COLUMBUS, Ohio – Fresh off the marathon that is the PGA Professional Championship (PPC), two PGA of America Golf Professionals from the Southern Ohio Section will compete at the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.
Jared Jones, PGA, finished T10 at the PPC, held at Bandon Dunes Golf Club, after rounds of 71, 70, 75 and 72. The lead golf instructor at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, this will be the third major championship appearance for Jones, who previously qualified for the 2022 and 2024 PGA Championships. Jones was the winner of the 2025 Southern Ohio PGA Section Championship at Miami Valley Golf Club.
Ben Kern, PGA, is heading back to the PGA Championship as well, thanks to his solo second finish at the PPC. Kern has a solid major championship history, in 2018, he made the cut at Bellerive and finished as the low PGA Professional. He also qualified for the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill. Kern, the General Manager at Hickory Hills Golf Club in Grove City, also played in the 2022 Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour.
The 2026 PGA Championship will be played May 11-17 at one of Donald Ross’s masterpiece designs, Aronimink Golf Club. Located just outside Philadephia in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, Aronimink has hosted three major championships in its history, as well as multiple USGA championships and PGA Tour events.