Jason Kokrak

Jason Kokrak (born May 22, 1985) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.

Jason Kokrak
Receiving his 2012 PGA Tour card
from Commissioner Tim Finchem
Personal information
Born (1985-05-22) May 22, 1985
North Bay, Ontario, Canada
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight225 lb (102 kg; 16.1 st)
Nationality United States
ResidenceCleveland, Ohio
Career
CollegeXavier University
Turned professional2008
Current tour(s)PGA Tour
Former tour(s)Nationwide Tour
eGolf Professional Tour
Professional wins7
Highest ranking24 (November 8, 2020)[1]
(as of February 7, 2021)
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour1
Korn Ferry Tour2
Other4
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentCUT: 2020
PGA ChampionshipT19: 2018
U.S. OpenT17: 2020
The Open ChampionshipT32: 2019

Amateur career

Kokrak was born in North Bay, Ontario, and played high school golf at JFK High School in Warren, Ohio, where he twice led the Eagles to the Ohio state championship as Division III medalist. He went on to play college golf at Xavier University in Cincinnati and graduated in 2007.[2] During his college career, he won both the 2006 and 2007 Ohio Amateur titles. Kokrak turned professional after graduation.

During the 2007 U.S. Amateur, Kokrak led all players with a score of 137 during the 36-hole match play qualifier at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.[3] That same year, he made an appearance in the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, when he successfully came through sectional and regional qualifying.

Professional career

Kokrak has six career professional victories, including four on the eGolf Professional Tour. In 2010, Kokrak won twice and was the leading money winner on the tour. During that same season, he made it to the final round of qualifying School, earning conditional status on the Nationwide Tour. In 2011, he won the Championship at St. James Plantation and the Donald Ross Championship.[4] Kokrak finished second on the eGolf Tour's money list despite playing in only three events.

In September 2011, Kokrak won his first Nationwide Tour event, the Albertsons Boise Open in Boise, Idaho. His 72-hole score of 266 (−18) at Hillcrest Country Club included rounds of 68, 68, 63, and 67. Kokrak's third round 63 included consecutive birdies on holes one through six to open the round - one short of the Nationwide Tour record of seven. He won by two strokes and earned $130,500, which vaulted him from 70th to 13th place on the season's money list. Kokrak was an alternate and the last player to earn entry into the field.[5]

On October 16, 2011, Kokrak notched his second Nationwide Tour victory within a month with a seven shot victory at the Miccosukee Championship with rounds of 63-66-69 and a final round 66. Kokrak was in the top 10 in the field in driving distance and putts per greens in regulation, and led the field in greens hit in regulation. The $108,000 first prize vaulted Kokrak to the fourth position on the Nationwide Tour money list and virtually assured 2012 status on the PGA Tour.

On October 30, 2011, Kokrak finished the season with a T5th at the Nationwide Tour Championship with rounds of 67, 67, 75 and 75. His winnings of $36,500 solidified him as the 4th leading money winner on the Nationwide Tour with total earnings of $338,092 in only 16 events. Kokrak was able to compete on the PGA Tour in 2012 as a result of his play in 2011.

Kokrak was honored as the first golfer to enter the PGA Tour in 30 years from his hometown and surrounding area at an event held at Trumbull Country Club in Warren, Ohio on December 21, 2011. Kokrak was introduced to the game of golf at Trumbull Country Club as a nine-year-old by his father. The event was attended by more than 200 people, and included well wishes from Jerry McGee and Bob Lewis, both former PGA Tour professionals.

Kokrak made his first appearance as a member of the PGA Tour on January 12, 2012, at the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he finished 75th. On February 12, 2012, Kokrak notched his first top-10 finish in his PGA Tour career at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am with rounds of 68, 67, 72, and 70 for a 277 total, which gave him a 9th-place finish. He led the field in greens in regulation (GIR) with a 77% success rate and also led his Pro-Am team to an 11th-place finish. At the 2012 Frys.com Open, Kokrak finished in a tie for second, one stroke behind Jonas Blixt. For the week, he led the field in Greens in Regulation and was 9th in driving distance, averaging 309 yards on measured drives. His $440,000 in earnings for the week moved Kokrak up 50 positions to 117th on the PGA Tour money list, with two tournaments left in the 2012 season; moving him from no status for 2013 to a chance at keeping his Tour privileges. He would finish the season 119th on the money list.

Kokrak was featured in a four-page article, "The Making of a Bomber" in the March 5, 2012 issue of Golf World. The article cited Kokrak's development as a junior golfer, his teaching influences, and insights into his equipment specifications.[6]

On November 6, 2013, Kokrak scored a hole-in-one on the 409 yard par-4 5th hole at the McGladrey Classic Pro-Am held at the Seaside Course in Sea Island, Georgia. This was only the second time in PGA Tour history that a player had scored a hole-in-one on a par-4, the first being by Andrew Magee on the par-4 17th hole at TPC Scottsdale in 2001.

In February 2016, Kokrak opened with rounds of 68-64 for a 10-under-par total to hold the 36-hole lead at the Northern Trust Open by one stroke. This was the first time in his PGA Tour career he had held a 36-hole lead. He finished the tournament tied for second, one stroke behind Bubba Watson. This equalled his career best PGA Tour finish of a tie for second, which he also achieved back in 2012 at the Frys.com Open.

In March 2019, Kokrak finished tied for second at the Valspar Championship, one stroke behind champion Paul Casey. Kokrak's T-2 finish was his third career runner-up on Tour, and his first since the 2016 Northern Trust Open. Having made every cut since The Open Championship in July, 2018, he notched three top-10 finishes during the four-event PGA Tour Florida Swing in 2019.[7]

On October 18, 2020, Kokrak won the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek for his first PGA Tour victory after nine years and 233 starts.[8]

Amateur wins (2)

Professional wins (7)

PGA Tour wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner-up
1 Oct 18, 2020 CJ Cup at Shadow Creek 70-66-68-64=268 −20 2 strokes Xander Schauffele

Nationwide Tour wins (2)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner-up
1 Sep 18, 2011 Albertsons Boise Open 68-68-63-67=266 −18 2 strokes John Mallinger
2 Oct 16, 2011 Miccosukee Championship 63-66-69-66=264 −20 7 strokes Mark Anderson

eGolf Professional Tour wins (4)

  • 2010 Cabarrus Classic, Bushnell Championship
  • 2011 The Championship at St. James Plantation, Donald Ross Championship

Results in major championships

Results not in chronological order in 2020.

Tournament 200720082009
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open CUT
The Open Championship
PGA Championship
Tournament 201020112012201320142015201620172018
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open T37 T53
The Open Championship CUT
PGA Championship CUT CUT T49 T33 T19
Tournament 20192020
Masters Tournament CUT
PGA Championship T23 CUT
U.S. Open T17
The Open Championship T32 NT
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament00000010
PGA Championship00000274
U.S. Open00000143
The Open Championship00000021
Totals000003148
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 4 (2016 U.S. Open – 2017 PGA)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 0

Results in The Players Championship

Tournament 2013201420152016201720182019
The Players Championship CUT CUT CUT WD CUT T46 T47

CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Results in World Golf Championships

Tournament20162017201820192020
Championship T51
Match Play NT1
Invitational T44
Champions T16 T8 NT1

1Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

  Top 10
  Did not play

NT = No tournament
"T" = Tied

See also

References

  1. "Week 45 2020 Ending 8 Nov 2020" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  2. "Xavier Men's golf - Jason Kokrak profile". Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  3. "Medalist, Three USGA Champions Lead First-Round Winners". USGA. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008.
  4. "Jason Kokrak – 2011". EGolf Professional Tour.
  5. Chemycz, Joe (September 18, 2011). "Kokrak goes from alternate to winner at Albertsons". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on November 28, 2011.
  6. Johnson, E. Michael (March 5, 2012). "The Making of a Bomber". Golf World. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012.
  7. Gray, Will (March 24, 2019). "Kokrak still waiting for first PGA Tour win: 'I just can't break through'". Golf Channel. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  8. "Jason Kokrak takes CJ Cup for long-awaited PGA Tour win". ESPN. Associated Press. October 18, 2020.
  9. Tournament Results for the 2006 OGA Ohio Amateur
  10. Tournament Results for the 2007 OGA Ohio Amateur
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