When you think of a PGA Championship contender, a 41-year-old tattooed club pro from Ohio might not be the first image that comes to mind. But Ben Kern is proving that golf's beauty lies in its surprises.

Through two rounds at Aronimink, birdies have been as rare as a calm wind. No player has reached double digits, but four have managed nine—and among them is Kern, the most unexpected name on that list. Tied with Chris Gotterup, Aaron Rai, and Alex Smally, Kern has quietly made his mark at The Mink.

Kern's journey to this moment is anything but typical. A Tucson native who played college golf at Kansas State, he turned pro in 2007 and spent years chasing the dream. Today, he's the general manager at Hickory Hills Golf Club in Grove City, Ohio. This is his third PGA Championship appearance, having missed the cut at Oak Hill in 2023 and finishing T-42 at Bellerive in 2018.

But Kern isn't your average club pro. Standing 6-foot-1 and 275 pounds, he's a big presence on the course. He used to sport a massive beard, but that's gone now. What remains is a full sleeve of tattoos on his left arm—a visual reminder that he's carved his own path in a sport that often prizes conformity.

Growing up in the desert, Kern admits he used to just "hit the ball to the moon." College taught him that raw power alone wouldn't cut it. "I like going low, going high, left, both directions," he says. "I have fun kind of picking apart the wind and hitting golf shots." That versatility has been key on a blustery Aronimink layout.

After an opening 74, Kern needed a strong Friday morning round to make the weekend. He was even par through nine, highlighted by a stunning 52-foot birdie putt over a spine at the 218-yard 17th hole. Then came the fireworks: four birdies in a five-hole stretch. He wedged to a few feet at the par-4 first for an easy tap-in, thinned an 8-iron from a fairway bunker to 9 feet at the second and rolled it home, and drained a 21-footer at the third after getting a read from playing partner Russell Henley.

Now 1-over through two rounds, Kern is 2-for-3 in making cuts at the PGA Championship. For a club pro with tattoos, a big swing, and an even bigger personality, that's a story worth following.