American golfer Ben Kohles was left distraught after one horror moment cost him the $2.5 million winner’s cheque and a maiden PGA Tour victory.
Kohles was leading the Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch when he inexplicably needed two chips from the rough to get his ball onto the green for his final hole of the tournament.
His disastrous first chip – which failed to reach the green and trickled back towards him – saw him bogey the hole.
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Taylor Pendrith, who had been trailing by a shot, birdied the same hole to overtake Kohles on the leaderboard and win in stunning fashion.
Pendrith pocketed the $2.5m winner’s prize while Kohles had to settle for about $1.5m for his second placing.
Kohles overtook Pendrith with birdies on 16 and 17 for a one-shot lead, then bogeyed the 18th after hitting his second shot into greenside rough. Already in shock following two chips from the rough — the second with his feet in a bunker — Kohles missed a six-foot putt that would have forced a playoff.
“Wasn’t really trying to pay attention to what they were doing, although it really mattered, obviously,” Pendrith said.
“I feel for Ben. He played really, really good today, especially down the stretch. I’ve been on the other side of it a couple times, and it sucks.
“But it’s golf. It’s a hard game.”
Pendrith shot 4-under 67 for a 23-under 261 total at the TPC Craig Ranch. The 32-year-old won in his 74th career PGA Tour start.
Playing just north of his birthplace of Dallas, Kohles shot 66 to finish a stroke back. The 34-year-old who plays out of North Carolina is winless in 68 starts.
“Honestly, hadn’t seen any rough like that all week,” said Kohles, who moved to North Carolina when he was 10.
“Just needed a little bit more oomph on it.
“Did so many good things this week, and I’m just going to keep reminding myself of that and try to get myself back in this position.”
Pendrith, the third-round leader, and Kohles were separated by just one shot or tied most of the day.
After Kohles made a 20-footer to take the lead on 17, Pendrith’s par putt rolled all the way around the cup and went in.
“It just curled in, that putt on the last second there, which was unreal just to give me a chance,” said Pendrith, who set it up with a chip from an awkward stance with his heels hanging over the lip of a bunker, after saving par with another testy putt at the par-4 16th.
The victory qualified Pendrith for the PGA Championship in two weeks and next year’s Masters. He’s also in the next three $30 million signature events, starting next week with the Wells Fargo championship.