Jason Kokrak

Jason Kokrak
— Golfer —

Receiving his 2012 PGA Tour card
from Commissioner Tim Finchem
Personal information
Born (1985-05-22) May 22, 1985
North Bay, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight 225 lb (102 kg; 16.1 st)
Nationality  United States
Residence Charlotte, North Carolina
Career
College Xavier University
Turned professional 2008
Current tour(s) PGA Tour
Former tour(s) Nationwide Tour
eGolf Professional Tour
Professional wins 6
Number of wins by tour
Web.com Tour 2
Other 4
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament DNP
U.S. Open T37: 2016
The Open Championship DNP
PGA Championship T49: 2016

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

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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4]

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 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, 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 will be competing on the PGA Tour on 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 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 fifty positions to 117th on the PGA Tour money list with two tournaments left in the 2012 season; moving his 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.[5]

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 is only the second time in PGA tour history that a player has 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.

Amateur wins (2)

Professional wins (6)

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 United States John Mallinger
2 Oct 16, 2011 Miccosukee Championship 63-66-69-66=264 −20 7 strokes United States Mark Anderson

eGolf Professional Tour wins (4)

Results in major championships

Tournament 2007200820092010201120122013201420152016
Masters Tournament DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
U.S. Open CUT DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T37
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT CUT DNP T49

See also

References

  1. ↑ Xavier Men's golf - Jason Kokrak profile
  2. ↑ Three USGA Champions Lead First-Round Winners
  3. ↑ EGolf Professional Tour 2011 - Jason Kokrak
  4. ↑ Kokrak goes from alternate to winner at Albertsons
  5. ↑ Johnson, E. Michael (March 5, 2012). "The Making of a Bomber". Golf World. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012.
  6. ↑ Tournament Results for the 2006 OGA Ohio Amateur
  7. ↑ Tournament Results for the 2007 OGA Ohio Amateur
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