Golfer misses par putt on final hole of John Deere Classic

Ben Kohles entered the final hole of the John Deere Classic needing only a par to force a playoff or a birdie to win outright. He hit his tee shot down the fairway but his approach landed in the water. After taking relief, Kohles faced a 45-foot putt for par and missed it.

Missed comeback putt Kohles then missed a 2-foot-8-inch putt that would have secured sole second place. The outcome left him outside the top two and reduced his earnings by $316,800. “Tough way to finish, especially how I played all day,” Kohles said after the round.

“Even on the back nine, letting a few holes get away, but bounced right back and made birdies right after. I mean, I’m proud of the way I played. ” Kohles had faced a similar outcome at the 2023 CJ Cup Byron Nelson, where he also made a bogey on the final hole after leading.

He is ranked 169th in the world and has made 120 PGA Tour starts without a victory. “This was my third final group on Sunday on the PGA Tour,” Kohles said. “Honestly, this was the best I’ve felt out of the first two.