Quail Hollow, NC …
Russell Knox had the Quail Hollow red carpet pulled out from him on day one of the PGA Championship in suburban Charlotte.
Knox raced to the top of the leader board in starting with back-to-back birdies on route to what was s shock six over par 77.
Knox, who had awoke at 4am, was out in the first group off the 10th tee and he and new caddy, Montana–born Kevin Fasbender could not have asked for a better start to their relationship when Knox landed his third shot into the downhill par five to seven feet and rolled in the birdie putt.
At the par four, 11th and Knox’s, he found a left fairway bunker but pulled off a great second 144-yard second to the front of the green and both he and Fasbender delighted in seeing the 27-footer find the bottom of the cup
It would prove to be the highwater mark of his round bogeying his fifth, seventh and ninth holes to make the turn in one-par.
However, the hurt continued with Knox slumping to four over par in bogeying three holes in succession from his 11th hole including at the par three, fourth that he was playing as his 13th where he found a greenside bunker but took three shots to get up-and-down from 33 feet.
He then bogeyed his 15th and 18th holes and in a round that matched the 77 he shot on day one of the 2o15 event.
He said: “I felt good after birdies on my first two holes but then it was a strange day and I cannot believe what I shot.
“It is a hard golf course and having started on 10 it was tough even though it is an easier hole than one.
“Then holes 16, 17, 18 and then one, two, three, four, five and six all in row and I just didn’t handle that.
“I think I must have worn out my 4-iron hitting so many shots from 200 yards plus while my long game was just not good enough as I kept making bogeys.
“The golf course is just very difficult and it is the hardest course that we have played probably all year, and especially from where I am hitting in from as the greens are extremely difficult and extremely fast. The course also is set up very difficult with some tough pins“.
Knox is no stranger to Quail Hollow having contested the PGA Tours Wells Fargo Championship but the Charlotte course is now like fighting to handle a NASCAR than holding onto the reins of a stage coach.
“Compared to when we play the Wells Fargo here I would say the course this week is about three to four shots more difficult“, said Knox.
“The greens are the fastest greens we have putted on all year, by far. That is because there is so much slope in the greens, and if you should get about the hole you are just nudging it down to the hole.
“But then in saying that, there is good scores out there and it is doable but you are going to have to hit great shots from 180 to 220 yards out to be in focus.
“So, there was nothing really pleasing about my round but I did battle hard and while my start was good but then on 16 I had a massive mud ball and I was lucky that did not go in the water.
“But to have a decent front nine and then to finish six over, I am thinking “Oh! “ as the front nine was good enough to be a couple under. “
