Palm Harbor, FL …
Russell Knox had a smile on his face when he said he was unconcerned in missing halfway cuts if it meant becoming only the second Scot to win the Masters.
Unfortunately, after missing a third cut in four events at this week’s Valspar Championship Knox has just one event to get his game back on track before teeing up in the new season’s first Major starting April 6th at Augusta National.
Russell Knox shoots a 70 day one 2017 Valspar Championship (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
As Knox is not entered this week’s ‘memorial’ Arnold Palmer Invitational that last event before a second Masters showing is the March 22nd starting WGC – Dell Match-Play in Austin, Texas.
And given the ‘pool play’ format for the world’s top-64 competing in the Texas capital the last thing Knox would want is to be knocked out of qualifying for the final 16.
“All I can do is try to continue to move forward even though it’s like I’ve taken a good few steps backwards in recent weeks,” he said.
“But then it was not that long ago I felt I could win every tournament.
“So, in saying that I would rather play awful right now if it meant I can then go and win at Augusta rather than never win a Masters.
“And now with just the Match-Play in Texas before I go to the Masters I don’t think I have to add say the Shell Houston Open the week before Augusta as I have played a lot of golf already in this new PGA Tour season.
“Plus, I went to Australia at the end of last year for the World Cup and then came back here to Florida to finish top-10 in the Shark Shootout so I have played a lot of golf along with taking some time off.
“But then if I do feel I have to add Houston to my schedule than I will but the plan is still get to Augusta the Sunday night of the Masters.”
If you go back to the start of the 2016/17 PGA Tour wraparound schedule on 20th October in Malaysia where he was 1oth and up to his share of 11th in the Sony Hawaiian Open then ended on January 15th Knox played five events.
In those five events, and capped by third in the Mayakoba Championship in Mexico, Knox was 68-under par.
Then then since missing the cut in the Phoenix Open and also the following week’s Honda Classic, as well as finishing well down the field in the WGC – Mexico Champiohip, along with this rounds in the Valspar Knox has played 10 rounds to be 22-over par.
In those opening five events Knox was averaging 68.2 stroke a round and to also earn $US 1,038,333 (£Stg 853,203) in prize money but in the his past four the very affable Scot has averaged an even 73 shots per round and pocketed £Stg 31,187.
But then one of the Knox’s strengths is not to dwell on the past and saying: “Look, I would read too much into what I’m going through at the moment as I’ll be fine.”
