Kevin Tway

Kevin Tway Bio

Kevin Coulter Tway (born July 23, 1988) is an American professional golfer who has played on the Web.com Tour and the PGA Tour. He is best remembered for capturing the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur as a teenager, a victory that placed him firmly on the radar of American golf. He later secured his first PGA Tour title at the 2018 Safeway Open, fulfilling years of steady work on the developmental circuit.

Tway is the son of Bob Tway, an eight-time PGA Tour winner and the 1986 PGA Championship champion. With Kevin’s breakthrough at the Safeway Open in October 2018, the Tways joined a small fraternity of only ten father-son pairs to have posted PGA Tour victories. Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and hailing from Edmond, Oklahoma, Tway has built his career on patience, course management, and a reliable short game.

Early Life and Background

Kevin Coulter Tway was born on July 23, 1988, in Edmond, Oklahoma, and grew up in the same close-knit community where he still resides. As the son of Bob Tway, a major champion and longtime PGA Tour veteran, he was surrounded by professional golf from an early age. His father’s work ethic and competitive routine provided a daily blueprint for what a tour career required.

Tway attended Edmond North High School, where he quickly distinguished himself as one of the top young players in the state. The Oklahoman named him the All-City Player of the Year in both 2006 and 2007, recognizing his dominance in the Oklahoma high school ranks. He also captured the Oklahoma Class 6A individual state title in each of those two seasons, reinforcing his reputation as a polished amateur.

His amateur résumé was further strengthened by his selection as a first-team American Junior Golf Association All-American in 2006, after earning second-team honors in 2005. That same year, Tway won the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur, the most prestigious junior event in the United States, and he returned the following year to reach the semifinals. He went on to play college golf at Oklahoma State, where he won the NCAA Central Regional as a freshman and earned honorable mention All-American recognition.

Path to Professional Golf

During his time at Oklahoma State, Tway tested his game against the highest amateur competition in the country. He qualified for the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines but narrowly missed the cut after rounds of 75 and 78. He also advanced to the round of 16 at the 2008 U.S. Amateur before falling to Derek Fathauer, gaining valuable experience in match play under pressure.

After graduating from Oklahoma State, Tway made the decision to turn professional in 2011. His debut came at the 2011 Travelers Championship, with his father Bob on the bag as his caddie, a fitting opening chapter for a player whose career began under the watchful eye of a major champion. That summer confirmed his readiness to chase a tour card of his own.

Tway spent the next two seasons honing his game on mini-tour events before landing on the Web.com Tour in 2013. The decision to grind through the developmental circuit shaped the steady, resilient style that has come to define his career.

Kevin Tway Career

Early Career (2011–2013)

Tway’s first taste of tour golf came at the 2011 Travelers Championship, where his father Bob caddied for him in his professional debut. The experience offered a glimpse of the PGA Tour stage, but full status remained elusive for the next two seasons. He split time between qualifying schools, Monday events, and mini-tour starts as he worked to refine a consistent routine.

In 2013, Tway secured Web.com Tour status and quickly delivered. He picked up his first professional victory at the Albertsons Boise Open, defeating Spencer Levin with a birdie on the first playoff hole. Both players had finished at a tournament record 261, and the win clinched a strong regular season that ended with Tway finishing fifth on the money list, earning his PGA Tour card for 2014.

Web.com Tour Breakthrough (2014–2016)

Tway’s 2014 rookie season on the PGA Tour proved difficult, as he made only eight cuts in 23 starts without a top-10 finish. His best result was a tie for 26th at the Travelers Championship, the same tournament where he had debuted three years earlier. He finished 177th in FedEx Cup points and returned to the Web.com Tour for 2015.

Back on the developmental circuit, Tway posted two top-10s in 2015, including a runner-up finish at the Mexico Championship. He ended the year 28th on the regular season money list, just three spots shy of an immediate PGA Tour return. The 2016 season brought further progress, with four top-10s in 20 starts and a solo third at the Price Cutter Charity Championship, before a strong run through the Web.com Tour Finals, highlighted by a tie for third at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, returned him to the PGA Tour for 2017.

PGA Tour Establishment (2017–2018)

In 2017, Tway enjoyed his most consistent PGA Tour campaign to date. After a slow opening stretch, he reeled off three consecutive top-5 finishes in April: T3 at the Valero Texas Open, solo third at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside partner Kelly Kraft, and T5 at the Wells Fargo Championship. Those results rocketed him from 175th to 55th in the FedEx Cup standings, securing his card for the following season and earning his first playoff appearance, where he ended the year 69th in points.

Tway carried that momentum into 2018, making 26 of 33 cuts and posting three additional top-10s. He logged a T9 at the AT&T Byron Nelson, a top-5 at the Fort Worth Invitational, and a T6 at the Travelers Championship, then advanced to the FedEx Cup playoffs for a second consecutive year. He finished 87th in points, comfortably retaining his PGA Tour card for the 2018–19 wraparound season that would soon produce his defining moment.

Safeway Open Era (2018–Present)

On October 7, 2018, Tway won the Safeway Open in Napa Valley, capturing his first career PGA Tour title. He birdied the final two holes of regulation to force a three-man playoff with Brandt Snedeker and Ryan Moore, then watched Snedeker fall away after a par on the first extra hole. Tway and Moore traded birdies through the next two holes before Tway closed the event with a 10-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole, sealing a victory that put his name alongside his father’s in the PGA Tour record book.

That breakthrough opened the door to new opportunities. On December 15, 2019, Tway won the QBE Shootout alongside partner Rory Sabbatini, adding a team-format title to his résumé. Across his career he has recorded three professional wins, including one PGA Tour title, one Korn Ferry Tour victory, and one additional tournament victory, and reached a career-high Official World Golf Ranking of 81 in October 2018.

Driving Style and Strengths

Tway’s game is built on accuracy off the tee and a steady, repeatable short game, the kind of profile that travels well on classic American parkland layouts. His height of 6 feet 3 inches produces a smooth, sweeping swing, and his comfort on Bermuda and Poa annua greens has been a quiet strength throughout his career. He relies on course management and patience, two qualities sharpened during his developmental years on the Web.com Tour.

Notable Events and Milestones

The 2018 Safeway Open remains the signature event of Tway’s career, both for the dramatic three-hole playoff finish and for the family history it created. Joining Bob Tway as one of only ten father-son pairs with PGA Tour wins gave the victory lasting significance beyond the trophy itself. He has also recorded notable major championship appearances, including a T36 at the 2019 Masters Tournament and a T60 at the 2014 U.S. Open.

Kevin Tway Career Wins

Kevin Coulter Tway has accumulated three professional wins across his career, with at least one victory on each of the PGA Tour, the Korn Ferry Tour, and an additional event outside the primary tours. His win timeline reflects a patient climb through the developmental ranks before arriving on the PGA Tour’s biggest stages.

PGA Tour Highlights

Tway’s lone PGA Tour victory came at the 2018 Safeway Open, where his closing birdie-birdie run and a three-hole playoff win delivered his maiden title. His PGA Tour playoff record stands at 1–0. The win marked the first time Tway had captured a tour-level event in front of a national television audience.

Korn Ferry Tour Highlights

Tway’s Korn Ferry Tour breakthrough arrived at the 2013 Albertsons Boise Open, where he defeated Spencer Levin with a birdie on the first playoff hole after both players finished at a tournament record 261. His Korn Ferry Tour playoff record stands at 1–0, and the victory remains the foundation of his professional résumé.

Other Wins and Performances

In addition to his tour victories, Tway won the 2019 QBE Shootout, a two-man team event, alongside Rory Sabbatini. Across his amateur career, he posted several high-profile wins, most notably the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur title and the Oklahoma Class 6A individual championship in both 2006 and 2007.

Kevin Tway Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

The Tway family is one of the most recognizable golfing families in Oklahoma. Kevin’s father, Bob Tway, is an eight-time PGA Tour winner whose crowning moment came at the 1986 PGA Championship, where his famous bunker shot on the 72nd hole helped him edge out Greg Norman. Growing up under that kind of lineage gave Kevin early access to elite-level coaching, course strategy, and the mental habits required to compete at the highest levels of the game.

Following Kevin’s 2018 Safeway Open triumph, Bob and Kevin Tway became one of only ten father-son pairs to have won PGA Tour events, a milestone that cements the family’s standing in American golf history. Kevin continues to carry the lessons of that heritage into every tournament he plays.

Personal Life

Kevin Tway was raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, and continues to make his home there. He attended Edmond North High School before going on to play college golf at Oklahoma State University. Off the course, he keeps a relatively low public profile, focusing much of his time on family life in Oklahoma and the routine of professional tournament golf.

2025 Season Performance

Entering the 2025 PGA Tour season, Kevin Tway arrived with full status and a clear goal of returning to the form that produced his Safeway Open breakthrough in 2018. The early months of the season focused on rebuilding momentum through consistent cuts and steady scoring, the foundation that has defined his best years on tour. His experience on a wide range of American layouts remained a strength as the schedule moved from the West Coast swing through the Florida-based events.

Midseason form suggested a return to competitive consistency, with several made cuts and flashes of the accuracy and patience that have long been hallmarks of his game. Drawing on the course management skills sharpened during his developmental years, Tway looked to position himself inside the FedEx Cup top 70 cutoff to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2018. The playoff picture remained the central storyline of his summer, with every FedEx Cup point carrying added weight.

Looking ahead, Tway’s outlook for the remainder of 2025 centers on consistency and the kind of late-season surges that defined his 2017 and 2018 campaigns. A reliable short game, familiarity with classic American setups, and a steady mindset position him well to contend for a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs. Continued steady play could also set the stage for a return to form on courses that have historically suited his eye, keeping alive the possibility of adding to his three career professional wins.