Ben James was just three years old when he started playing golf with plastic clubs. Today, however, the newly minted PGA Tour pro is competing in some of the biggest events on the PGA Tour, including this week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship, where he will be vying for the lion’s share of the $6 million purse. But behind the scenes, James has also been playing money games with Jackson Koivun on Tuesdays.

“Yeah, so we play every Tuesday. I was beating him early a lot, but I think the last three he got me,” James told the PGA Tour. “I’m sure we’ve probably played about 10 matches. He’s probably won six of them, I would say, but it’s pretty even.”

“We both push each other play a lot. Play at home with Luke Clanton a lot, Nick Dunlap, Michael La Sasso, so we’ve got a good group of guys that we go out and have a good time with and get some games going.”

James will face some of those players again this week, with Luke Clanton and Nick Dunlap also set to tee off at Port Royal on October 22. Although the 23-year-old rookie, currently ranked No. 62 in the FedExCup standings, is expected to secure his PGA Tour card for next year, he will be hoping for a strong finish to climb further up the rankings.

Finishing inside the top 60, of course, will help him qualify for next season’s Signature Events. Still, the University of Virginia graduate, who topped the PGA Tour University rankings in 2026 to earn his Tour card, doesn’t want to put too much pressure on himself and is instead focused on doing the best he can.

“It will be great,” he added. “But I’m just trying my best every week to get better and to kind of just continue working on my process throughout the week. Just play hard and just do the best I can. If I can do that and keep having a good attitude and keep enjoying my time on the golf course, I’ll be just fine.”

How he performs remains to be seen, but when play begins Thursday, he will be paired with Miles Russell and David Ford. Yet, as far as his fans are concerned, Ben James is already their pick to win his first PGA Tour event this week at Port Royal. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, James is a +1000 favorite to win.

There’s a good chance that it ends up happening, given the impressive form the 23-year-old has displayed of late. He finished third at the Wyndham Championship in August, followed by a runner-up finish at the Biltmore Championship last month, and a fifth-place finish at the Bank of Utah Championship earlier this month.

That said, Ben James and Jackson Koivun will get to compete against each other again in the TGL. 

Ben James joins Jackson Koivun at TGL

TGL is preparing to welcome some of golf’s brightest young talents for its third season. The league announced Tuesday that Ben James will represent defending champions Los Angeles Golf Club, joining Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, and Sahith Theegala.

Meanwhile, Jackson Koivun will represent expansion franchise Motor City Golf Club alongside Brooks Koepka, Jake Knapp, Si Woo Kim, and Bud Cauley. Also, Blades Brown, the youngest Korn Ferry Tour graduate in history, is another notable addition, joining The Bay Golf Club. 

The third TGL season begins December 27 at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. But before that, all eyes will be on Ben James this week at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.