PGA Tour star brutally 'chokes' on 18th hole costing him first career win
Ben Kohles bogeyed the final hole at the CJ CUP Byron Nelson and spurned a chance at winning a first career PGA Tour title in his hometown.
Kohles, 34, took a one-shot lead into the par-5 18th hole after back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th moved him ahead of Taylor Pendrith. The Dallas native had yet to yield a bogey during the final round before playing Sunday’s easiest hole.
It started well enough, driving into the left rough before landing the second shot between two front-right greenside bunkers and staying in the long stuff. But needing an up-and-down birdie, it took two tries to get out of the rough. The fourth landed five feet from the hole, but Kohles blew the par putt.
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Burning the edge allowed Pendrith to retake the lead with a birdie, and instead, it was the Canadian taking his first PGA Tour title in his 74th start. The two-time PGA Tour Canada winner acknowledged the unexpected nature of the ending afterwards.
“It was wild,” he said at the press conference. “I hit a really nice shot in there 35 feet, probably for eagle, and Ben was in a little bit of a tricky spot. He’d been playing so good all day. I expected him to have a putt at birdie, so I was fully prepared to try and make that putt.
“I didn’t hit the best putt. I was a little disappointed that I left it short.”
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“But then, when he missed his par putt, and I realized I had a putt for the win, it was all a blur, really.” Pendrith later added: “But, yeah, I feel for Ben. He played really, really good today, especially down the stretch, birdieing 16 and 17.
“I’ve been on the other side of it a couple of times, and it sucks, but it’s golf. It’s a hard game. Obviously, I’m thrilled to birdie the last and get it done. But feel for him.”
Kohles remained relatively upbeat afterwards despite the disappointment while recalling what went wrong with the third shot. “It was sitting up a little bit,” he said, “but honestly hadn’t seen any rough like that all week.
“Yeah, just didn’t hit a great shot. Just needed a little bit more oomph on it. I kind of maybe decelerated a little bit, but you live, and you learn. Did so many good things this week, and I’m just going to keep reminding myself of that.
He continued: “After that first chip, I was in a pretty screwed shot this second chip. Felt like I hit a really good shot there. Yeah, feel like I hit a pretty good putt.
“Lacked probably a little bit of speed, and I probably needed to start it right centre instead of playing it straight. Like I said, I feel like I hit a good putt, so I’m not going to hold my head on that.”