PGA Championship Cut: The Rare Feat of Posting Your Scores (and Why It Actually Matters)
So, you make the cut at the PGA Championship. Big deal, right? Everyone thinks about the glory, the money, the fact that you didn’t completely choke under the bright lights. But what happens *after* you’ve shaken hands, packed your bags, and are trying to figure out how to get home without looking too much like a loser? For most guys, it’s back to the emails, back to the club, back to reality. But for one club pro, making the cut was just the appetizer. The main course? Posting those damn scores.
Yeah, you heard me. Posting your scores. To your handicap. Sounds like a Tuesday afternoon chore for your Uncle Barry, not something a guy who just played four rounds in a major championship would even think about. But that’s exactly what happened. And frankly, it’s a move so rare, so unexpected, it makes you wonder what the hell is going on in the heads of these guys.
The Cut is Just the Beginning, Apparently
Look, making the cut at a PGA Championship is no joke. We’re talking about the best golfers in the world, plus a handful of club pros who somehow managed to navigate the gauntlet to even get there. Ben Kern was one of those club pros. He battled, he scraped, and he actually *made* the cut. Shot a 74, then a damn fine 67. Then a 77, and a respectable 72 to finish it off. Eighty-something place, a decent chunk of change – good for him. He even got to play the final round with Luke Donald. How many club pros can say that?
Kern himself said it was special. Obviously. Who wouldn’t want to play in that kind of event? He’s the general manager at Hickory Hills Golf Club back in Ohio. So, you’d think after battling for four days in a major, he’d be drowning in emails, buried under a mountain of to-dos. He said as much: “It’s going to be busy. I have not looked at my emails.” Sounds about right. You’d expect him to be focused on getting his club back in order, dealing with members, all that jazz. But nope.
The "Rare" Move That Got Everyone Talking
Before he probably even sat down at his desk, Kern did something that made the USGA take notice. He posted his scores. From the PGA Championship. To his handicap.
Now, let’s be real. Most guys who play in majors, even the club pros, don’t do this. You’ve got guys like Jon Rahm, Max Homa – they might have handicaps, but they’re not exactly posting every single score. And the big names? Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy? You think they’re punching in their Sunday round scores after a major? Hell no. They’re busy with interviews, endorsement deals, and probably trying to forget about that one shot on the 17th. If any other club pros made the cut and played four rounds, they probably weren’t thinking about their handicap index either.
But Kern? He did it. And the USGA, bless their hearts, they noticed. They even tweeted about it. Because apparently, this is a thing. A rare thing. A damn rare thing.
Why Posting Scores Actually Matters (Even for Pros)
So, why is this such a big deal? It’s not like Kern’s scores are going to change the world. Or are they? Let’s break it down. The USGA wants everyone to have a Handicap Index. It’s supposed to be a way to level the playing field, to let golfers of different abilities compete fairly. It’s supposed to reflect your *actual* playing ability.
Kern shot a 67 in the second round. Three-under par. At a major championship. That’s not just a good score; that’s a ridiculously good score. The course rating at Aronimink from the back tees is a brutal 75.5 with a 144 slope. And that’s before they even set it up like a damn major, which makes it even harder. Kern’s 67 resulted in a differential of -6.7. That’s insane. For context, only two other players shot lower that day, and that was in a field of the world’s best.
His handicap was already around +6. That’s a very good handicap, meaning he’s a strong player. But posting that 67? That’s going to mess with it. He even admitted it himself: “It’s going to absolutely destroy my handicap.” And he’s right. His handicap is now +6.4. That’s a huge shift. It means when he plays members back home, he’s going to have to give up even more shots. Which, he says, is “OK. That’s what it’s for.”
The Nuance of Handicap Calculation
Here’s where it gets interesting. Only one of Kern’s scores actually counted towards his Handicap Index: that 67. Why? Because handicap calculations are designed to track your *best* scores relative to par. When you play a course, the system looks at the difficulty of the course (course rating and slope) and compares it to your score. The difference is your differential. The system then takes your best 8 differentials out of your last 20 scores to calculate your Handicap Index.
So, while he shot four rounds, only the stellar one really impacted his index. The other scores, while high for a major, might not have been low enough relative to the course difficulty to significantly alter his calculated handicap if he had posted them all. But the fact that he *chose* to post them, and that the USGA made a fuss about it, highlights a broader point about golf.
The Obsession with the Handicap
Golfers, we’re a strange bunch. We obsess over our handicap. We want it to be low, but not *too* low that we can’t win bets. We want it to accurately reflect our ability, but sometimes we’re a little… creative with our scoring. We’ll conveniently “forget” that one shanked shot out of bounds on the 5th hole.
But Kern’s move is different. He’s not trying to cheat the system. He’s not trying to keep his handicap artificially low to get an advantage. He’s a club pro. He plays members. He needs a handicap that’s accurate. And shooting a 67 in a major championship *is* accurate. It shows his potential, his skill. It’s a benchmark.
It also shows a certain level of integrity. In a sport that’s often about the rules, the etiquette, the “spirit of the game,” Kern is embodying that. He played in a major, he performed well, and he’s willing to let that performance impact his standing amongst his peers back home. It’s a subtle flex, sure, but it’s a genuine one.
What This Means for the Rest of Us
So, what can the average golfer take away from this? Well, for starters, maybe stop being so damn precious about your handicap. If you play a good round, post it. If you play a bad round, post it. The Handicap Index is a tool. It’s meant to be a fair representation of your game. If you’re constantly tweaking it, or “forgetting” to post, you’re not just fooling yourself; you’re undermining the whole system.
Think about it. If you’re playing in a match play event, and you’re giving strokes based on an inflated handicap, you’re not really playing fair. And if you’re receiving strokes based on a handicap that’s too high, you’re also not playing fair. It’s a slippery slope to becoming one of those guys who complains about everything but never takes responsibility for their own game.
Kern’s decision to post his scores, even knowing it would hurt his handicap, is a testament to the importance of accurate scoring. It’s a reminder that the game is bigger than any single round, or any single tournament. It’s about the journey, the continuous improvement, and the integrity with which we play.
The USGA's Handicap System Explained
The USGA Handicap System is a complex beast, designed to allow golfers of all skill levels to compete on a more equal footing. It’s not just about your raw score; it’s about how difficult the course was that day. A 90 on a tough course might be a better handicap score than an 85 on an easy one. That’s where the differential comes in. The system calculates this differential for every round you post. Your Handicap Index is then derived from your best 8 differentials out of your last 20 rounds. This ensures that your handicap reflects your current ability, not just your all-time best or worst rounds. You can learn more about how to get your own Handicap Index on the USGA website. They’re pretty keen on everyone signing up, so it’s worth a look if you’re serious about the game.
The Bottom Line on Posting Scores
Ben Kern made the cut at the PGA Championship. That’s an achievement. But what he did afterwards? Posting those scores? That’s the real story. It’s a rare act of integrity in a world that often prioritizes the immediate win over long-term fairness. It’s a reminder that even at the highest levels, the fundamentals of the game, like accurate scoring, still matter. So next time you finish a round, whether it’s at your local muni or a championship course, think about Ben Kern. And maybe, just maybe, post your damn score. It’s what the game is all about, after all.