Ben Kern was the only club professional to make the cut at the PGA Championship at Aronimink.
Andrew Redington, Getty Images
NEWTOWN SQUARE, PENNSYLVANIA | If there was a price to pay for Ben Kern being the only club professional to make the cut in the PGA Championship at Aronimink, he will feel it when he tees it up again with members back home at Hickory Hills Golf Club in Grove City, Ohio, where he is the general manager and director of golf.
Shooting 67 on a blustery Friday to advance to the weekend, the only one of 20 club pros in the field to do so, is likely to be reflected in the plus-6 handicap he keeps for his matches with members.
“It’s going to absolutely destroy my handicap, but that’s OK,” Kern said.
Though Kern couldn’t build on his brilliant Friday – no player in the field had made more birdies than Kern (nine) through 36 holes – he added an impressive entry into his PGA Championship record.
Kern was the low club pro in the 2018 event at Bellerive, where he finished T42. He missed the cut three years ago at Oak Hill and finished at 10-over-par 290 at Aronimink, 81st of 82 players who made the cut.
“I am not one to want to practice all the time, so the week-in, week-out grind doesn’t really appeal to me anymore. So I’m very happy with what I’m doing.”
Ben Kern
A 41-year-old former Kansas State golfer with tattoos on his left arm, Kern spent a handful of years after college trying to make it as a tournament player before getting married and jumping into the club professional side of the business.
He’s been at Hickory Hills for four years and had the club president, Randy Wachtel, as his caddie at Aronimink. Kern plays section events when he can but, like many club pros, spends much of his time focusing on club matters.
“I try to play golf once a week with my members. So I get out once a week. We have a great range that I don’t spend enough time on, but I play golf once a week,” Kern said.
After a week at Aronimink, Kern will return to a more familiar work schedule this week.
“It’s going to be busy. I have not looked at my emails. So I will get back to my emails in a few days,” Kern said.
“Unfortunately, I’m probably going to be at my desk for a lot of it, getting caught up … getting all the information out to the members and what we have coming up, because our season is going.”
Ron Green Jr.
