Smylie Kaufman to play in U.S. Open

Former Vestavia Hills High School golf standout Smylie Kaufman will tee off in the 114th U.S. Open at 7:46 a.m. (CT) Thursday morning.

Kaufman, the grandson of legendary UAB golf coach Alan Kaufman, qualified for the Open in Roswell, Ga. on June 2, two weeks after graduating from Louisiana State University with a marketing degree.

“It’s the hardest test in golf,” Kaufman’s father Jeff said. 

Kaufman will be competing at Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, N.C., against world-class golfers such as Jason Dufner, Ernie Els, Adam Scott and Bubba Watson.

Kaufman is grouped with two amateurs in the first two rounds; Montana resident and University of Oregon junior Brandon McIver and Californian Maverick McNealy – a freshman at Stanford – will start with Kaufman on the 10th hole Thursday morning.

The trio’s second round will start at hole one at 1:31 p.m. on Friday. If Kaufman makes the cut after the first two rounds, he will be able to participate in the third and fourth rounds.

Kaufman’s caddie will be his brother and college roommate, Luckie. ESPN will broadcast coverage of the U.S. Open on Thursday and Friday mornings.