Smith 12th at Texarkana Children’s Charities Open

Kate Smith shot the second-best final round to jump nine spots and finish just outside the top 10 in a share of 12th place at the Texarkana Children's Charities Open in Texarkana, Arkansas, Sunday, July 18.

The finish earned Smith her first professional purse of $1,087. The top 37 golfers were in the money at the tournament.

Smith’s fourth and final round of 3-under par 69 was the second best round of the day Sunday, behind only Maggie Ashmore (-4) of Cartersville, Georgia, who finished tied for eighth place earning $1,535.

Smith improved as the tournament progressed after opening with a 74 in the first round. She shot back-to-back 71’s in the second and third rounds, the latter being the only round played at Northridge Country Club in Texarkana.

Smith split a pair of bogeys with two birdies on the front nine of her final round, before finishing strong with four birdies on the back nine, including three of the last four holes, against one bogey.

Smith’s final score of 285 (74-71-71-69) was one stroke behind four golfers in eighth place and nine off the pace of winner Grace Kim of Sydney, Australia (72-68-64-72 276).

Kim shot the low round of the tournament Saturday at Northridge CC carding a 7-under par 64 in a bogey free round of seven birdies. She opened the final day with a three-shot lead and held it. Back-to-back birdies on holes 12 and 13 gave Kim the lead for good Sunday after runner-up Kaitlin Milligan of Norman, Oklahoma, grabbed a share of first place on the front nine.

The Texarkana Children's Charities Open is a Women’s All Pro Tour event, a qualifying tour of the Symetra tour.

The top two finishers qualified for the Symetra Tour’s Twin Bridges Championship in Albany, NY.

Smith was fourth at the tourney in par breakers recording 16 birdies and one eagle and fourth in scoring average on the par fives (4.6) with six pars, five birdies and an eagle.

Smith also earned 60.67 tour points; Kim collected 500 in the top spot.

The final round was cut to the top 34 players at +5.

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