Ben Kohles came so close to securing his breakthrough win at the John Deere Classic. His hopes fell apart on the final hole, but still, the 36-year-old held his head high.

On the final hole on Sunday, Kohles was tied for the lead with Chris Gotterup. That’s when his approach shot found the water.

“Yeah, tough way to finish, especially how I played all day. Even on the back nine, letting a few holes get away, but I bounced right back and made birdies right after. I’m proud of the way I played. I played awesome all week,” said Kohles in a video shared by the Golf Channel on X.

From about 175 yards from the pin, Kohles hit an 8-iron that curved to the left. It then bounced off the hill and found the water.

Kohles needed par to force a playoff with Gotterup but missed, then failed to convert the resulting 3-foot bogey putt, dropping into a tie for third after having a chance to secure his maiden PGA Tour title.

“You know, it obviously sucks to just have that happen on the last hole. But hey, you know, I learned a lot about myself. Me and my caddie are doing such a good job, and it’s only going to make me better going forward,” he added.

Just a month ago, Kohles secured his fifth Korn Ferry Tour event and was in good form to get his hands on his first PGA Tour title.

However, the late blunder at TPC Deere Run cost him heavily.

While Kohles was left to reflect on what might have been, Gotterup celebrated a remarkable comeback victory.

Chris Gotterup comments after winning the title

Gotterup revealed a special connection with the John Deere Classic. On Sunday, he became a five-time PGA Tour winner at TPC Deere Run.

"I feel like I've built a relationship with this tournament - having them give me a spot four years ago changed my life. To come back and win is so cool,” said Gotterup on Sky Sports.

Gotterup carded nine birdies on Sunday and erased a five-stroke deficit with a closing 9-under 62 to finish at 20-under par. He won by two shots over Kohles and Max Homa, and with the victory, climbed to No. 7 in the World Rankings.

Interestingly, over the week, Gotterup had his brother Patrick on the bag and will now head to the Scottish Open to defend his title.

What are your thoughts on Kohles’s mishap on the final hole? Share them in the comments.

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Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav