Palm Harbor, FL …
Russell Knox’s wretched run continues missing a halfway cut for a third time in his past four events at the Valspar Championship north of Tampa, Florida.
Knox bogeyed three of his opening six holes but then also bogeyed the closing two holes of the trio that make-up ‘The Snake Pit’ in a round of 74 for a two over par tally on the Copperhead course.
The top-ranked Scot ended his round near lunch sharing 88th place and two shots shy of the projected even par cut-off mark in the £STG 5.17m event.
Russell Knox driving off the 18th during a practice round ahead of the 2017 Valspar Championship.
Knox had also missed the cut in last month’s Phoenix Open and a fortnight ago in the Honda Classic while he struggled in last week’s no-cut WGC – Mexico Championship finishing well down the board that saw him drop to No. 21 in the world and the first time outside the top-20 in some six months.
The Jacksonville-based Scot left Mexico City with a final round 81 and a highest score since joining the PGA Tour.
Knox continues to struggle finding a ‘user-friendly’ driver but he’s also clearly gone off-the-boil particularly with his iron play hitting 25 of 36 greens in regulation at this week’s Innisbrook Resort course.
Knox had ended his first round very late on Thursday with a one-under par 70 and after greeting his parents headed straight for the practice range.
He said: “I drove the ball poorly and looking back I probably shot what I deserved to shoot.
“As for my putting, I probably missed about three putts inside six feet but then I got lucky on eight as I had a horse-shoe there and in went in.”
It is now the second time in five appearances at the Valspar Knox has missed the cut.
