RICHMOND, KY (July 21, 2025) — A strong and diverse field is ready to compete in the 106th Kentucky Open, supported by Back 9 PT & Performance, which tees off Tuesday at Gibson Bay Golf Course. The championship features 156 of the state’s top professionals and amateurs in pursuit of one of Kentucky’s most coveted golf titles.

Among this year’s most compelling storylines is Steve Cox, PGA (Hodgenville, KY), who will make his 50th and final appearance in the Kentucky Open. A respected figure in the state’s golf community and longtime PGA Member, Cox will be joined in his opening rounds by Adam Gary, PGA, Head Women’s Golf Coach at Western Kentucky University, and Keith Reese, PGA, the 2025 KPGA Golf Executive of the Year and General Manager at Valhalla Golf Club. The trio will begin play at 7:30 a.m. on Hole 1 for the first rounds, followed by a 1:00 p.m. start on Hole 10 on Wednesday.

The 2025 field includes 57 professionals—35 of whom are Kentucky PGA Members—and 99 amateurs. A trio of past champions highlight the roster: Justin Tereshko (2023), Cooper Musselman (2017), and Trey Bowling (2008), all of whom bring championship experience to the tee.

Several high-profile groups are set to draw attention during the opening rounds:

• Trey Wall (2024 KY Amateur Champion), Warren Thomis (2025 KY Amateur Champion), and Justin Tereshko (2023 KY Amateur Champion) will compete in a marquee group of recent champions. Tereshko is also the 2023 Kentucky Open Champion and placed T-8 at last year’s event.

• Daniel Iceman, PGA, the 2024 Larry Gilbert & KPGA Assistant Player of the Year, will play alongside Timothy Wiseman, PGA, Director of Instruction at Old Capital GC, and Evan Cox, 2024 Kentucky Mid-Am Champion and Assistant Women’s Coach at Eastern Kentucky University.

• Robbie Keyes, who recently appeared in the 2025 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, joins Jansen Preston—a recent professional and 2024 Kentucky Amateur top-10 finisher—and Cooper Musselman, who competed in this year’s ISCO Championship after previously winning the Kentucky Open in 2017.

• Parker Haynes, Joshua Rhodes, and Grover Justice, PGA round out another strong trio. Justice, the 2025 KPGA Senior Professional Champion, finished T-17 at the 2024 Kentucky Open, while Rhodes claimed third place at the 2025 Kentucky Amateur.

• Talen Beane, the 2025 Kentucky Boys Junior Amateur Champion, will playing alongside Stephen Stallings, a University of Kentucky alum and 2025 ISCO Championship competitor, and Alastair Tidcombe, PGA, a recent transfer to the Kentucky Section who has placed at the top of the field in every event he has played in this season.

The top 20 finishers and ties this week will earn exemptions into the 2026 Kentucky Open, set to be held at Indian Hills Country Club from July 28–30, 2026.

The Kentucky PGA extends their appreciation to Gibson Bay Golf Course and its staff for hosting this championship, along with The City of Richmond for their support of professional and amateur golf in the Commonwealth.

Click here to view the tee times & pairings.

About the Kentucky PGA:

The Kentucky PGA (KPGA) is one of the 41 sections that comprise The PGA of America.  Formed in 1925, the Kentucky PGA has a professional membership of more than 325 men and women professionals across the Commonwealth of Kentucky, each of whom is dedicated to promoting the game in Kentucky.

The Kentucky PGA is dedicated to the promotion of the game of golf and providing ongoing education and professional development of Kentucky PGA Professionals.  Kentucky PGA Professionals are responsible for conducting a variety of golf-related functions, which include general management, golf instruction, tournament operations, golf shop merchandising, junior golf programs, golf club repair, and much more.  KPGA is a founding member of Golf House Kentucky, the umbrella organization that manages Kentucky’s Family of Golf Organizations.