By Kevin Prise, PGATOUR.com
Timeline: Ben Kohles’ journey to a third PGA TOUR card
Ben Kohles has taken a long and winding road through professional golf.
The University of Virginia alum is forever known as the first player to win his first two starts on the Korn Ferry Tour, straight out of college in 2012. He has also, at one point, lost full status on the Korn Ferry Tour.
But the wily veteran has maintained the love for the game and a constant desire to improve, also becoming a husband and father along the way. It has led him to become the first player to clinch #TOURBound designation via the top-30 on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Points List. This season marks the first time the circuit will award 30 cards via the season-long points race, up from 25 last season.
Kohles has notched two Korn Ferry Tour titles this season – Astara Chile Classic, HomeTown Lenders Championship – quickly doubling his career win total after a victory drought of nearly 11 years. It’s the recipe for a path back to the PGA TOUR.
Kohles first graduated from the Korn Ferry Tour in 2012. He did so again in 2021.
Now in 2023, he’s set to become a three-time Korn Ferry Tour graduate.
“I’ve been doing this for a while as a professional,” said Kohles after clinching #TOURBound in early July at the Memorial Health Championship presented by LRS. “Hopefully the third time’s the charm back on TOUR.”
Here’s a timeline of Kohles’ journey in professional golf, as he readies for a third season on the PGA TOUR: