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Nine years after a near-miss, Ben Polland didn’t let a second chance at the Walter Hagen Cup pass him by. Polland, the PGA of America Director of Golf at Shooting Star of Jackson Hole in Teton Village, Wyoming, calmly navigated a difficult day at Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco (Texas) to claim the 2024 PGA Professional Championship by three strokes on May 2.
At the 2015 PGA Professional Championship, Polland was in position to win in his first appearance at the event. But a double bogey on the 72nd hole opened the door for Matt Dobyns, whose birdie at the home hole on Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course earned him the title. Dobyns told the disappointed Polland that his time would come, and Dobyns was there at Fields Ranch East last May to congratulate Polland as he walked off the 18th green after the final round.
Polland’s first PGA Professional Championship victory came during the event’s first visit to the Home of the PGA of America in Frisco, Texas, and helped the 33-year-old become the first player from the Rocky Mountain PGA Section to win.
“It feels amazing,” said Polland. “This championship is one I think about every year. Winning any golf tournament is really hard, but I always come in with a mindset of trying to win. I’m just really happy to get it done.”
Polland was the only player to finish under par for the week at Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco, shooting 2-under-par 286. Andy Svoboda and Jared Jones finished T-2 at 1-over-par 289, while John Somers and 2022 Champion Jesse Mueller tied for fourth at 2-over 290 at the 2024 PGA Professional Championship presented by Club Car, Corebridge Financial and Rolex.
Polland’s victory earned him a spot as one of 21 PGA of America Professionals in the field for the PGA Championship two weeks later at Kentucky’s Valhalla Golf Club as part of the 2024 Corebridge Financial Team, as well as the $60,000 first-place check, six exemptions into future PGA TOUR events and a lifetime exemption into the PGA Professional Championship.
Polland started the final round at 6-under with a three-shot lead over Wyatt Worthington II and Jones. He navigated a challenging front nine that included a bogey at the par-3, 148-yard 4th and double bogey at the par-4, 466-yard 5th. After a birdie at the par-4, 339-yard 7th, he made the turn at 4-under for the Championship and led by two.
Back-to-back bogeys on the par-4, 413-yard 11th and par-4, 445-yard 12th kept the leaderboard tight. Polland called his crucial birdie at the par-5, 528-yard 14th “mentally huge” as he extended his lead to three.
“I was upset about where I was,” he recalled. “I hit a good layup, had a good number and hit a good putt. I felt really good with the putter all week.”
Polland closed with back-to-back pars on holes 15-16 and a bogey at the par-3 17th before a tap-in par on 18 guaranteed his first Walter Hagen Cup.
