Darren Clarke may have another Ryder Cup rookie in his team at Hazeltine next month after Russell Knox of Scotland became a two-time winner on the US PGA Tour this season and pushed his name further forward for consideration to represent Europe.
Clarke’s side already looks likely to be heavy laden with Ryder Cup virgins and Knox has to make the top nine to qualify as of right – the leading four names from the European points list on 28 August not otherwise qualified, with five from the world points list – but Knox sank a 12ft putt at the final hole to win the Travelers Championship by a shot on Sunday and enhance his chances of making it on the plane to Minnesota.
Knox carries British and US passports but the 31-year-old considers himself to be Scottish. “My dad was born in California so I have dual nationality,” the Inverness-born golfer said after shooting a two-under 68 to finish on a 14-under 266 at TPC River Highlands. “I’m not sure there’s ever been someone in my position before but I’m Scottish down to the core so I’ll be on team Europe hopefully.”
Knox won the Travelers after getting up-and-down from a greenside bunker at the final hole to edge out the 49-year-old American Jerry Kelly, who signed for a 64 then after seeing the Scot drop a shot at par-three 16th went to the range and hit a few putts. After the Scot had produced a wild drive into the crowd deep in the right rough at the 18th when he needed par to win, Kelly, who won the last of his three PGA Tour titles in 2009, settled down in front of a TV to see his fate.
Knox’s second shot found the bunker and after he chipped from the sand and holed the difficult putt, the Scot launched his cap across the green. “That putt, I’ll remember that one for ever,” he said. “I felt like the Incredible Hulk when it went in. I could have ripped my shirt off.”
Only five Europeans are ahead of Knox in the world rankings now – Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose, and he sits 18th overall, but even if he is not among the nine who make the team automatically, he would hope to be one of the captain’s three picks.
“I thought about it [Ryder Cup] on the last tee, to be honest,” he said. “I knew by winning this tournament it puts Darren Clarke in a very difficult position not to pick me, but it’s his decision. If I make the top nine I deserve to be on the team. If I’m number 10 he can quite happily pass on me and that’s just the way it is. I’d love to be there. It would be a huge honour. Holing nice putts like that obviously helps.”
Knox’s breakthrough came by winning the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai in November and this victory came a few hours after Jim Furyk shot the lowest round in PGA Tour history, 58. His score was one better than the previous record held by six players, including Furyk himself, and he finished joint fifth at 11-under. “No one else can say they’ve done that out here on the PGA Tour,” the 2003 US Open champion said after holing his short par putt at the 18th. “It’s really special.”
The overnight leader, Daniel Berger, who started at 15-under, also finished three strokes behind after a 74 that included four bogeys from the 10th. Justin Thomas managed a 62 and put together five successive birdies to close out the front nine, finished with nine for the day and at 12-under was tied with Patrick Rodgers for third place.
Padraig Harrington shot a 75, finished at one-under and slipped to 131st in the FedEx Cup standings, putting him in danger of missing the play-offs as he heads off to Rio to represent Ireland in the first Olympic golf tournament since 1904.
Patrick Reed had the best warm-up of the three US Olympians with a 66 to finish at nine-under par, Matt Kuchar finished with a 65 and was eight under, and the defending champion, Bubba Watson, was on seven under after a 68. “It was one of those weeks where you could easily see [yourself] playing great next week or the week after,” Watson said after being serenaded from the 18th green with chants of “U-S-A” and boarding a plane for Rio de Janeiro.
