Edwards claims Kentucky Open title
Published 8:37 am Friday, July 31, 2026
Louisville’s Erik Edwards won the 107th Kentucky Open on Thursday at Indian Hills Country Club.
(kygolf.org)
Erik Edwards completed a remarkable round Thursday, capturing the 107th Kentucky Open presented by South Central Bank with a dramatic final birdie on the 18th hole at Indian Hills Country Club.
Edwards, from Louisville, entered the final round sitting at 8-under par after two rounds. The tournament had already produced plenty of excitement, with Bowling Green’s Nathan Hincks opening the championship with a course-record 63 before Paducah’s Joey Mayo matched that mark with a 62 in the second round to move into a share of the lead with Bowling Green’s Christian Tooley. Edwards, Benton’s Trey Wall and Bowling Green’s CM Mixon entered Thursday just one shot off the lead.
As the final round unfolded, the leaderboard continued to tighten, with several players making runs at the championship. Among them was Indian Hills Country club member Tooley, who put together an impressive final-round charge in front of the home crowd. Tooley stayed in contention, even leading the pack for a while, throughout the day and made a strong push toward the top of the leaderboard, ultimately finishing tied for second alongside Wall.
By the time the second-to-last group reached the 18th hole, Edwards and Wall were tied at the top, setting up a dramatic finish. With the championship well within reach, Wall made par on the closing hole, leaving the door open for Edwards who was up to putt second.
With the title on the line, Edwards delivered when it mattered most, rolling in a birdie on 18 to bring him to a final 54-hole total of 13-under-par. Tooley approached the 18th green in the group behind Edwards, hitting his second shot to roughly 40 feet. Tooley needed the putt to drop to tie Edwards, but left it just short to make par and claim runner-up honors. Edwards was watching from the sidelines, with his family instantly embracing him with hugs realizing he was able to secure the victory and claim the Jack Ryan Trophy.
Wall’s runner-up finish capped a strong and consistent week, while Tooley’s tie for second made for an especially memorable performance at his home course. As an Indian Hills member, Tooley had the support of the local crowd throughout the championship as he battled for the title down the stretch.
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The win carries even more meaning for Edwards, who returned to competition within the past year after battling an injury. Less than a year after facing that setback, Edwards has now completed his comeback by winning one of Kentucky’s premier championships, a dream he said he has had for a long time.
Edwards’ bogey-free final round and victory caps an unforgettable week at Indian Hills, where the leaderboard remained packed from the opening round through the final hole.
The crowd of spectators following Tooley, along with host PGA Professional John Mullendore, led to the largest spectator crowd in recent Kentucky Open history.
Also claiming honors Thursda was Kyle Alexander, KPGA Associate at Henry County Country Club, who secured the Low KPGA Professional honors after shooting 4-under throughout the 54 holes.
In Thursday’s round, Evan Davis held the low round of the day with a 6-under 65. Davis got this done by ending his round with five birdies in his last six holes of the day, showcasing impressive stability coming down the stretch.
