DALLAS: Taylor Pendrith survived a couple of sharp twists and turns on his way to securing his first career title.
The Canadian birdied the par-5 18th hole to beat Ben Kohles and win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in a dramatic finish Sunday at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas. “I felt really calm all week,” said Pendrith, 32. “And all today I felt really calm, too, until the end where things got a little interesting.”
Pendrith posted a final-round 67 to go 23-under 261 for the week. Kohles’ 66 powered him to the runner-up finish, and Swedish veteran Alex Noren placed third at 21 under after a Sunday 65.
Pendrith was stuck on 22 under for five straight holes, parring Nos. 13-17, while playing partner Kohles made impressive birdies at the 16th and 17th greens to tie and then pass him for the lead.
But Kohles missed the 18th fairway and came up short of the green, landing between two bunkers. He couldn’t get up onto the green on his third shot, and once he finally did, he missed a 5-foot par save. That reopened the door for Pendrith, whose lag putt from 41 feet had left him 3 feet for the winning birdie.
More than once, Pendrith described the decisive sequence of the tournament as a “blur” to him. “He’d been playing so good all day,” he said of Kohles. “I expected him to have a putt at birdie (at No. 18), so I was fully prepared to try and make that (eagle) putt. I didn’t hit the best putt. I was a little disappointed that I left it short, but then when he missed his par putt and I realized I had a putt for the win, it was all a blur really.
“I’ve never had a putt to win a PGA Tour event, so my caddie said this is the straightest putt we’ve had all year and just knock it in.” Pendrith had experienced close calls before, notably tying for second at the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic.
“I think I learned that I need to stay aggressive, play my own game, not worry about what others are doing and go out there and win it and not let it, I guess, be brought to you,” Pendrith said.
He nearly suffered another setback down the stretch Sunday. Kohles striped his approach at the par-4 16th hole, and it rolled inside 3 feet of the hole to set up the tying birdie. At the par-3 17th, Pendrith’s tee ball rolled off the false front of the green. Kohles sank a left-to-right 20-footer for birdie and the outright lead before Pendrith scrambled for an important par.
Kohles, a relative unknown ranked No. 139 in the world, had never finished better than a tie for fifth on the PGA Tour. Yet he stood at the tee of the 72nd hole Sunday with a one-shot lead.
“I felt awesome out there, even on 18,” said Kohles, who was born in nearby Dallas and moved away at age 10. “Of course feeling the nerves on the back nine, but that’s why we play. Keep reminding myself this is what I want to do and why I want to be here. Yeah, really proud of myself all day.”
Pendrith held a one-shot lead over Jake Knapp and a two-shot edge over Kohles to begin the day. Kohles turned the pressure on early by birdieing Nos. 4, 5, 6 and 8.
S.H. Kim of South Korea (64), Aaron Rai of England (64), Byeong Hun An of South Korea (65) and Matt Wallace of England (68) tied for fourth at 20 under. Knapp faded to eighth place at 19 under after posting a final-round 70.
Pendrith and Kohles finished 1-2 in the current Aon Swing 5. That means their recent runs of good form qualified them for next week’s signature event, the Wells Fargo Championship.