By his own admission when Russell Knox first contested the Wells Fargo Championship three years ago he was an unknown rookie struggling to find his feet on the PGA Tour.
Knox had played in just 10 events including arriving at the Quail Hollow club in suburban Charlotte having missing the cut in six of his opening nine events in 2012 and his first full season on Tour.
Three years and 66 events later Knox has put himself again in contention for a maiden PGA Tour victory with eye-catching pair of 69s for a six under par tally heading to the weekend of the $US 7m event.
Scotland’s Russell Knox shoots second straight 69 at Wells Fargo Championship
However Knox was expecting a stern talking to from his wife of 13 months, Andrea in dropping a shot at the last when sharing second place after finding a water hazard left of the fairway at the last but managing to get up-and-down from 81-feet for a bogey.
“Andrea will be happy saying that I played good but then she’ll probably get mad I hit it in the water at the last but then in the bigger picture I am pretty pleased with myself as that’s the best putting display of the year for me,” said Knox.
Indeed Knox had 10 one-putts in his round of 29 putts.
Knox commenced his second round with a bogey and his first in two days before jumping on board the Wells Fargo overtaking stage coach with five birdies and the best being holing a 16-footer for birdie at the par four ninth hole as well as landing a 177-yard tee shot to 21-feet at the par three 13th and seeing his birdie putt drop.
However he was annoyed not to have gone with a 7-iron into the 18th with his 8-iron shot finding the water hazard that runs the entire length down the left of the last. But then in taking a drop Knox threw his head back in despair when his penalty drop shot rolled right against the thick line of the second cut of rough.
But Knox then displayed his class by managing to limit the damage to a closing bogey.
“It was pretty much simple other than a bogey at my first hole and going with the wrong club for my second shot at 18, so overall very pleased,” he said.
And clearly since he was last in the home city to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers Knox is not only three years older but he’s three years wiser, stronger in mind and body and also has the strength of a good marriage.
“I was just checking when I was last in Charlotte I shot rounds of 77 and 73 and really I wasn’t that interested as I was on a poor run but coming back this year I just expect more of myself now,” he said.
“I am a lot more mature both personally and in terms of my golf but then some days you do feel more relaxed on the course and that’s been a key these two days.
Russell Knox holes his four foot bogey putt in a round of 69.
“I’ve just had this attitude of hit it, find it and hit it again whereas other days it can be very frustrating.
“And besides Quail Hollow presents a lot different challenge than last week at Sawgrass as here you have to give a smash off the tee while the greens here are very grainy and very fast down grain.
The American pair of Martin Flores (67) and Patrick Rodgers (68) shared the clubhouse lead on eight under par but with World No. 1 Rory McIlroy already looming large as he targets a second PGA Tour victory in three weeks and a second Quail Hollow victory since breaking through for a maiden Tour win in 2010.
And it is his stature in the game McIlroy believes will intimidate his rivals as he targets a third success this season.
