The disastrous Q-School penalty sees the pro fall from the lead and out of contention

In the most exciting moments of competitive golf, the pressure often manifests itself in nervous swings and clumsy putting strokes. But during the final round of Q-School on Sunday, Ben Kohles was hit in a different way, sending him tumbling from a share of the lead to the margin in the space of two holes.

Kohles, tied at the top of the Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, pushed his drive on the 8th hole straight into the trees. His ball came to rest in a scattering of leaves. Before hitting his second shot, while trying to clear debris around his mooring, Kohles inadvertently caused his ball to move, incurring a one-stroke penalty. Kohles teed out and then made a double bogey on the hole, leaving him at 9 under and in a T8 – but not completely out of contention.

However, any remaining margin for error all but disappeared on the next hole, the par-4 9th, where Kohles hit his tee shot into the water right of the fairway. Another penalty and another double-bogey. Kohles marched to the 10th tee in a T22.

Always a stress test, this year’s Q-School Finals are particularly brutal, thanks to a change to the off-season format that sees only the top five finishers receive PGA Tour cards. In recent years, the top five finishers and ties have all made it to the big stage.

Since turning pro in 2012, Kohles has competed on and off on the PGA Tour, including last season. In 2025, he finished 145th in FedExCup points on the PGA Tour, which puts him on limited status for 2026. But Sunday’s painful stretch in Q-School has put his goal of full-time status out of reach for now.