Rookie Jake Knapp hold off Sami Valimaki to win first PGA Tour event at Mexico Open 2024
— PGA Tour rookie Jake Knapp lost a four-shot lead in seven holes and then held it together with a remarkable short game Sunday, closing with an even-par 71 to win the Mexico Open at Vidanta and earn a trip to the Masters.
Knapp said he still sends a text after each round to his grandfather, who died last year, and this message might require a lot of detail.
He didn’t hit a fairway until the eighth hole and found only two the entire round. He never lost the lead, but twice allowed Sami Valimaki of Finland to catch him. They were tied with six holes to play until Knapp took over, getting up-and-down on four of the next five holes, one of them for birdie.
Tee-to-green, Knapp had his worst performance. But he spent extra time Saturday night on his short game, and it won the day for him.
Another big par save on the par-3 17th gave Knapp a two-shot lead going to the par-5 closing hole at Vallarta Vidanta. Valimaki, needing eagle to have a chance, hit his drive down the right side, off a cart path and it nestled next to a boundary fence. He had to take a penalty drop, effectively ending his chances.
Knapp, who finished at 19-under 265, won in his fifth start of his rookie season. Jake Along with winning $1,458,000 prize money and moving into the top 10 in the FedEx Cup, the 29-year-old Californian is headed to the Masters and PGA Championship. He also gets into the remaining five $20 million signature events, starting with Bay Hill in two weeks.
Playing golf at the highest level was a dream they shared, and Knapp had to choke back emotions Saturday talking about him, apologizing because he had never been asked publicly about his grandfather.
Knapp was hopeful of the outcome. He didn’t imagine how he would get to the finish line.
Staked to a four-shot lead, he made bogey on the opening hole with a weak chip. He had to save par on the next hole after another pulled tee shot. The third drive was the worst, a hook some 50 yards left of the fairway into the water, leading to another bogey.
Three holes into the final round, his lead was already down to two.
Knapp, who came into the week at No. 101 in the world, became the seventh PGA Tour winner in eight tournaments to start the year who was outside the top 50.
Stephan Jaeger (65), C.T. Pan (65) and Justin Lower (68) tied for third.
Knapp spent four seasons on the Canadian tour and two on the Korn Ferry Tour until finally getting a PGA Tour card for this year. He once worked as a bouncer when he needed daytime hours to practice and cash to pay entry fees.
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