Cromwell, Connecticut ..
Russell Knox believes he is inching ever closer to getting out from, and what his caddy says, under a dark cloud that has been hanging over the Scot for much of the season.
Knox grabbed back-to-back birdies near the end of his round delivered Russell Knox a late birthday lift on day one of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.
He had made the turn at one over with a sixth hole birdie sandwiched between bogeys at four and nine.
Knox then pared the next six holes before holing a 10-foot birdie at 16 and then a birdie from nine-feet at the next, the par three, 16th before ending with two pars in a one-under par 69 on the par 7o Constitution State layout.
Russell Knox handed a birthday cake to celebrate his 32nd birthday during Wednesdays pro am
If left Knox trailing six shots behind double Major winning Jordan Spieth who, in contesting the event for a first occasion, stormed his way to a one shot lead with a seven-under 63.
However there was the stress for the American of seeing a spectator pass out and needing urgent medical assistance in the very hot conditions, and this incident was on top of spectator collapsing and passing away when he contested the pro-am at the recent Memorial.
No such concern for Knox and the defending champion in the $US 6.8m event, and a day after he turned 32.
“It was a super touch to present me with a birthday cake on the tee yesterday but everyone is just great here at the Travelers, and to be defending champion made me also feel like a million dollars”, he said.
“As for today, it was nice to play with Marc Leishman and Bubba as I enjoyed playing with them. Marc is about the most laid back guy in the world and I love playing with him while Bubba is always Bubba and he is a legend.
“But I had a kind of unlucky round as I have four or five things that happened where after a good drive a shot would just go in a bunker or I missed a couple of putts while I drove my ball into a divot on 13.
“Though in saying that it was good and I am right there and so close to again playing great golf.
“My caddy said to me that at the moment it is like we have a dark cloud hanging over us right now and all we need to do is to get out from under the cloud but then after a round like today, I am seeing so much more sunshine”.
