Golf is a brutal game. One minute you’re standing on the 18th tee with the local crowd screaming your name, and the next, you’re watching a maiden PGA Tour title slip through your fingers because of a chip shot that just wouldn't cooperate. That was the reality for Ben Kohles. But for Taylor Pendrith, the 2024 Byron Nelson leaderboard became the backdrop for the biggest moment of his professional life.
It was a wild week in McKinney, Texas.
Rain delayed the start of the final round by two and a half hours, turning the course into a "lift, clean, and place" sanctuary. TPC Craig Ranch has always been known as a birdie-fest, but the 2024 edition took that to a different level. By the time Sunday afternoon rolled around, the tension wasn't about whether someone would go low—it was about who would survive the chaos of the closing holes.
Who Finished on Top? Breaking Down the 2024 Byron Nelson Leaderboard
Taylor Pendrith didn't just win; he survived. He finished at 23-under par, posting a final round 67 to edge out Kohles by a single stroke. If you look at the raw numbers, the leaderboard looks like a crowded highway.
Taylor Pendrith took the trophy and the $1,710,000 winner's check. He shot rounds of 64, 67, 63, and 67. Consistency won the day.
Ben Kohles finished solo second at 22-under. It’s a heartbreaking result when you consider he led by one shot standing on the 18th tee. He walked away with $1,035,500, but you could tell the money was the last thing on his mind after that 72nd hole.
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Alex Noren was right there, too. The Swede finished solo third at 21-under. He actually wowed the "stadium hole" crowd at the par-3 17th by sticking a tee shot to within three feet, but he just couldn't find the eagle he needed on the last to force a playoff.
There was a massive logjam at T4. S.H. Kim, Aaron Rai, Byeong Hun An, and Matt Wallace all finished at 20-under. Wallace, specifically, had been the first-round leader after a blistering 63, but he stalled out on Sunday with a three-putt bogey on the 15th that effectively ended his charge.
The 18th Hole Meltdown: How Pendrith Stole the Win
Honestly, if you weren't watching the 18th, you missed the entire story of the tournament. Ben Kohles had the tournament in his pocket. He had just birdied 16 and 17. The momentum was entirely on his side.
Then came the drive on 18.
He missed the fairway. His second shot landed in the thick greenside rough. This wasn't the kind of rough you see at your local muni; this was the "ball-disappearing" kind. Kohles needed two chips just to get the ball onto the putting surface. His feet were literally in the bunker while he tried to hack his second chip out of the grass.
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By the time he had a putt for par to force a playoff, the pressure was suffocating. He missed the six-footer.
Pendrith, meanwhile, was playing it relatively safe. He hit a massive 322-yard drive and reached the green in two. He actually thought he might need to eagle the hole to win, not realizing Kohles was falling apart in real-time. Pendrith’s lag putt from 41 feet was decent, leaving him a three-footer for birdie.
"I feel for Ben," Pendrith said afterwards. He wasn't lying. It’s a small circle on Tour, and nobody wants to see a guy lose like that. But a win is a win.
Key Finishing Scores
- Taylor Pendrith: -23 (261)
- Ben Kohles: -22 (262)
- Alex Noren: -21 (263)
- S.H. Kim: -20 (264)
- Aaron Rai: -20 (264)
- Byeong Hun An: -20 (264)
- Matt Wallace: -20 (264)
Surprises and Noteworthy Stats
Did you catch Kris Kim? The 16-year-old amateur was making his PGA Tour debut. He became the youngest player to make a cut on Tour in a decade. While he struggled a bit on Sunday, shooting a 73 to finish at 6-under, the kid showed some serious stones. He’s the son of Ji-Hyun Suh, a former LPGA player, so the pedigree is definitely there.
Then there’s Jake Knapp. Remember the guy who used to be a bouncer at a nightclub? He was the second-round leader. He used his massive power to stay in the hunt for a while, but a 70 on Sunday left him at 19-under, good for solo 8th. He and Matt Wallace were actually the only players in the top eight who had won on the PGA Tour before this week.
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Defending champion Jason Day didn't have much magic this year. He finished T22 at 9-under, never really threatening the lead.
What This Result Means for the Winners
The 2024 Byron Nelson leaderboard did more than just hand out a trophy. It changed career trajectories.
For Pendrith, the win was a golden ticket. It got him into the PGA Championship and secured his spot in the 2025 Masters. He also punched his ticket to the remaining "Signature Events" on the schedule, which carry those massive $20 million purses.
Kohles and Noren also gained entry into the Wells Fargo Championship thanks to their high finishes. It’s the "Aon Swing 5" system at work—basically a way for hot players to jump into the big-money events even if they aren't ranked in the world's top 30.
Actionable Insights for Golf Fans
If you're following the Tour, the 2024 Byron Nelson results offer a few lessons:
- Watch the "Aon Swing 5": This is how guys like Taylor Pendrith and Ben Kohles make the leap into elite status. A single high finish in a standard event can change a player's entire season.
- Don't ignore the rookies: Kris Kim and Jake Knapp proved that the talent gap on the PGA Tour is shrinking. Young guns and journeymen are more dangerous than ever.
- TPC Craig Ranch is a scoring paradise: If you're betting on this tournament in the future, look for high-level putters and "birdie or better" percentage leaders. Par is essentially a bogey here.
To keep track of how these players perform in the upcoming Signature Events, monitor the FedEx Cup standings, as the points awarded at the Byron Nelson significantly shifted the middle-of-the-pack rankings heading into the summer.