Ben Kohles wins his maiden professional tournament in his professional debut appearance
American Ben Kohles birdied the playoff’s first extra hole to seal a dream debut victory in his debut professional event, Web.com Tour's Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational, after finishing the final round in a dramatic fashion.
Kohles started off his final round campaign with a two-stroke margin over Cliff Kresge and Aaron Watkins. However, he lost the advantage after suffering two consecutive bogeys, starting from the fifth hole.
In the meantime, Luke Guthrie, who recently turned professional, surged to the top of the leaderboard after firing a bogey-free five-under par 66 for a 12-under par tournament score.
Kohles also returned to the top spot with a run of two birdies on the final three holes in regulation. Therefore, the final winner was confirmed through a playoff competition in the end.
"It's absolutely a dream come true," said Kohles, the first player to win an event on the tour in his pro debut. "What more can you ask for in your first pro event than to win? It's still a bit of shock and I'm not sure it's all sunk in yet".
With this win, he listed his name at the 13th place in the Web.com Tour money list. It will enable him to earn the PGA Tour card for the 2013 season, only if he succeeds in maintaining the top-25 position till the end of the current season.
"Coming straight out of college I didn't have any money to my name, but I guess I have some now," he said.
There were a total of 12 college All-Americans who were invited to participate in this year’s edition of the tournament. Kohles and Guthrie were both a part of the new additions.
"There are a lot of good college players out there and a lot of good college programs," Guthrie said. "When we get out here we relish the moment. It's our chance to play well and show what we've got".
Guthrie is playing reasonably well since he turned professional this year. He participated in three PGA Tour events so far and has already recorded a top-five finish.
Moreover, it was only his first start of the season on the Web.com Tour at The OSU Golf Club and he impressed his fans with a remarkable display of the game.
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