Jake Knapp was on the pace to support one of the best rounds in the history of golf on Sunday afternoon.
But just like that, he saw his chance to victory move completely in the section of National PGA.
Knapp, who fired A 59 History to open the week In Palm Beach Gardens, stumbled on the section and ended up finishing T6 at Cognizant Classic on Sunday. He pulled a last 72 round, which dropped him 15 under the total.
Joe Highsmith, who carded a 64 without Bogey on Sunday, ended up a two -stroke victory. It was the first career victory on the PGA Tour, and made him the first golfer since 2016 to win an event after having made the number of the number. This has earned him a place in Arnold Palmer Invitational next week, the masters and all the remaining signature events this season.
The biggest number of Knapp on Sunday occurred at 11, when he barely landed in the water near the Green on his approach shot. Instead of taking a drop, Knapp removed his right shoe and rolled up his leg of pants to try to take out the ball out of the water with success. This strategy did not work and led him to make a triple bogey and to delete it almost immediately.
“I just think that in the moment, even now, I do not take it back,” said Knapp when he was asked if he had spoken to take a drop in the place. “It is only one of those shots, it is enough to end up hitting a little stronger than me.”
Knapp just came a boost to match the record of all time of the PGA Tour in the first round Thursday. He started his turn with five consecutive stews to propel him to the 12-minions of 59 years. He barely missed a Birdie putt on the 17th, then brought a little eagle putt to the last.
Knapp is only the 15th player in the history of the tour To make cards of 59 or better in a tour, and the first from Hayden Springer did at John Deere Classic last summer. Jim Furyk set the PGA Tour record with a 58 in the Travelers championship in 2016.
This gave Knapp a three-stroke lead when he hit the clubhouse. His advance decreased to one after having displayed a 70 on Friday, which included a double bogey, then he joined a three -stroke hole on Saturday to return to a blow after a day of chaotic move which saw 10 different players have at least one part of the head.
Knapp went around 1 under Sunday, which kept him in the lead. But after the 11th, it was over. He closed the day with seven consecutive pars to make a card 1 of 72.
“On the 59 on the first day, they do not occur very often. So, obviously, this will hold a special place in my heart, “said Knapp. “But that being said, the whole goal at the start of the week is always to set you up in the weekend, and I was happy to have been able to do it. Then as I said, I think that today I played super solid outside this hole. »»
Knapp won his inaugural victory on tour of Mexico Open last year – one of the first four top 10 that the 30 -year -old had over the season. Before this weekend, Knapp's best finish on tour this season was a T17 race at Genesis Invitational last month in San Diego.
Despite his incredible start, Knapp insists that it was not in his mind the rest of the path. His trip Sunday was just that.
“I think if I had (pulled a 59) on Saturday, maybe it would have been different,” Knapp said. “But Thursday, we were jokingly joked on this subject, it is like, it was different if it was one of those where you have an advance of eight strokes after the first round, but it is really the same thing that someone goes and pulls 65 and the next score is 70 or 71 or 69 or something like that. It was really not at all in my head after the first day.
