Who is Ben Kohles? Meet the surprise 3M Open leader challenging Scottie Scheffler

Jul 24, 2026 - 12:40

0 1

Who is Ben Kohles? Meet the surprise 3M Open leader challenging Scottie Scheffler originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Ben Kohles entered the 3M Open searching for his first PGA Tour victory. One brilliant round suddenly put him ahead of the best golfer in the world. The 36-year-old American fired a career-low 9-under 62 during Thursday’s opening round at TPC Twin Cities, finishing with an eagle to take a two-shot lead over Emiliano Grillo, Jackson Koivun and Gary Woodland.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler opened with a 65, leaving him three strokes behind Kohles after the first round.

Kohles remained at the top of the leaderboard early Friday, moving to 10-under as his second round got underway. Although his name may be unfamiliar to casual golf fans, Kohles has been building toward this opportunity for more than a decade.

Here is everything to know about the golfer trying to complete one of the biggest surprise victories of the PGA Tour season.

Who is Ben Kohles?

Kohles is a 36-year-old professional golfer from the United States. He was born in Dallas, Texas, grew up in Cary, North Carolina, and played college golf at Virginia. The 6-foot-2 golfer turned professional in 2012 and has spent his career moving between the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour.

Kohles has yet to win on the PGA Tour, but he owns five Korn Ferry Tour victories. He also entered the 3M Open with more than $4.4 million in career PGA Tour earnings, 66 made cuts in 121 starts and a No. 128 ranking in the Official World Golf Ranking. His performance in Minnesota did not come completely out of nowhere. Kohles nearly captured the John Deere Classic three weeks earlier, but a double bogey on the final hole dropped him into third place.

“Of course you would like the outcome to be different, but you’ve just got to keep putting the pedal down and see where you go,” Kohles said after his opening round at the 3M Open.

Ben Kohles’ historic professional start

Kohles made golf history almost immediately after leaving Virginia. He won his first two starts on what was then known as the Web.com Tour and is now the Korn Ferry Tour. No other player in tour history has accomplished that feat.

Kohles won the 2012 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational in his professional debut and followed it by capturing the Cox Classic one week later. The remarkable start helped him earn a PGA Tour card for the 2013 season. Success at the highest level proved more difficult to maintain, however. Kohles spent the following decade bouncing between tours while trying to regain the form that made him an immediate sensation.

He delivered one of his best seasons in 2023, winning twice and capturing the Korn Ferry Tour points championship. That performance earned Kohles another opportunity on the PGA Tour. Virginia’s official athletics site noted that he remains the only golfer to win his first two Korn Ferry Tour starts.

Kohles added his fifth Korn Ferry Tour title in June 2026, winning the BMW Charity Pro-Am by four strokes. The PGA Tour reported that he carried a six-shot lead into the final round before closing out the victory.

Ben Kohles’ college career at Virginia

Before turning professional, Kohles established himself as one of the best golfers in Virginia history. He played for the Cavaliers from 2008 through 2012 and recorded seven individual tournament victories, which set a program record that was later tied by Ben James.

Kohles was named ACC co-Player of the Year in 2010, sharing the honor with future major champion Brooks Koepka. He won the award outright in 2011. He was also a three-time All-American and produced a program-record 18-under score at the 2012 Schenkel Invitational. Virginia’s golf record book lists Kohles among the most accomplished players in program history.

MORE: Sungjae Im stunts with hilarious Malbon outfit that proves PGA golfer is him

Kohles has experienced PGA Tour heartbreak before

This is not Kohles’ first legitimate opportunity to earn his breakthrough PGA Tour victory. He finished one stroke behind Taylor Pendrith at the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson after making a bogey on the final hole. Pendrith birdied No. 18 to win by one stroke.

Kohles found himself in contention again at the 2026 John Deere Classic. He was tied for the lead on the 72nd hole but hit his second shot into the water and made a double bogey, allowing Chris Gotterup to claim the title. That painful finish could have lingered. Instead, Kohles responded by producing the lowest PGA Tour round of his career less than three weeks later.

He played bogey-free golf during the opening round of the 3M Open, recording seven birdies before hitting his second shot at the par-5 18th from 241 yards to within four feet. Kohles converted the eagle putt to finish at 9-under.

“I was just in control all day,” Kohles said.

Now comes the difficult part. With Scheffler and several proven contenders close behind him, Kohles will need to maintain that control for three more rounds. After two agonizing near-misses, the longtime professional has another opportunity to finally become a PGA Tour champion.