WILMINGTON, N.C. – Smylie Kaufman was always going to play the Wells Fargo Championship, and why wouldn’t he considering his affinity for Charlotte and Quail Hollow Club?
“People were asking if you’re going to play Wells Fargo, I said, ‘Yeah, I’m going to play Wells Fargo, going to play Charlotte,’” he laughed.
The rub was that this year’s Well Fargo Championship was played at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, N.C., to make room for the PGA Championship that will be played at Quail Hollow later this summer.
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“I just figured Wilmington was like a suburb of Charlotte,” Kaufman laughed. “I happened to go on the maps about two weeks ago and noticed that it’s on the coast, and thought, ‘Oh, God.’”
Geography aside, Kaufman’s week turned out to be a success, with the 25-year-old closing with a 4-under 68 to tie for fifth place, his first top-10 finish on the PGA Tour this season.
“I heard amazing things about the golf course. I just didn’t connect the dots that Wilmington was not even close to Charlotte,” he said. “I’m typically really good at geography and where things are located.”
