Kelly Kraft

Exempt status

• PGA TOUR: Top 125 in 2021-22 FedExCup Playoffs and Eligibility Points List (thru 2022-23)

JOINED TOUR

• PGA TOUR: 2012
• Korn Ferry Tour: 2013

Korn Ferry Tour Victories (1)

2015 Season

• Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER

National Teams

• 2011 Walker Cup

Personal

• Married wife, Tia, in Sea Island, Georgia, in April 2013.
• Travels with his dog, Pearl, a white lab. Got Pearl in 2019, right before his surgery to repair his labrum and hip impingement in his left hip.
• Loves to travel. Has particularly enjoyed trips to Italy with his wife, Tia.
• Likes drinking tequila and enjoys wearing cashmere sweaters on and off the golf course.
• Is a big fan of the Texas Rangers, Dallas Cowboys and SMU Mustangs.
• Dad, Tim, is an avid sailboat racer.

Special Interests

• Travel, movies, sailing, working out, watching sports, enjoying friends

Career Highlights

2021 Season

Played the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Finals via a Special Medical Exemption and posted a T7 in the first event and a T33 in the third and final event, finishing No. 18 on the Finals Points List and retaining his PGA TOUR card.

• Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron: Tied his lowest PGA TOUR-sanctioned score with a 10-under 61 in the second round, and eventually totaled a 16-under 268 for a T7 at the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron.

2019 Season

Qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs for the third consecutive time after failing to advance in his first full season, ending the season at No. 123 in the FedExCup standings. Joined Tommy Fleetwood, Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas as the only players with a solo-second in each season from 2016-17 to 2018-19. Recorded three top-10s for the third consecutive season and made 12 cuts in 31 starts.

• Barbasol Championship: Finished one stroke behind champion Jim Herman at the Barbasol Championship, earning a solo-second on TOUR for the third consecutive season. Week highlighted by a third-round 61, two better than his previous-low round on TOUR. Led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (2.473 per round).
• Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship: Posted four sub-par rounds, including a bogey-free final-round 68, at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship to tie Chip McDaniel for fifth. Became the only player to finish in the top five in each of the first two years of the event.
• Genesis Open: After missing the cut in five consecutive starts before the Genesis Open, recorded his first top-10 of the season with a 7-under T9 finish at Riviera

2018 Season

Advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs for the second consecutive time but missed the cut at the first two Playoffs events to end his season at No. 90 in the FedExCup. Made 16 cuts from 31 starts in a season that included four top-25s and three top-10s. Runner-up result at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier included a second-round 63, his first score of 63 or better on TOUR.

• A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier: Finished solo-second at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier, his second consecutive top-five at the event. Matched his best result from 84 prior starts on TOUR (2nd/2017 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am). Held his first 36-hole lead and 54-hole co-lead on the PGA TOUR, opening with scores of 64-63-69 before posting a final-round 70. As one of the top four players among the top 12 not otherwise eligible, earned a spot in the Open Championship at Carnoustie.
• Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship: Carded a final-round 67 to finish alone in third place at 13-under 275 at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship. Earned his fifth top-five in his 73rd career start on TOUR.
• The Honda Classic: In his second start at The Honda Classic, finished T8 for his first top-10 of the season.

2017 Season

Made the cut in 12 of 27 starts during the 2016-17 season, with a career-best three top-10 finishes. Season highlighted by a runner-up finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Finished the season No. 72 in the FedExCup.

• Dell Technologies Championship: Season ended after having to withdraw during round one of the Dell Technologies Championship with a foot injury.
• The Greenbrier Classic: Making his first start at The Greenbrier Classic, equaled the best final round (along with Phil Mickelson and two others) with a 6-under 64 to finish T5.
• Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Earned second top-10 of season at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, teaming with Kevin Tway to fire a final-round 61 for third at 23-under 265 in the new two-man team, Foursomes/Four-ball format at TPC Louisiana.
• AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Finished solo-second (four behind champion Jordan Spieth) at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in his 41st PGA TOUR start, topping his previous best finish on TOUR – a T5 at the 2016 John Deere Classic. With the top-10 finish, earned a spot in the following week's Genesis Open. The runner-up finish came in his third start in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (2-2017, T70-2016, T40-2013). Played his final 36 holes at Pebble Beach GL, tallying 14 birdies, including four in a row on the final day on Nos. 3-6.

2016 Season

Made 12 cuts in 20 starts on the PGA TOUR, including one top-10 result, to finish No. 165 in the FedExCup standings. In the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, made one cut from three starts, including one top-10, to finish 39th in the final priority-ranking order.

• Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship: Made his first cut of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship. Posted 68-67 on the weekend for a T5.
• John Deere Classic: Posted a bogey-free, 7-under 64 in round two of the John Deere Classic en route to a share of fifth place with Ricky Barnes and Johnson Wagner at 15-under 269. Closed with scores of 67-69 to make it four consecutive rounds in the 60s at TPC Deere Run. The T5 finish marked his first top-10 showing on the PGA TOUR in his 30th start as a professional.

2015 Season

Finished the Korn Ferry Tour season with 23 starts, one win, a runner-up, three top-10s, eight top-25s and 15 cuts made. Was 21st in the final priority-ranking order. After a mediocre June and July, closed the Regular Season with a pair of T16 finishes in Utah and Springfield, Mo. and a T9 at the WinCo Foods Portland Open, closing in Portland with a 65 Sunday to secure his PGA TOUR card for the first time. Finished the Regular Season seventh on the money list. In the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, made the cut in the first three events, with a T29 at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship his top performance. Closed the Finals with a T43 at the Web.com Tour Championship.

• BMW Charity Pro-Am Presented by SYNNEX Corporation: Three events later, birdied four of the last six holes in his first round at the BMW Charity Pro-Am to card a 68. Tied the course record at Green Valley CC with a 63 in round two. A third-round 66 kept him within striking distance of the lead. Battled all day Sunday with Rod Pampling but fell just short with a bogey-free 66.
• Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER: Earned his first career victory at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open in March. Started the final round six shots off the pace at Le Triomphe G&CC. Fired a 6-under 65 to finish 14-under par. Crept up on the leaders with birdies at Nos. 15, 16 and 17. Missed a 15-foot birdie putt on the last hole. Waited more than an hour as the remaining challengers failed to match his score, earning his first big win since the 2011 U.S. Amateur. Collected a check for $99,000 and jumped to No. 6 on the money list after six events.

2014 Season

Played in all 25 Korn Ferry Tour events, making 15 cuts. Had five top-25s. Finished the Regular Season 75th on the money list. Was one of just three players to compete in every Tour event. Other top-25s came at the Mexico Championship in April (T19), BMW Charity Pro-Am in May (T13), Albertsons Boise Open in July (T25) and Stonebrae Classic in August (T18), where he fired his low round of the year, a 63, in round one. Highest position he attained on the money list was 65th (after Stonebrae). Made two cuts (T52 and T67) and missed two cuts in the Finals.

• WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by Kraft: Came to Regular Season-ending WinCo Foods Portland Open in August No. 72. Finished the Regular Season No. 75 in earnings after recording a T46 in Portland, which secured the last spot in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals and fully exempt status for 2015, at the very least.
• Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank: Best finish was a T11 at the Utah Championship in July.

2013 Season

Made the cut in nine of 18 starts during his rookie season on the Korn Ferry Tour, with three top-25 finishes. Also went 2 for 2 on the PGA TOUR, finishing T40 at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and T50 at the Shell Houston Open.

• Hotel Fitness Championship: Made the cut in two of the four Finals events, a T32 at the Hotel Fitness Championship his best week.
• Mylan Classic: Recorded his first career top-10 with a runner-up effort at the Mylan Classic near Pittsburgh. Chalked up 10 birdies en route to the best score of the final round at Southpointe GC, a 7-under 64 to vault past most of the field. Started the final day eight shots back of eventual winner Ben Martin and closed to within two midway on the back nine but could get no closer as Martin shut the door on his charge with an eagle and two birdies over his final four holes. Runner-up check was worth $72,900 and moved him from No. 137 to No. 38 on the money list, assuring him of a spot in the Tour Finals with only three events left on the Regular Season schedule. Second-place effort came on the heels of a T17 finish a week earlier at the Albertsons Boise Open.

2012 Season

Made three cuts in 10 starts on the PGA TOUR. His best finish was a T57 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational, where he fired a third-round 64 and was tied for seventh place heading in the last day at Colonial. Struggled in the final round and managed to hit only two of 14 fairways. Missed the cut at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational, his only Korn Ferry Tour start.

Amateur Highlights

• Recorded four college wins at SMU.
• Was the 2010 Conference USA Player of the Year.
• Earned 2011 honorable mention All-American honors.
• Won a pair of Texas State Amateur titles (2008 and 2011).
• Won the 2011 Trans-Mississippi Championship.
• Won the 2011 U.S. Amateur, beating No. 1-ranked world amateur Patrick Cantlay in the final, 2-up.
• In 2011, finished as top amateur at the Emirates Australian Open (T19).