“It’s stings. There’s such a fine line in golf.” - Virginia sophomore Ben James loses NCAA Division I men’s golf title after slow-play penalty

Ben James's one-stroke penalty cost him the 2024 NCAA Division I men's golf title. During the first round of the tournament, the amateur golfer and his playing partner, Baard Skogen, were given a stroke penalty for slow play.

According to James, he was penalized on the par-4 17th hole on Friday, May 24. James had a rough start at the national tournament but improved his game as the tournament progressed.

He entered the final round in second position, and with a round of 73, he settled in a six-way tie for second place, just one stroke behind the winner, Hiroshi Tai. If James had avoided the penalty during the first round, he would have tied for the lead with Tai and had an opportunity to win the NCAA DI Men's Championship.

Baard Skogen, Ben James, and Ben Lorenz were paired for the first round of the event, but only Skogen and James received penalties for slow play. Following the tournament on Monday, May 27, James opened up about his game and one-stroke penalty in an interview with Golf Digest. He said:

“It’s a crazy game. One shot. It’s the rules, but it sucks. It’s stings. There’s such a fine line in golf.”

The Virginia Sophomore started the game with a round of 73 in the first round of the National Championship. However, after a rough start, he quickly bounced back and shot 71 and 69 in the next two rounds. He scored 73 in the final fourth round and finished with a score of under par 2.

James settled in a tie for second place with Tyler Goecke, Luke Clanton, Jackson Koivun, Gordon Sargent, and Max Herendeen. Hiroshi Tai won the tournament after playing 67, 77, 70, and 71 rounds.

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All about Ben James' amateur career

Ben James currently ranks fifth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He has been successful in collegiate events, having won seven tournaments so far. James had 21 top-10 finishes and has even played at Walker Cup and Arnold Palmer Cup.

Besides playing in collegiate events, the 20-year-old golfer has competed on the PGA Tour events as an amateur. He played at the Travelers Championship in 2022 and 2023 but failed to make the cut.

Here are the results of Ben James performance in Collegiate events:

2024

• NCAA Baton Rouge Regional: 9
• 2024 ACC Men's Golf Championship: 12
• Lewis Chitengwa Memorial: 3
• Linger Longer Invitational: 6
• The Hayt: 11
• Watersound Invitational: 12
• Puerto Rico Classic: 3

2023

• South Beach International Amateur: 1
• Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational: 5
• Hamptons Intercollegiate: 16
• Chicago Highlands Invitational: 8
• The Walker Cup: Participant
• U.S. Amateur Championship: 5
• The Western Amateur Championship: 142
• Southern Amateur Championship: 28
• Travelers Championship: 145
• Sunnehanna Amateur: 52
• Arnold Palmer Cup: Participant
• NCAA D1 Championship - Match: Participant
• NCAA D1 Championship - Stroke: 6

It is important to note that with the completion of the individual NCAA Championship finale, PGA Tour University rankings were also revealed. Michael Thorbjornsen topped the ranking and received his PGA Tour to compete on the circuit this season and next season.