Knox Hoping A Visit To His ‘Golf Room’ Will Lead To Re-Gaining A Full 2024 PGA Tour Card

5 months ago by Comments Off on Knox Hoping A Visit To His ‘Golf Room’ Will Lead To Re-Gaining A Full 2024 PGA Tour Card

If Russell Knox needs any reminder of his golfing talent ahead of this week’s PGA Tour Final Qualifier, he has only to open the door of his affectionately named ‘The Knox Golf Room’.

The room is a small extension to his Ponte Vedra abode where he stores everything golf related … bags, photographs, posters, tournament flags, clubs, gloves, caps, clothing, balls, shoes, commemorative glasses, everything.

Anytime Knox and his wife, Andrea along with their beloved Cavapoo Rusty, and now aged four, are at home there would not be a day Knox doesn’t spend time in his golf-only room.

Knox said: “Andrea lets me keep all my golf stuff in the room (smiling). I have three or four trophies there but in golf, you never know if you’ll ever win.

“Hopefully, we can extend the room as there are a few gaps so I can put some more trophies in there”.

The Scot has won seven tournaments in his 16-year pro career but taking pride of place is three special trophies, the reward for three incredible victories on three different continents.

In 2015 Knox denied 21 either present or future major winners to capture the WGC HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

A year later he stole much of Jim Furyk’s closing round thunder of a 58 in winning the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship in Connecticut.

Two years later, Knox holed a monster curling birdie putt to deny Kiwi Ryan Fox in a play-off at the 2018 Irish Open at Ballyliffin.

Knox spent time in his golf room over the weekend, and ahead of teeing-up in tomorrow’s (Thursday) starting PGA Tour 2024 Final Qualifier, and where he’ll join a field of 166 players in a four-rounder where the leading five will earn full 2024 PGA Tour rights.

A big plus for Knox is that the two host courses – Sawgrass Country Club and the Dye’s Valley course, and the second course at TPC Sawgrass – are just minutes from Knox’s home.

The Dye’s Valley course at TPC Sawgrass and one of two host venues for this week’s PGA Tour 2024 Final Qualifying

Sawgrass CC and the second of two courses hosting this week’s 2024 PGA Tour Final Qualifier

He said: “In my rookie year in 2013, I played the Tour Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour at Dye’s Valley and that’s how I got my PGA card back, so good memories. I’ve played the course a lot.

“The Sawgrass Country Club is across the street. I’ve played that 20 odd times.

“So, it’s nice to be teeing-up close to home though I’d rather be playing The Players Championship at Sawgrass rather than q-school, mind you (smiling)”.

The Scot entered final qualifying after ending the 2023 PGA Tour year at 144th on the money list and 19 spots shy of retaining full membership.  It was a first in a near on a decade Knox has not been fully exempt

Knox said: “It’s been nice to go in the room after a tough year. It’s a hard sport. So, it’s nice to go in there now and then and think, ‘oh yeah, I was good at this game at one point’.

“Maybe I don’t visit the room enough, as I feel I will have a chance to win again. I just have to bide my time.

“As I said, I know how to play pro golf. I’ve been a pro for 16 years. This year has been super frustrating.

“My brain has interfered with my ability. As you get older, that part of the game gets harder for everyone. You get bad thoughts. When I was younger, I can’t remember having any of that.

“My physical golf game is probably as good as it’s been but my mind has been slightly corrupted. I need to work hard to clear that.

“People who play on tour for 20 or 30 years, I don’t think they get enough credit for that. They have played amazing golf, but they’ve also had rough times and getting over that is a massive skill”.

Finishing 144th as Knox did on the Tour money-list would have assured the Scot a 2024 PGA Tour schedule but it means playing events he has to play rather than pick-and-choose and will be his reward should he secure on the five top-5 places late next Sunday (UK time).

He said: “There is a new category from 126 to 200 from PGA Tour so I have purchased membership.

“I’m not 100 percent sure how it would play out. I might have a choppy schedule in 2024, seeing what I get on the PGA Tour, maybe some on the Korn Ferry and then later in the year a few on the European Tour.

“It’ll be interesting, maybe a fun thing? I’ve done the same thing for 10 years in a row, so maybe it’ll be nice to play less, be more energised when I do get to play because I’ll know I’ll have to make the most of every start.

“You never want to lose your full card so maybe this is the kick up the backside I needed”.

Joining Knox competing in Thursday’s tee-off is Texas-based Scott Callum McNeill,



Comments are closed.