Quick Answer: Ben Kohles is a 36-year-old pro from Dallas with five Korn Ferry Tour wins, zero PGA Tour wins and $5,033,619 in PGA Tour earnings. He finished T23 at the 2026 U.S. Open and leads the Tour in strokes gained approach. Takeaway: a 296-yard driving average is enough when the irons are this good.
Ben Kohles closed his first round at the 2026 3M Open with a 245-yard hybrid to four feet for eagle and a career-low 62. Eighteen days earlier, his approach on the 72nd hole of the John Deere Classic had found the water. Those two shots frame his year, and they explain why a 36-year-old with zero PGA Tour wins keeps showing up on leaderboards.
Every number below matches PGA Tour records as of October 7, 2026. Expect opinions too. Kohles ranks first on Tour with his irons and 146th in driving distance, and that split teaches more than his biography does. Readers hunting gossip or a net worth figure won’t find either here, because neither exists on the record.
Quick facts, checked October 7, 2026
| Item | Detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 36 (born February 24, 1990) | His first two pro wins came at 22, and his third came more than 10 years later at 33. |
| Height and weight | 6’2″ (1.88 m), 170 lb | His club head speed averages 114.18 mph, 131st on Tour this year. |
| Pronunciation | “COALS,” like the word | The PGA Tour bio spells it out, so you can stop guessing. |
| Birthplace | Dallas, Texas | His family moved to Cary, North Carolina, when he was 10. |
| Residence | Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida | His home course, Atlantic Beach Country Club, owns the turtle logo he wears. |
| College | Virginia, 2008 to 2012 | He won ACC Player of the Year twice, in 2010 and 2011. |
| Turned pro | July 2012 | He won his first two starts. |
| PGA Tour wins | 0 in 126 starts | Seven top-25 finishes in 2026 alone. |
| Korn Ferry Tour wins | 5 | The fifth came June 7, 2026. |
| World ranking | 93rd (career best 78th, August 2024) | He ranked 250th at the end of 2025. |
| FedExCup | 96th, and 84th in the Fall standings | The top 100 after the fall swing keep full 2027 status. |
| PGA Tour career earnings | $5,033,619 | $1,456,781 of it came in 2026. |
| Equipment partner | Titleist | The only partner on his PGA Tour profile. |
From a 15-year-old beginner to the Korn Ferry grind
Kohles didn’t pick up golf until he was 15. His family had moved from Dallas to Cary, North Carolina, when he was 10, and he skipped the golf team tryout as a high school freshman. At Virginia he won ACC Player of the Year twice. He shared the 2010 award with Brooks Koepka.
He turned pro in July 2012 and won the first tournament he entered, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational, in a playoff over Luke Guthrie. A week later he shot a final-round 62 to win the Cox Classic by three strokes. No player in Web.com Tour history had won his first two starts. The wins locked up a PGA Tour card for 2013.
The PGA Tour didn’t last. He lost his privileges, played PGA Tour Latinoamerica in 2016, and spent most of the years from 2014 through 2021 on the Korn Ferry Tour.
The turnaround came in 2023. He won the Astara Chile Classic and the HomeTown Lenders Championship, both in playoffs, then finished first on the Korn Ferry points list and took Player of the Year. A PGA Tour card followed for 2024, and he finished T26 at that year’s PGA Championship.
The next two years cooled off. He finished 2025 at No. 145 in the FedExCup, which left him with conditional status, and he regained a place through the Next 25 and ties category at PGA Tour Q-School in December 2025.
Five wins, none on the PGA Tour
Search results give two answers, zero and five, and both are right. Zero counts the PGA Tour. Five counts the Korn Ferry Tour, which ran as the Web.com Tour when he won his first two.
| Date | Tournament | Score | Margin | What it meant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2012 | Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational | 272 (-12) | Playoff over Luke Guthrie | Won in his first pro start, on the first extra hole. |
| Aug 5, 2012 | Cox Classic | 260 (-24) | 3 strokes | A final-round 62 made him the first to win his first two starts. |
| Apr 2, 2023 | Astara Chile Classic | 267 (-21) | Playoff over Dimitrios Papadatos | Won with a birdie on the second extra hole. |
| Apr 30, 2023 | HomeTown Lenders Championship | 197 (-13) | Playoff over Ben Silverman | Weather cut it to 54 holes, and he won on the second extra hole again. |
| Jun 7, 2026 | BMW Charity Pro-Am | 268 (-15) | 4 strokes over Logan McAllister | Paid $180,000 and all but secured his 2027 PGA Tour card, per Golf Channel’s July report. |
He won all three playoffs, a 3-0 record. He’s still hunting win number one on the PGA Tour after 126 starts.
The 2026 season, start to finish
Kohles split 2026 between both tours. On the PGA Tour he made 12 of 14 cuts, finished in the top 25 seven times and earned $1,456,781.
| Event | Finish | To par | Money | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zurich Classic of New Orleans | T13 | -25 | $69,492 | Team event, and a 60 in the third round. |
| U.S. Open | T23 | +5 | $181,101 | He qualified on a Monday in Maryland. |
| John Deere Classic | T3 | -18 | $466,400 | His approach on the 72nd hole found the water. |
| ISCO Championship | T15 | -11 | $63,000 | Three straight 66s to finish. |
| 3M Open | 9th | -18 | $257,400 | He opened with a career-low 62. |
| Biltmore Championship Asheville | T15 | -18 | $88,750 | One shot off the lead entering Sunday, then a 73. |
| Bank of Utah Championship | T13 | -18 | $108,750 | Four rounds in the 60s: 66, 67, 66, 67. |
The John Deere Classic cost him the most. Needing a birdie on the 72nd hole to win, he hit his approach into the water and made double bogey. That dropped him to T3, two shots behind Chris Gotterup, and the $466,400 check became his biggest of the year anyway.
Eighteen days later he opened the 3M Open with a 62. He hit 17 greens, finished with the 245-yard hybrid to four feet for eagle, and went on to a 9th-place finish at 18 under.
The misses came back to back in May. He missed the cut at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and the Charles Schwab Challenge, and he has made nine straight cuts since.
The U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills
Kohles reached the 2026 U.S. Open through final qualifying on a Monday in Maryland, where he shot 65 and 70. At Shinnecock Hills he posted rounds of 70, 71, 74 and 70 for a 5-over 285, T23 and a $181,101 check. T23 is his best finish in any major, three spots better than his T26 at the 2024 PGA Championship. He also played the 2024 U.S. Open and finished T56.
U.S. Open setups punish rough, and rough is where Kohles struggles most. His approach proximity from the rough ranks 159th at 53 feet 9 inches. Staying out of it is why he fits the event.
Short off the tee, first on Tour with the irons
Kohles’ 2026 profile looks lopsided in a useful way. Through 44 measured rounds he ranks first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained approach, greens in regulation and driving accuracy. He ranks 146th in driving distance.
| Stat | 2026 number | Tour rank | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strokes gained: approach | +0.765 per round | 1st | He gains three-quarters of a stroke a round with his irons alone. |
| Greens in regulation | 74.19% | 1st | He hit 641 of 864 greens. |
| Proximity to hole | 33 ft 0 in | 2nd | The average approach finishes 11 yards from the cup. |
| Driving accuracy | 79.34% | 1st | He hit 530 of 668 fairways. |
| Average fairway miss, distance from the edge | 15 ft 7 in | 1st | Even his misses finish close to the short grass. |
| Driving distance | 295.8 yards | 146th | Below the middle of the Tour. |
| Club head speed | 114.18 mph | 131st | The speed gap explains the distance gap. |
| Strokes gained: off the tee | +0.224 | 49th | Accuracy more than covers the distance gap. |
| Strokes gained: putting | +0.236 | 40th | Positive, and a big change from June. |
| Putts made from beyond 25 feet | 4.02% | 141st | Long putts rarely fall. |
| Scoring average | 68.21 | 2nd | The sum of the parts above. |
| Strokes gained: total | +1.299 | 4th | Fourth on Tour across those 44 rounds. |
Short is relative, so use the real gap. At 295.8 yards he’s 146th in distance, yet his strokes gained off the tee is a positive +0.224 because the fairways keep coming. Kohles proves a 296-yard driving average is enough.
The irons explain the bag. He ranks first on approaches from 125 to 150 yards at 18 feet 10 inches, and first on every approach beyond 100 yards combined at 30 feet 5 inches. From 225 to 250 yards, where hybrids and fairway woods come out, he ranks third at 40 feet 8 inches.
The soft spots show up around the edges. Shots from inside 100 yards average 17 feet 10 inches, 104th on Tour. He avoids most of those spots, which is the point.
Kohles swapped a zero-torque putter for a Scotty Cameron the week before his BMW Charity Pro-Am win, and he has worked with putting coach Tim Yelverton since last fall. The putter change is the best explanation for his summer. His season-long strokes gained putting sat at -0.478 in mid-June, before the U.S. Open, and reads +0.236 now.
No other part of his game moved that far. Approach went from +0.590 to +0.765, and off the tee went from +0.147 to +0.224. If strokes gained is new to you, our strokes gained explainer covers the math.
If you want one lesson from his numbers, shrink your miss before you chase distance. His average fairway miss ends 15 feet 7 inches from the edge. Aim at the fat side of the fairway and give your usual miss that same 15 feet of room.
Ben Kohles WITB, July 2026
His most recent published bag dates to July 2026. Equipment changes often, so confirm the next published bag before you copy a spec.
| Club | Model | Loft and shaft | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Titleist TSR3 | 9 degrees, Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X | Matches a 114 mph swing. |
| 3-wood | TaylorMade Stealth Plus | 15 degrees, Ventus Blue 8 X | The only head from outside Titleist’s family. |
| Hybrid | Titleist TSR3 | 19 degrees, Ventus Blue HB 9 X | Covers the 225 to 250 yard range. |
| Irons, 4 and 5 | Titleist T250 | Project X 6.0 | Launch help in the long irons. |
| Irons, 6 through 9 | Titleist 620 CB | Project X 6.0 | Cavity backs for the scoring clubs. |
| Wedges | Vokey SM11 46-10F, 50-12F, 54-12D, plus WedgeWorks 58-L | Project X 6.0 | Even four-degree gaps. |
| Putter | Scotty Cameron Phantom 9 Tour Prototype | n/a | Replaced a zero-torque putter before the BMW win. |
| Ball | Titleist Pro V1x | n/a | |
| Grips | Golf Pride Tour Velvet | n/a |
The iron split makes sense at 114 mph of club head speed. T250s in the 4 and 5 help long irons get airborne, and the 620 CB cavity backs from 6 through 9 give him a workable scoring iron. Four wedges at 46, 50, 54 and 58 degrees run in even four-degree steps, so his yardage gaps stay predictable.
Don’t copy these specs unless you swing near 114 mph. A 9-degree driver and X-flex shafts will cost most amateurs distance and fairways. Fit the club to your own swing speed, and read our hybrid versus long iron breakdown before you choose between a 19-degree hybrid and a 4-iron.
The turtle on his hat
The multicolored turtle on Kohles’ caps is the logo of Atlantic Beach Country Club, his home course in Florida. He told reporters at the 3M Open in July that he’d welcome a hat deal, though he’s happy to represent his home club until one comes. Titleist is the only partner on his PGA Tour profile.
Third-party shops sell “Ben Kohles turtle hats” for roughly $26 to $37 as of October 7, 2026. Coverage of the hat shows Kohles wearing his club’s logo and says nothing about licensed merchandise, so treat those listings as fan-made. For the club version, start with the Atlantic Beach Country Club pro shop.
Career earnings and the net worth question
Kohles has earned $5,033,619 on the PGA Tour across 126 starts and 71 made cuts. About 29 percent of that, $1,456,781, arrived in 2026. Korn Ferry Tour prize money sits in a separate ledger, so the PGA Tour figure understates his total.
| Figure | Amount | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| PGA Tour career earnings | $5,033,619 | Official money from 126 starts |
| PGA Tour 2026 earnings | $1,456,781 | 14 starts, 12 cuts, 95th in official money |
| Biggest 2026 check | $466,400 | T3 at the John Deere Classic |
| BMW Charity Pro-Am prize | $180,000 | Korn Ferry Tour winner’s check, outside the PGA Tour total |
| Net worth | No verified figure | Private finances stay private |
Nobody outside Kohles’ family can give you a real net worth number. Prize money is public. Caddie pay, travel, taxes, coaching and sponsor terms aren’t. Any page that prints a round-number net worth for him is guessing, so skip it.
Wife, family and where he lives
Kohles has a wife. The PGA Tour bio lists her as Lindsey, followed by two more family names, and the family stays out of the spotlight. Public details stop there, so this page stops there too.
The PGA Tour lists Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida as his residence. Its bio also says he plays from Cary, North Carolina, which is where he went to high school. Atlantic Beach Country Club, the home course he named in July, sits in Atlantic Beach, Florida.
Away from the course, he bowls over 200 on occasion, keeps granola bars, trail mix and bananas in his bag, and names Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Josh Hamilton as favorite athletes.
What’s left in 2026
The Baycurrent Classic opens October 8 at Yokohama Country Club in Japan, and Kohles is in the field. He enters the week 84th in the FedExCup Fall standings with 533 points. The top 100 after the fall swing keep full status for 2027, and players ranked 101 to 125 keep conditional status.
A second route runs through the Korn Ferry Tour. He sat 17th on that points list on September 30, and Golf Channel reported in July that the BMW win all but secured his 2027 card. Between those two paths, he’s in a better spot than his 96th regular-season FedExCup rank suggests.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Ben Kohles?
Ben Kohles is 36 years old. His birthday is February 24, 1990, and Dallas, Texas is his birthplace. He is 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 170 pounds, and has played professionally since 2012 after four seasons at the University of Virginia.
Is Ben Kohles married?
Yes. The PGA Tour bio lists his wife as Lindsey, and public details beyond her first name are scarce.
What is Ben Kohles’ net worth?
No verified figure exists. His PGA Tour career earnings stand at $5,033,619, but expenses and sponsor terms are private, so any net worth number is a guess.
Where does Ben Kohles live?
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, according to the PGA Tour bio. His home course is Atlantic Beach Country Club, also in Florida, and the same bio lists Cary, North Carolina, as the town he plays from.
What are Ben Kohles’ career earnings?
$5,033,619 on the PGA Tour as of October 7, 2026, with $1,456,781 of it earned this season. Korn Ferry Tour prize money, including his $180,000 BMW Charity Pro-Am check, sits outside that figure.
Has Ben Kohles won on the PGA Tour?
No. He has zero PGA Tour wins in 126 starts, and his best 2026 finish was third at the John Deere Classic. He has five Korn Ferry Tour wins, the latest at the BMW Charity Pro-Am in June.
How tall is Ben Kohles?
6 feet 2 inches (1.88 meters), at 170 pounds.
What clubs does Ben Kohles use?
His July 2026 bag has a Titleist TSR3 driver at 9 degrees, a TaylorMade Stealth Plus 3-wood, a Titleist TSR3 hybrid, T250 and 620 CB irons, Vokey wedges and a Scotty Cameron Phantom 9 Tour Prototype putter. He plays a Pro V1x ball.
Why does Ben Kohles wear a turtle hat?
The turtle is the logo of Atlantic Beach Country Club, his home course in Florida. He told reporters in July that he’d welcome a hat sponsor but is happy to represent his club for now.
How did Ben Kohles finish at the U.S. Open?
T23 at Shinnecock Hills in June 2026, at 5 over par after rounds of 70, 71, 74 and 70. That finish is his best in a major.
How do you pronounce Ben Kohles?
Kohles rhymes with “coals,” according to his PGA Tour bio.
Watch him this fall
Ben Kohles tees off at the Baycurrent Classic with two paths into 2027 and the best iron game on Tour. Watch his approach and fairway numbers, because they carry his scoring. If you want one thing from his game, take the fairway-first plan in our guide to hitting more fairways. His putter decides whether 2026 ends with a first PGA Tour win or another near miss.