Final-Round Notes – Sunday, November 8, 2015
The World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions is the fourth event in the PGA TOUR’s wraparound schedule that bridges two years with 43 official regular season events. Over the span of 43 weeks, players vie to become the FedExCup Champion, which distinguishes the one player who not only performs well during the PGA TOUR Regular Season, but also excels through the four-event FedExCup Playoffs, culminating with the 2016 TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.
Russell Knox (SCO) winner of the WGC HSBC Champions. (Picture: Golffile | Fran Caffrey)
Final-Round Leaderboard
Russell Knox
Entering the final round of the World Golf Championships HSBC Champions, Russell Knox held a share of the lead with Kevin Kisner at 16-under-par. The 30-year-old Scotsman carded a 4-under 68 on Sunday and posted 20-under 268, good for a two-stroke win over Kisner.
Knox captures his first-career PGA TOUR victory in his 93rd start at the age of 30 years, 4 months and 18 days, and earns a three-year exemption on TOUR through the 2018-2019 season.
Knox’s maiden victory on the PGA TOUR is worth 550 FedExCup points. The Jacksonville Beach, Florida, resident will moves from No. 38 into the top 10 standings with his position dependent on the conclusion of the Sanderson Farms Championship.
Aside from Jeff Maggert, who won the very first World Golf Championships at the 1999 Accenture Match Play Championship, Russell Knox is the only player in World Golf Championships history to win his first World Golf Championships title while playing for the first time in the four-tournament series.
Knox is the seventh player to make a World Golf Championships event their first PGA TOUR win:
Knox is playing in his fourth full season on TOUR and finished 34th in the 2014-15 FedExCup standings. His season included two 3rd-place finishes (Shriners Hospital Open for Children, The Honda Classic). His best finish on TOUR coming into this week was a runner-up showing at the 2013 Honda Classic in which the former All-American was in a four-way playoff with Ryan Palmer, Rory McIlroy and Russell Henley, the eventual champion.
Knox is the first player from Scotland to win a World Golf Championships event.
Knox becomes the fourth European to win the World Golf Championships–HSBC Champions since the event became part of the WGC series in November 2009. He follows: Francesco Molinari (2010), Martin Kaymer (2011) and Ian Poulter (2012).
Knox is the second consecutive World Golf Championships first-time winner, following Shane Lowry at the 2015 World Golf Championships–Bridgestone Invitational.
With his victory at the HSBC Champions, the Jacksonville University Dolphin is now exempt on TOUR through the 2017-18 season.
Last week’s CIMB Classic was the first time Knox has been to any country in Asia. While in Malaysia, Knox was informed that he was in the field for the HSBC Champions. Knox’s wife, Andrea, scrambled to get their Visas from the Chinese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and arrived in Shanghai Monday afternoon. Knox’s caddie didn’t arrive until Wednesday so Andrea was forced to caddy for Knox in his Tuesday practice round at Sheshan International.
Knox’s previous best performance this season was a T21 at last week’s CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Knox’s career PGA TOUR starts-made cuts-top-10s-wins: 93-63-9-1
