Canadian Taylor Pendrith earned his first victory on the PGA Tour on Sunday at the CJ Byron Nelson Cup with a consistent round of 67 (4 under). The 32-year-old survived a late run from PGA Tour journeyman Ben Kohles, whose hiccup on the par-5 18th hole cost him his first title.
Pendrith made a two-putt birdie on the 547-yard final hole while Kohles holed a shot from within 20 yards, making his first bogey of the day shortly after a birdie-birdie to take a one-man lead. shot before the 18th. .
The winning moment for Taylor Pendrith.
He is your @cjbyronnelson champ 👏 pic.twitter.com/rX7kuHmvRl
– Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) May 5, 2024
Kohles and Pendrith have been chasing winning moments on the PGA Tour for more than a decade, but on Sunday it was the Ontarian’s turn to lift the trophy. Kohles, who fought for a PGA Tour card three times during his 12-year career as a professional, took solo second at 22 under.
“It’s crazy,” Pendrith said after sinking his final birdie putt. “Ben played very well today, he birdied 16 and 17. I didn’t hit my best iron shots in the last stretch, but I made two good putts in the last. I feel for Ben, who makes a bogey. He played so well today. But I’m super excited. It’s incredible, I’m shaking.
Pendrith’s rounds of 64-67-63-67 to win at Texas will not only help lock in his PGA Tour status through 2026, but this performance will also ensure he plays in 2024’s marquee events, including next week’s Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hallow. .
The 2024 season has not been easy for Pendrith. He has played with a shoulder injury for more than 15 months, dating back to last year’s Farmers Insurance Open. Pendrith was diagnosed with calcific tendinitis, a rotator cuff condition that causes inflammation and the formation of painful “calcium balls” in the shoulder. He has undergone three non-surgical procedures to treat his injury over the past year and a half, but so far the pain persists. Pendrith is battling his injury from week to week and has lost his clubhead speed due to limited mobility.
But the combination of a hot putter and recent pain-free play helped Pendrith finally reach the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour. Pendrith is currently ranked 17th in strokes gained on Tour. He finished the 2023 season in 102nd and 2022 in 134th. The Canadian did not make three putts in 188 holes.
Pendrith turned professional in 2014 after four years at Kent State University, where he was teammates with PGA Tour peers Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes. Hughes greeted Pendrith on the 18th green on Sunday by pouring a cold beer down his neck.
MacKenzie Hughes needed to calm the @cjbyronnelson champion 🍺 😂 pic.twitter.com/PWAnQqS9Fg
– Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) May 5, 2024
Pendrith played on and off on the PGA Tour Canada until earning a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020 and converting a successful season into a PGA Tour card. His best finish before Byron Nelson’s CJ Cup victory was a T2 at the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic. In addition to Sunday’s victory, Pendrith has four top-11 finishes on Tour this season.
(Photo: Tim Heitman/Getty Images)