What a finish for Ben James!
In his season debut on the @PGATOUR he cards a 6️⃣8️⃣ and is tied for 6th after round ☝️#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/aJaCtcIgN7
— Virginia Men's Golf (@UVAMensGolf) April 4, 2025
Ben James Tied for Sixth in 2025 PGA Tour Debut
SAN ANTONIO, Texas. – Making his 2025 PGA Tour debut, Virginia junior Ben James shot a 4-under 68 in the opening round of the Valero Texas Open on Thursday (April 3). James is tied for sixth and trails the overall leader Sam Ryder by five strokes.
James earned an exemption into the event after winning the 2024 Valero Texas Collegiate in a playoff back in September and is competing in the PGA Tour event as an amateur. It marks the seventh time he’s played in a PGA Tour event and the first time since the Procore Championship in in September of last year.
James birdied three of his last five holes on Thursday including both the 17th and 18th holes. He posted a total of six birdies on the day to match his best round as a competitor on the PGA Tour.
The Cavaliers are well represented in the event as James joins former Virginia golfers Denny McCarthy (-1, T43), Ben Kohles (E, T65) and Danny Walker (+7, 143) in the 144-player field.
James will tee off No. 10 on Friday at 9:59 AM ET. The tournament will be broadcast live from 8:15 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and coverage on the Golf Channel will be from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. ET.