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Oh, Deere: Ben Kohles rinses another chance at first PGA Tour win
Though he’s won nearly a half-dozen times on the Korn Ferry Tour, Ben Kohles had gone 119 career starts on the PGA Tour without a victory entering this week’s John Deere Classic.
That number increased to 120 in heartbreaking fashion.
After 261 shots at TPC Deere Run, Kohles was in a position that every touring pro hopes for: in control of his own destiny. With 175 yards left to the hole on the par-4 18th, Kohles needed birdie to win outright and par to force a playoff with clubhouse leader Chris Gotterup, who was waiting on the driving range having just fired a 9-under 62, alternating between practice swings and peeks at the broadcast playing on his phone.
There were, of course, other outcomes, and when Kohles sized up his final approach and determined himself in between clubs, suddenly bogey or worse became a greater possibility.
Nine-iron? Too short.
Eight? A full one would be too long.
Kohles chose the latter, hitting a three-quarter punch that started at the flag but quickly began to turn left toward the water. Kohles’ ball hit the left edge of the green, took another bounce on the retaining wall and then splashed.
“Honestly, I felt really good,” Kohles said. “Of course I was feeling a little extra nerves coming down the stretch, but yeah, I knew I just needed to play solid and obviously not have that happen on 18, and it would have been fine.”
‘Still not done yet’: Kohles looks ahead to ISCO after gaffe on 18th hole at Deere Run
Ben Kohles told reporters that he remains very confident he will be a winner on the PGA Tour after finishing T-3 at the John Deere Classic. Kohles had a two-shot lead after his front nine at Deere Run but an errant approach shot on the 18th hole found water which led the five-time Korn Ferry Tour winner to eventually card a costly double bogey.
Kohles was able to drop on the fairway cut, 45 feet from the hole, but he missed what would’ve been a miraculous par save, clinching Gotterup his fifth career PGA Tour title, third this year.
Not done yet was Kohles, who proceeded to miss his 3-footer for bogey, a whiff that cost Kohles not only $316,800 but 100 FedExCup points.
Kohles, 36, has split time between the PGA and Korn Ferry tours this season. He notched his fifth career KFT win last month at the BMW Charity Pro-Am to essentially lock up his 2027 PGA Tour card via the developmental tour.
But a win at the Deere would’ve clinched Kohles a spot in this year’s FedExCup Playoffs.
Instead, Kohles, who finished No. 145 in points last fall to enter this year with conditional PGA Tour membership, moves to No. 100 in the FedExCup race as he heads to next week’s Isco Championship, his 10th straight week of competition. The top 100 players following this year’s FedExCup Fall retain full status for next season.
This is the second time Kohles has recorded bogey or worse on his final hole to lose a PGA Tour event, the first instance coming at the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson, where Kohles’ closing bogey left him a shot back of winner Taylor Pendrith. He also notably played his final three holes of 2023 U.S. Open final qualifying in 4 over to go from leading by three shots to being eliminated in a playoff.
“It is what it is,” Kohles added. “Golf is a tough game. I’ve just got to keep putting myself in these positions. Obviously was able to get it done a month ago on the Korn Ferry and it wasn’t quite my time yet out here, but I know that day is going to come.”
Chris Gotterup is walking out of America’s heartland with a check worth more than $1.5 million. Here’s a look at the prize money payouts from TPC Deere Run.
