LostGolfBalls.com BLOG

Information and tips on everything golf ball related from the largest recycler of used golf balls in the world

Jason Kokrak Is Canadian Sort Of

Read More →

Posts by Tag

see all
All Posts

Jason Kokrak Is Canadian Sort Of

 

 
 
 

When Jason Kokrak (Titleist Pro V1) won the Houston Open last week, he was identified as Canadian, which is factually true but also somewhat misleading.

I mention this because I’m a Canadian and proud of it. Canada has some dynamic talent on the PGA Tour with the likes of Corey Conners (Titleist Pro V1), Mackenzie Hughes (Titleist Pro V1), Adam Hadwin (Callaway Chrome Soft X), Roger Sloan (Titleist Pro V1x), Graham DeLaet (Titleist Pro V1) and Nick Taylor (TaylorMade TP5), to note some of the prominent ones.

Kokrak was born in North Bay, a city with a population of just under 54,000 that is about five hours or so north of Toronto. If ever there was a town with a name that truly represents Canada, I’d say North Bay sums it up.

But, here’s the whole story about Kokrak’s nationality, and I give credit to Bob Weeks, a top Canadian golf journalist for the background. Kokrak was born in North Bay while his mother, Teresa, was visiting relatives there. The birth happened a tad sooner than expected. So technically he’s a Canadian, sort of. Two weeks after the birth, mother and son returned home to Ohio.

So, for all intents and purposes, Kokrak is really an American, but if he wins a tournament Canada can refer to him as a Canadian.

Incidentally, the PGA lists the countries of birth beside players names with a flag. In Kokrak’s case, it was the American flag. We wonder if there was ever a golf battle between Canada and the U.S., which country would Kokrak represent? This has happened in other sports in which Canadian natives have chosen to play for other countries because of their family lineage.

Kokrak has won three tournaments in his last 27, which is rather remarkable given that he went winless in his first 233.

“I guess you can call me an underdog, but the last couple of years I’ve played some pretty solid golf,” he said afterward.

I was selfishly hoping Scottie Scheffler (Titleist Pro V1) would win because I picked him in a recent blog as one of my breakout players for the 2021-2022 PGA season. He had a one-stroke lead going into the final of the Houston Open, but finished tied for second with a one-under par round. Kokrak blistered the Memorial Park Golf Course shooting five-under par.

DECHAMBEAU THE INVENTOR: Bryson DeChambeau (Bridgestone Tour B X) has a video on his YouTube channel displaying Cobra irons created with a 3D Printer. With all he has done to change the game, I’m beginning to think he is to golf what Elon Musk is to electric vehicles and rocket ships. Bet you never expected to see Elon Musk’s name in a golf blog?

   
Perry Lefko
Perry Lefko
Perry Lefko is an award-winning writer who has published nine books, three of them bestsellers. He has been involved in sports writing for more than 35 years and has interviewed many superstar athletes. He lives in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and enjoys watching golf and playing it.

Related Posts

Genesis Invitational Gives Us The Reality Of Sports

I’ve written this before and I’m repeating it because it never ceases to amaze me how televised sports is the ultimate reality show, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, as the now-defunct ABC Wild Word of Sports used as its intro. On the final hole of the Pebble Beach Open, Jacob Bridgeman (TaylorMade TP5x) was hitting a shot off of pebbles on the beach on the 18th hole. His ball ended up in the ocean and resulted in a bogey, tying him for eighth place when he was close enough starting the hole for a much better finish. I thought his spirits were crushed and dismissed him for the Genesis Invitational. So what does he do? Goes on a tear and headed into the final day, chasing a tournament record score. But he nearly frittered away the win, coming undone on the back half of the back nine and eking out a single stroke victory, and only because he parred a four-foot putt that must have seemed much longer because of the pressure. That’s drama, real drama, not manufactured reality. He won the event for the first time in his 66th tournament on the PGA Tour and only 65 days after marrying.

It's Time To Talk About Tiger Woods Again

Some thoughts on the world of golf with the Masters less than eight weeks away: When Tiger Woods (Bridgestone Tour B XS) speaks, we all listen. As the host of the Genesis Invitational this week, Woods held his annual address about his health, career, playing in the Masters and the PGA Tour at large. Woods is gradually returning to swinging his clubs from his latest back surgery last fall, which naturally had reporters asking him about his playing status. He did not specify when he will return to playing again, yet he tersely and emphatically did not rule out playing in the Masters. “No,” he said. Woods has always tried to play in the Masters, no matter his physical condition.

Chris Gotterup Making A Name For Himself

Who is Chris Gotterup (Bridgestone Tour B X), and why is he tearing it up early in the 2026 PGA Tour season? If you had asked golf fans heading into this year’s season, some may have known him and success he has had, but I don’t think there would be many who would say he was slated for a breakthrough season. But now the word is out: Not only is he a long-ball hitter off the tee and someone who can keep it in the fairway, but he also has a complete game and championship mettle. With two victories in only three tournaments in 2026, most recently last weekend beating two-time winner Hideki Matsuyama (Srixon Z-Star XV) in a playoff in the WM Phoenix Open, Gotterup is on a heater. Matsuyama, the tournament leader heading into the final round, was spraying his ball all over the course and was scrambling most of the day. Gotterup was quietly doing his own thing. In fact, while Scottie Scheffler (Titleist Pro V1) was making a serious run for the lead that just fell one shot short after a seven-under par, Gotterup was putting together a similar round. He had the tournament lead after round one with an eight-under par – Scheffler was just hoping to make the cut after opening two-under par – but shot one-under par in his next two rounds. Gotterup really turned it on in the final round. He was two-under after the front nine, but five-under on the back nine, including birdying five of the last six holes.