Russell Knox has kick-started an 11th PGA Tour season with an impressive 69 on the opening day of the new-sponsored Fortinet Championship in Napa, California.
Knox, 36, grabbed four birdies in a three-under par tally in crisp, calm and what he said were ‘tricky’ conditions on the North Course at the host Silverado Resort.
It left the Scot, who was out in the morning half of the draw in the $7m event, trailing four shots behind American Chev Reavie who was in the clubhouse leading thanks to a seven-under par 65.
“I was thrilled to shoot 69 as I felt great out there this morning”, Knox said.
“I hit the ball well and made a couple of nice par putts to kind of keep things going but then maybe left a couple out there towards the end but overall, I was delighted the way I felt while I was playing”.
And Knox returned to the Silverado course a year after posting an opening 63 to hand him the lead on day one to the start of the 2020/21 season before eventually sharing ninth place.
Though in his two prior visits he has missed the halfway cut.
“Hopefully on the back of my good result last year something is starting to click for me around here as I’ve had couple of disappointing trips around here”, Knox added.
“Last year and getting off to a flying start with my 63 was great though the course is playing a little trickier this year compared to last year, and especially so this morning.
“The greens also a little firmer and more bounce in them than last year, while the whole course is a lot firmer which makes it trickier and it’s only going to get a lot more trickier as the week goes on”.
Knox is competing for a first time in nearly a month since missing the halfway cut in the Northern Trust and the opening event of the three-tournament ‘Play-Off Series’ that ended the 2020/21 wraparound PGA Tour season.
The double PGA Tour winner ended last season 110th on the money list and with the assurance for an eighth year running of retaining full Tour membership.
And World No. 1 Jon Rahm seems to have shaken off a stomach illness that had him side-lined for two days ahead of the event.
It is the first in the history of the event that a current World No. 1 has teed-up and with the Spaniard posting a level par 72.
Rahm, however, fit enough to declare it is ‘fuel on his fire’ not being voted by his peers as PGA Tour ‘Player of the Year’.
See full story – http://www.golfbytourmiss.com/2021/09/rahm-considered-withdrawing-from-ryder-cup-while-overlooked-as-pga-tour-player-of-the-year-like-fuel-on-his-fire/
