JACKSON, Wyo. — Jackson Hole resident Ben Polland won the PGA Professional Championship in Frisco, Texas on May 1, which qualified him for the PGA Championship, one of the most prestigious golf events in the world.
Polland now competes in the PGA Championship, held at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, from May 13 to May 19. The PGA Championship is one of the four golf majors, which also consists of the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open and the Open Championship.
Polland told Buckrail that he picked up a golf club for the first time at the age of seven, although he didn’t take it seriously until he earned a business degree in PGA golf management at Campbell College in North Carolina. After securing a position as an assistant professional at a private golf club in Long Island, NY, he gained experience running tournaments and teaching.
Polland began to play in tournaments, including the Latin America Tour, Mackenzie Tour and the Web.com Tour, in 2015.
In 2021, Polland was hired by his college buddy, Wes Roberts (former Director of Golf at Shooting Star), to work as the Assistant Professional at Shooting Star Jackson Hole Golf Club. After three seasons, he replaced Roberts as the club’s director and continues to work at Shooting Star.
“I love my job at Shooting Star and have a great team to work with,” Polland said. “I do my best to help everyone understand that the better we are at preparation and efficiency in the scope of our job, we will have more opportunities to do what we love; PLAY!”
During the 2024 Professional Championship, Polland competed on a 72 hole course against 312 of the best professionals in the country. In the weeks leading up to the tournament, Polland proposed to his girlfriend, won the Professional Championship and picked up a new Swiss Shepard puppy.
“It’s been a busy three weeks,” Polland told Buckrail. “I wasn’t expecting to win the Professional Tour. A lot has to go right to win the tour. My goal was to finish top 20, but winning was the cherry on top.”
The top 20 finishers from the Professional Championship move on to compete in the PGA Championship. Polland reflected on making the cut for the PGA Championship.
“A lot of people talk about making the cut at the PGA being the goal, but I’ve learned that the more you think about the cut during a tournament, the more often you find yourself near it or above it,” Polland said. “I always measure my success by asking whether or not I tried my best on every shot. Experience is what helps to accomplish that over the span of a golf tournament. At the end of the day, if I do that, my skill level will put me exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
Now, the 33-year-old Polland will be appearing in his fourth PGA Championship (2015, 2016, 2021). According to Polland, he will be competing against the strongest field in professional golf, including Tiger Woods, during the PGA Championship in Kentucky.
Polland is excited to play against golf legends and former winners, and regardless of his ranking, he feels appreciation for winning the Professional Championship.
“It means a lot to me to win the PGA Professional Championship,” Polland said. “It is a tournament that my mentors have won and is something I’ve always looked up to as the pinnacle of competition amongst all PGA Professionals.”
