A Masters debut and a flirtation with another victory on the PGA Tour? It’s been an eventful couple of weeks for Russell Knox.
His maiden appearance at Augusta National may have, in his own words, left him “shell shocked” after an opening 79 but a share of second place in the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head on Sunday underlined his ability and resolve.
“It will be nice to put my feet up on the couch,” said the 30-year-old Inverness exile after experiencing the full roller coaster of golfing emotions recently.
A spirited Knox closed with a 67 in South Carolina to finish just two shots behind eventual winner Branden Grace. A cheque for over $500,000 was tucked into the bank account while he moved up to third on the FedEx Cup standings and 29th on the world rankings.
His effort also gave his European Ryder Cup ambitions a sizeable lift as he moved up to 66th to 29th on the points list. There’s still a huge task facing him but with huge events coming up, Knox has plenty of opportunities to make a push for a place at Hazeltine.
“I just have to soak it all in and go for it in terms of the Ryder Cup,” said Knox, who is clearly up for the challenge.
Following his breakthrough victory in the WGC HSBC Champions last November, Knox has now notched three second place finishes on the toughest tour in the world. His putting was a key part of his title tilt at the weekend.
“Practice actually works,” he joked. “And I think I'm going to have to dedicate myself to do it more often. I was thrilled with the way I putted over the weekend, especially after the first day. I didn't putt very good that day. And the last three days I'm proud of myself. I put in some time and actually figured out how to make a few.”
Knox will now enjoy a bit of relaxation before resuming hostilities on the PGA circuit. “I might take a few weeks off right now and I'm looking forward to The Players Championship, that might be my next start,” added the Scot as he looked ahead to the so-called ‘fifth major’ at Sawgrass in early May.
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