Kelly Kraft Biography
Kelly Kraft is an American professional golfer. He turned into a professional after competing in the 2012 Masters Tournament. In doing so, he forfeited his invitations to the 2012 U.S. Open and 2012 Open Championship. Kraft played in eight tournaments on the PGA Tour in 2012 through sponsor exemptions. Kelly Kraft played on the Web.com Tour from 2013–2015 with the best finish of second at the 2013 Mylan Classic until his first win on March 15, 2015, at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open.
Kraft has three solo second-place finishes on the PGA Tour: one in February 2017 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, finishing at –15, four strokes behind the winner Jordan Spieth, the next in July 2018 at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier finishing at −14, five strokes behind Kevin Na and the last in July 2019 at the Barbasol Championship finishing at −25, one stroke behind Jim Herman.
Kelly Kraft Age
Kelly Kraft is a 30-year-old professional golfer born on October 5, 1988, in Denton, Texas United States. He stands at a height of 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m). He won the 2011 Trans-Mississippi Amateur in July. He then won the 2011 U.S. Amateur in August, beating world-number-one Patrick Cantlay in the final, 2 up. The win earned Kraft a spot in the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, and British Open in 2012.
Kelly Kraft Wife|Spouse
Kelly Kraft is married to Tia Gannon in 2013 in the Sea Island, Georgia United States. In September 2011, Kraft played on the 2011 Walker Cup team. In November 2011, Kraft finished as a top amateur at the Emirates Australian Open, finishing in a tie for 19th.
Kelly Kraft Education
Kelly Kraft attended Billy Ryan High School from 2006–2007, he then served as team captain while earning All-District honors. While attending Southern Methodist University (SMU), he played college golf for the SMU Mustangs.
Kraft won the 2011 Trans-Mississippi Amateur in July. He then won the 2011 U.S. Amateur in August, beating world-number-one Patrick Cantlay in the final, 2 up. The win earned Kraft a spot in the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, and British Open in 2012.
Kelly Kraft Amateur career
Kraft was born in Denton, Texas. During his final year at Billy Ryan High School, 2006–07, Kraft served as team captain while earning All-District honors. While attending Southern Methodist University (SMU), he played college golf for the SMU Mustangs.
Kraft won the 2011 Trans-Mississippi Amateur in July. He then won the 2011 U.S. Amateur in August, beating world-number-one Patrick Cantlay in the final, 2 up.
The win earned Kraft a spot in the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, and British Open in 2012. In September 2011, Kraft played on the 2011 Walker Cup team. In November 2011, Kraft finished as a top amateur at the Emirates Australian Open, finishing in a tie for 19th.
Kelly Kraft Professional golfer
Kraft turned professional after competing in the 2012 Masters Tournament. In doing so, he forfeited his invitations to the 2012 U.S. Open and 2012 Open Championship. Kraft played in eight tournaments on the PGA Tour in 2012 through sponsor exemptions.
Kelly Kraft played on the Web.com Tour from 2013–2015 with the best finish of second at the 2013 Mylan Classic until his first win on March 15, 2015, at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open.
Kraft has two solo second-place finishes on the PGA Tour: one in February 2017 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, finishing at –15, four strokes behind the winner Jordan Spieth and the other in July 2018 at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier finishing at −14, five strokes behind Kevin Na.
2010-11 (Sr.): Finished season ranked as No. 31 golfer according to Golfweek/Sarazin… Selected to honorable mention PING All-American Team… Named to Division I PING All-Central Region Team… Earned first-team All-Conference USA accolades… Four-time C-USA Golfer of the Week.
Posted a season-low round of 65 at the Santa Clara Cabo Collegiate… Had two second-place finishes, shooting a 4-under (212) at the Santa Clara Cabo Collegiate and a 1-under (215) at the San Diego Intercollegiate.
Posted three fourth-place finishes, carding a 6-under (136) at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate, a 2-over (218) at the Wyoming Desert Collegiate and was even par (215) at the Aggie Invitational… Tallied two fifth-place finishes, shooting an even-par 216 at the Gopher Invitational and a 7-over (220) at the Morris Williams Intercollegiate.
Also posted top-20 finishes at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate (8th), the John Burns Intercollegiate (T-20th), the 26th Annual Louisiana Classics (T-7th), and the Conference USA Championships (T-11th).
2009-10 (Jr.): Was ranked the nation[apos]s No.1-ranked college golfer according to GolfWeek/ Sagarin Performance Index released the week of Sept. 23… Named to the Division I PING All-Central Region Team… Named the Conference USA Men[apos]s Golfer of the Year.
Also named a first-team All-Conference USA performer… Twice named the Conference USA Golfer of the Week… Won the Gopher Invitational by eight strokes at 15-under (201); posted a season-low round of 64… Placed third in the Adams Cup of Newport with one-under-par (215).
Tied for fourth at the Lone Star Invite at Briggs Ranch shooting a six-under-par (210)… Tied for fifth at the Baylor Intercollegiate with a two-under-par (211)… Tied for ninth at the USD Callaway Invitational… Took sixth in the 25th Annual Louisiana Classics with a one-under-par (215).
Tied for fifth at the National Invitational Tournament posting a one-under-par (215)… Placed ninth at the Conference USA Championship… Also posted top-20 finishes at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate (T-16th), the John Burns Intercollegiate (T-11th) and the Aggie Invitational (T-18th).
2008-09 (So.): Named first-team All-Conference USA… A three-time C-USA Golfer of the Week (Oct. 15, Mar. 11, April 15)… Played 35 rounds over 12 tournaments, posting a 73.11 scoring average… Had a low round of 67 at Jerry Pate and took medalist honors at 6-under for three rounds.
Also won the Tiger Intercollegiate with an 8-under 208… Had five top-10 finishes on the year… Along with teammate James Kwon, I was selected for NCAA Regionals… Invited to play in the prestigious 2009 British Amateur.
2007-08 (Fr.): The Conference USA Freshman Of The Year and a second-team All-C-USA selection… Named PING All-South Central Region… A two-time C-USA Golfer of the Week (Mar. 12, April 2)… Shot a 4-under 68 in the final round to win the 99th Texas State Amateur.
Came up one shot short in his bid to advance to the 2008 NCAA Men[apos]s Golf Championship, finishing tied for eighth at 6-under 207 for 54 holes at the NCAA Regionals… Claimed medalist honors at the Louisiana Classics, shooting 73-68-70.
Runner-up at the Shocker Classic at 3-under 210… Took third at the UTSA Invite, shooting 67-67-71 to finish 11-under… Claimed a top-10 finish at the OU Intercollegiate, finishing sixth at 75-71-77.
Had four top-10 finishes on the season… Also posted top-20 finishes at the Windon Memorial (14th), the John Burns Intercollegiate (17th), the C-USA Championships (14th) and The Maxwell (18th);
Kelly Kraft News
Kelly Kraft announced his intention to undergo surgery on his left hip and currently has no timetable for his return to action.
Kelly Kraft shared the news via social media, “The year was a little inconsistent which had a lot to do with an ongoing hip injury I’ve been dealing with. I’m going to have surgery on my left hip which will allow me to compete at 100% again.”
Fighting through the injury, Kraft went 12-for-31 but still managed a spot inside the Top 125 thanks to a trio of top 10s including a runner-up finish at the Barbasol Championship. The SMU product now has a runner-up finish in three straight seasons but is still searching for his first win.
Playing out of the final twosome and with preferred lies in effect, World No. 213 Kelly Kraft bogeyed two of his final three holes en route to a 2-under-par 35-35=70 in the weather-delayed final round of the opposite-field Barbasol Championship to conclude his second appearance (T54/2016) on 25-under 263, good for solo 2nd, one back of the overnight leader and playing competitor Jim Herman, who also shot 70.
This is a season-best for the 30-year-old in 28 events and third top 10, first since a previous-best T5 at the opposite-field Corales 14 starts ago. He was chasing his first TOUR win in 119 events but settles for his third runner-up, first since solo 2nd at the 2018 Greenbrier as a 54-hole co-leader.
After opening with 65-67 and a course-record, career-low 61, the SMU product began solo 2nd, one adrift. He conjured six (of 14) fairways and hit 12 greens in regulation, losing strokes off-the-tee (-0.531) and around-the-green (-0.552), but gaining 0.205 on approach.
The Texan was 4-under thru 15 holes (1 eagle, 3 birdies, 1 bogey) and leading Herman by one, but squared back-to-backs at 16 and 17 (3-putt from 42’0″). Kelly Kraft posted 1.750 putts per GIR and 0.003 SG: Putting, ending the week with two eagles and 25 birdies against four bogeys.
The 30-year-old is chasing his first TOUR title in 119 events. He’s been a runner-up two times, most recently at the 2018 Greenbrier as a 54-hole co-leader (64-63-69-70). This was the SMU alum’s 334th career round and is a new low (previously 63), and is also a new course record (previously 62).
After opening with 65-67, Kelly Kraft began T3, two back of leader Herman, and hit 11 (of 14) fairways and 16 greens in regulation. The Texan hung up nine birdies and an eagle-3, registering 2.283 SG: Approach, 3.700 SG: Tee-to-Green and 8.203 SG: Total.
Kelly Kraft converted four birdie tries from between 10 and 23 feet, adding a 64’3″ bomb for eagle at 15. Kelly Kraft posted a sterling 1.438 putts per GIR and 4.503 SG: Putting with 25 total putts.
Kelly Kraft Caddies
Alternate reality: Kelly Kraft is now in contention at PGA Championship
Kelly Kraft wasn’t supposed to be playing Bethpage Black this week. Now, after the alternate snuck into the PGA Championship as the last player in the field, Kraft is somewhere else he isn’t supposed to be.
Earning entry to his fifth career major via Justin Thomas’ withdrawal with a wrist injury, Kraft has taken advantage of the gift and claimed a spot near the top of the leaderboard after shooting 65 Friday and moving to 4-under.
That placed the 30-year-old in a tie for fourth place entering the third round. Prior to landing on Long Island, Kraft had missed his past four cuts in stroke-play tournaments. He also missed the cut in half of the four majors he ever previously played in.
Kraft’s best-ever finish in a major was 58th, at the 2017 PGA Championship. “I need to send Justin Thomas a bottle of wine or something,” Kraft said. Kraft will have to find something for Adam Scott, too, after watching the Australian sink four birdies in the first five holes.
“We’re both making putts and feeding off of each other. It was fun,” Kraft said. “He made a bunch of long putts, and you start seeing balls go in early like that, makes the rest of the day a little more fun. Every time you get a look, you’re thinking about rolling it in.”
Even when he shouldn’t have been thinking about it. After shooting 1-over in the first round, Kraft opened with a birdie, then holed out from 93 yards for another birdie on the fifth. The 192nd-ranked player in the world was nearly flawless on the back-nine, recording four birdies and no bogeys.
Kraft closed with birdies on the final two holes, leaving his second shot on the 18th within 3 feet of the pin from 119 yards out. “I’m an average-length player, and when I play well, I putt really well and I get balls up-and-down and that’s what I’ve been doing the last couple days,” Kraft said.
“It’s not a course I’m going to overpower, so it’s something we’re just kind of staying in our lane and plodding away and hitting my driver really straight, pretty much where I’m looking, and if I can continue doing that, I’m going to have a lot more looks at birdie on the weekend.”
It is still a long look up to Brooks Koepka, who is seven shots clear of second place. But Kraft, the 2011 U.S. Amateur champion, isn’t paying attention to anyone else yet. “Don’t look at leaderboards,” Kraft said.
“It’s just me and my caddie out there and he’s telling me where to hit it and I’m trying to hit it there, and for the first few days it’s been pretty easy honestly.” Somehow, getting here was harder than playing here.
Net Worth
Kelly Kraft is an American professional golfer who has an estimated net worth of $8 million dollars as of 2019. Kelly Kraft donned the wolf at the RSM Classic in 2017 and the quick-witted Texan with the sweet swing has been a fixture with Greyson ever since.
The former SMU Mustang was a Walker Cup team member in 2011 and also won the US Amateur title in that same year. The consummate team player, Kelly was often a lone wolf showcasing Greyson on the PGA Tour in 2018.
With an unwavering loyalty and by way of a handshake, Kelly cemented his desire to be part of something bigger than himself and to lend his skills to building a brand that will shake up the golf and apparel landscape.
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