception, winning an event like that, the Mexico Open, which has such a deep history. There are names on that trophy that are in the Hall of Fame and what it kind of means down here, a national open anywhere is very special.” He still had good vibes heading into the event and capitalized today. Smotherman walked off the course ranked 1st in strokes gained tee-to-green today while also gaining 1.9 strokes putting. The highlight of his round was a closing, four-hole birdie train that was capped off by a chip-in birdie. If this lead holds then it’ll be his second time holding a first-round lead or co-lead on the PGA TOUR (T23; 2022-23 Bermuda Championship).

Smotherman opened 2023 with a T67 at the Sony Open before missing four straight cuts. Whether it’s injury-related or just needing to reset, the SMU product won’t be in the field this week. Gamers should remove him from all fantasy lineups and likely wait for a spark before considering a reinvestment.

The former SMU product had already tied his career best with an opening-round 62 at Port Royal GC, and now he has set his best 36-hole mark after adding a 4-under 67. Smotherman now sits in a large tie for second at 13 under, one shot behind Ben Crane, as he looks to win on Tour for the first time. Smotherman has made the cut in all three starts to begin this wraparound season, highlighted by a T-25 finish in Napa, and his T-2 spot is his best position after any round on Tour. His last top-10 finish came at the Barracuda Championship this summer, where he finished T-8.

The SMU product split 9-of-14 fairways and landed 14 GIR. “Just very sharp. I mean, ball control into the greens were great with the wedges. I don’t think, I mean all my birdie putts were -- longest one I made was maybe 12, 13 feet. Keeping it in the fairway, hitting wedges close and then followed that up with taking care of the par 5s, getting there in two and some long two-putts.” This will easily go in the books as his new low round on the PGA TOUR (previously 65 which he’d recorded three times). Smotherman missed the cut at this event last year (his tournament debut) with rounds of 76-67 but is off to a much better star this time around. He arrived with finishes of T25-T67-T60 to start the new season. This will be his first time leading or co-leading after any round on the PGA TOUR.

Smotherman headed into the Wyndham Championship at No. 125 in the adjusted points race, and he went to bed on the right side of the cut number with just a hole (and a putt) to go. But when he returned to Sedgefield Saturday morning to complete his round, Smotherman missed a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 8 to remain at 1 under for the week. Needing a par on No. 9 to make the cut, he instead made a double bogey from the middle of the fairway to miss the cut by two shots.

Smotherman was one of a handful of players returning to the course Saturday morning who held the cut line in their hands, and the number ultimately allowed 87 players to make the weekend at 1 under or better. But the former SMU product won’t be among them, as he is now all but assured of a trip to Korn Ferry Tour Finals in order to regain his card.

Smotherman was dialed in from tee to green today as he piped 10-of-14 fairways and landed 16 greens in regulation. It wasn’t just quantity of GIR, it was also quality. He gave himself 11 scoring chances from inside of 16 feet, converting on just four of them. This round could have very easily flirted with the round of the day had he warmed up the putter at all. It’s hard to complain about a blemish-free 65, though, especially when you enter the week right on the top-125 FedExCup bubble. Currently gaining 5.4 strokes tee-to-green, this is shaping up to be his best measured tee-to-green round on the PGA TOUR (+4.5 T2G in R1 of the 2022 Pebble Beach Pro-Am and +4.5 T2G in R2 of the 21-22 Fortinet Championship).

The SMU product is nine spots outside of the coveted top-125 bubble but with around 10 LIV defectors set to drop off the board, Smotherman is effectively just inside of the top 125 with two events remaining. The 28-year-old is playing his first full season on the PGA TOUR and has picked up 15 paychecks in 23 events played. That includes a solo 8th at the Barracuda Championship and a T24 at the 3M Open, his two most recent starts. Smotherman will now ready for his course debut at Detroit Golf Club. Smotherman will have plenty of motivation to perform over the last two weeks of the season, but we know that can work in both directions. Currently ranked 52nd in the strokes gained tee-to-green, gamers can give him in a long look in weekly formats.

The SMU product started on the 10th today and gave himself looks of scoring chances out of the gate. He was standing over birdie-or-better looks from inside of 21 feet on 10 of the first 11 holes played. He cooled his ball-striking on the way into the clubhouse and eventually swallowed a lone bogey of the day, at the closing, par-4 ninth. Smotherman is playing in just his 13th career PGA TOUR event and still looking for his first top 10 (T11 at the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open). While the 27-year-old is making his tournament debut this week, he did post a top 5 at the Oaks Course last year when it hosted a Korn Ferry Tour event.

The SMU product split 8-of-13 fairways and landed 14 greens in regulation today at Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore Course. The clear highlight of his round was a long-distance eagle that he bounced home at the par-5 16th. It was his third eagle of the week and he currently sits as the only golfer in the field to card three big birds. Unfortunately, he gave both shots back just two holes later when he closed with a double bogey. Despite the sour finish, he still sits in a share of fifth place heading into the weekend and will look to finish off his first top 10 on the PGA TOUR. Smotherman was close last week when he recorded a T11 at the Farmers Insurance Open. The California native appears to be very comfortable on these poa annua surfaces.