A strong talking to from his new wife has seen Russell Knox rebound from last week’s New Jersey let down and muscle his way to a share of fifth place on the opening day of the Deutsche Bank Championship just south of Boston.
Knox didn’t drop a shot in posting a four under par 67 on his golfing debut in Massachusetts to end the day just four strokes behind USA Ryder Cup ‘wildcard’ hopeful Ryan Palmer.
Keegan Bradlay, a former PGA champ who is also next Tuesday seeking a Gleneagles pick, is in second spot with a 65 and one clear of Australia’s Jason Day and another American in past US Open winner Webb Simpson, also looking to get a Gleneagles cap from Tom Watson.
Russell Knox and his wife, Andrea – not scared in ‘letting rip’ into her husband.
Knox’s wife, Andrea used to play on the Women’s Tennis Association in the 1990’s and her experiences there have been very helpful for her husband. While attending Jacksonville University, Knox worked at Marsh Landing, where he met his future wife.
And with Andrea’s help and advice, Knox learned not to get too low on himself (or too high) throughout the course of a long season.
Her input was certainly needed last Sunday in New Jersey when Knox, who had been well in contention in New Jersey and lying sixth through two rounds, bogeyed his closing two holes on final day to end the first of the four Play-Off Series events sharing 38th place.
“Andrea really gave me both barrels and just lets it rip, and when I come off some rounds like last Sunday she’ll challenge me,” he said.
“She’ll say to me ‘What the heck were you doing?’ or ‘Get a grip’.
“So I never get any sympathy and it’s never like ‘Oh, good try honey’. No, it’s like ‘What were you thinking about in playing that shot or this shot’ and comments like that.
“Sometimes when I really mess up all you would like is a pat on the back and a ‘better luck next’ comment but not from Andrea.
“But then it saying that she is my fiercest critic and what she says is what I need to hear so it all helps me.”
Helping also the Inverness-born Scot to capture a maiden PGA Tour title is a decision to ‘beef-up’ some more, and it corresponds with a new Certified Steak and Seafood logo appearing on the left sleeve of all his shirts.
And that new-found strength was obvious on a few occasions when he ‘bombed’ some drives past playing partner and two-time big-hitting Major Champion, Angel Cabrera who has long dined out on Argentinean beef.
“My strength has always been accuracy whereas distance has not always been my advantage but saying that, some of my best results have been on long golf courses,” said Knox.
“It sort of frees me up when I give it a good lash and drinking a couple of cokes and eating a few more cheeseburgers that’s seen my put on a few more pounds has helped me hit a few more yards further (smiling).”
