Knox qualifies for US PGA Tour
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THE Highland Capital will be represented on one of golf’s most prestigious tours next year — the lucrative US PGA.
Russell Knox is one of 25 players from the American Nationwide Tour to qualify automatically for a place in the flagship US PGA Tour.
He will now rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in golf — a far cry from when the Inverness-born Knox first set out on his professional career in the United States.
After a four year college career at Jacksonville University, the 26-year-old remained in America basing himself in Florida’s Jacksonville Beach where he joined the satellite Hooters Tour, competing in that up until April this year when he accepted an invitation to pre-qualify for entry into a Nationwide event in California.
Finishing second and earning his biggest-ever pay cheque qualified Knox for the next tour competition and with follow up earnings, he kept his place on the Nationwide Tour until a day in July changed his life.
Knox had his first career victory at the Nationwide’s Chiquita Classic, which not only guaranteed his place on the Nationwide Tour for the remainder of the season, but lifted him from position number 27 to fifth on the money winner’s list. If he could stay in the top 25 then he would receive a full US tour card without the need to go to qualifying school.
After the season finished last weekend Knox ended it 12th overall on the money list with season’s earnings of $242,811, which brought that coveted full tour card.
Knox is delighted to have made it to the US PGA Tour, but already he is focusing on bigger objectives next year, like playing in the British Open at Royal Lytham and the Scottish Open that will take place near his home at Castle Stuart.
"Its been a great year for me," said Knox. "I still can’t take in that I have a 2012 US PGA Tour card without having to go again to the Tour qualifying school.
"It is my aim to qualify for next year’s Open at Royal Lytham — it would be a dream come true — and also the Scottish Open.
"I tried last year to get an entry at Castle Stuart because it is not too far away from the family home in Inverness, but I was knocked back.
"Maybe that will change now that I am on the US Tour and I can get alongside my fellow Scot Martin Laird and the current world number one, Luke Donald, at Castle Stuart.
"I met Martin Laird once when I played in the Transitions Championship earlier this year in Tampa. We spoke for a few minutes and I look forward to getting to know him better next year."
Apart from the money difference Knox and Donald have golfing similarities. Both came through the American college systems and are similar in terms of styles of play.
Knox has an average driving distance of 288 yards, compared to Donald’s 284. Knox was fourth in fairway accuracy on the Nationwide Tour and Donald has the same reputation for fairway finding on the main tour.
Given these statistics, the future looks bright for Knox, who as an amateur was winner of the Four Day Open at Inverness Golf Club, the club championship at Nairn Dunbar and the North District’s Youth Championship.
