Club pro Ben Kern got to grips with a tough Aronimink layout in ways many established stars couldn't in the first two rounds of the 2026 PGA Championship.
But who is he, and what is the story of his career in golf so far? Here are 10 things to know about the player.
Ben Kern Facts
1. Arizona-born Ben Kern is the General Manager at Hickory Hills Golf Club in Ohio.
2. He earned his place in the 2026 PGA Championship by finishing runner-up in the PGA Professional Championship at Bandon Dunes.
3. Rounds of 74 and 67 left him on one over at the halfway stage of the Major and on course to make the cut.
Following the round, he revealed he doesn't play all that often, saying: "I try to play golf once a week with my members. So I get out once a week. We have a great range that I don't spend enough time on, but I play golf once a week."
4. The event is his third PGA Championship start, having also played in the 2018 edition at Bellerive Country Club and in 2023 at Oak Hill Country Club. He missed the cut at Oak Hill, but five years earlier, he placed T42 to become the Low PGA of America Golf Professional.
5. Kern considers playing the final round alongside two-time Major winner Zach Johnson that year as one of the best moments in his career.
He told the official PGA Championship website: “The time Zach spent talking to me on every single hole, walking down the fairways, waiting on every tee box. “He made me feel so comfortable on what could have been such a stressful situation – a Sunday in a Major.”
6. Kern’s appearance at that event almost didn’t happen. The PGA Professional Championship, which is how Kern has qualified for the PGA Championship each time, is only open to Class A professionals.
He earned his certificate just a few weeks before the Northern Texas PGA Professional Championship, which he won to get him into the field.
7. Kern played college golf at Kansas State University before turning professional in 2007
8. After graduating, he played for several years on mini tours.
9. His first PGA Tour start came at the 2022 Valero Texas Open, but he withdrew after the first round. He then played in the Cadence Bank Houston Open later in the year, where rounds of 71 and 76 saw him miss the cut.
10. He married his wife, Jessica, in 2012, after which they moved to Tokyo. However, they returned to the US in 2014 after their daughter was born.
Born |
Tucson, Arizona - Jul 31, 1984 |
Height |
6'1" (1.85m) |
Turned pro |
2007 |
PGA Championship appearances |
3 |
