It was the most devastating throw of a hat since Oddjob used to kill off Bond girls with his hurtling bowler.
When Russell Knox trundled in a 12-foot putt for his par on the final hole to win last year’s Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour, his triumphant toss of the cap across the green almost had the galleries cowering for cover.
Knox is fully-bunneted and back at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut this week to defend his crown as he looks to build up a head of steam.
Having missed the cut in the US Open, his seventh early exit in his last 12 events, Knox is hoping to “play myself out of this little funk” before he heads back across the Atlantic to contest the French Open, the Scottish Open and the Open.
A return to his happy hunting ground may just provide a timely tonic. A year ago, Knox found inspiration in the exploits of others. Jim Furyk had just shot a 58 – the lowest round in PGA Tour history – as Knox was preparing to tee-off in his final round.
“As I was coming out the locker room, Jim passed me and I said ‘congratulations’,” recalled Knox.
“I thought it was pretty cool that I was just starting my day and he was just finishing the best round in PGA Tour history. I thought ‘maybe this is a good luck charm that I just brushed shoulders with Mr 58?’”
Knox faces stiff competition this week from a field that includes the likes of Rory McIlroy and Jason Day and the Scot is relishing the challenge.
“It’s a great field,” he said. “There are big world ranking points but there are also bragging points. If you win this week you can say ‘hey, I beat Rory, Jason and others’.”
Ahead of Knox’s title defence this week, the PGA Tour unveiled its plans to be more stringent with its drug-testing policy and announced plans to introduce blood testing as of next season.
In a bid to increase transparency, any suspensions of players abusing banned substances will be announced publicly for the first time.
“We all want a fair playing field,” added Knox. “If that’s the step they want to take then I’m all behind it. If you do something you’re not supposed to then it should be made public.”
Many have criticised golf’s general slap-dash approach to drug-testing down the years and Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour’s new commissioner, is clearly keen to up the ante on that front.
“These changes to our programme are prudent in that they further our objectives of protecting the well-being of our members and better substantiate the integrity of golf as a clean sport," he said.
Elsewhere on the PGA Tour, Phil Mickelson and his long-serving caddie, Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay, have parted company after 25 years.
The alliance won 42 PGA titles together, a haul which included five majors with the last coming in the 2013 Open at Muirfield.
“My relationship and history with Bones far exceeds golf,” said Mickelson.
At the Amateur Championship, meanwhile, Balmore’s Chris Maclean led a posse of eight Scots into the matchplay stages at Royal St George’s.
The 22-year-old, who was runner-up in this season’s Irish Open Strokeplay, posted a two-under 68 for a six-under 136 and finished in fifth place behind No 1 qualifier, Caolan Rafferty, who topped the order with a sparkling, course-record 62 at Prince’s for a 132.
Craig Howie and Sandy Scott (137) comfortably finished among the top 64 and ties who progressed with Euan Walker and Craig Ross two shots further back on 139.
Robert MacIntyre, last year’s runner-up, and Walker Cup hopeful Connor Syme made it on the 141 limit.
Liam Johnston, the Scottish Strokeplay champion, was a notable casualty on 148.
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