Home News Darkness Delays Russell Knox’s Drive To WGC – HSBC Champions Glory.

Darkness Delays Russell Knox’s Drive To WGC – HSBC Champions Glory.

10 years ago by Bernie McGuire Comments Off

Scotland’s Russell Knox will cut a lone figure when he returns to the Sheshan course early Sunday morning local time to play his final third hole in the WGC – HSBC Champions event.

Knox is officially trailing one shot behind American Kevin Kisner who ended his round recording a 70 for a 16-under par tally on a day interrupted by thunderstorm warnings.

In second place in the clubhouse is China’s Li Haotong and American Dustin Johnson with Knox set to share the lead should he birdie the 18th hole ahead contesting the final round.

Scotland’s Russell Knox on day three of the WGC – HSBC Champions event. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)

The low round of the day belonged to Jordan Spieth, though, as the World Number Two made nine birdies in an unblemished effort to surge up to within three shots of the lead.

England’s Ross Fisher shot a 65 to be tied with Spieth at 13 under, who had been 10 shots behind Kisner at the start of the day, and with Patrick Reed also in that group courtesy of a 68.

For Kisner, victory would represent a first European Tour win at just the sixth attempt while Spieth would join Andy Sullivan with three wins this season after his Major Championship victories at the Masters Tournament and the US Open.

Johnson is in the hunt for a second WGC – HSBC Champions title after his win in 2013 while Knox and Haotong are both seeking maiden wins.

Kisner has finished second three times on the US PGA Tour in 2015, all of those results coming after play-offs, and the 31 year old is hopeful that experience will help him on Sunday.

“I will always use that as motivation to win,” he said. “It just shows you how hard it is to win I think. I just want to keep putting myself there and my chance is going to come for sure.

Scotland’s Russell Knox looking to birdie his 18th hole and be officially tied for the lead with a round to play in the WGC – HSBC Champions. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)

“I played good today. The weather was difficult but I hung in there and made some birdies coming in to give myself a chance to be leading going into tomorrow.

“My theory on the Tour and trying to win is your lead is never safe because some guy is going to make birdies. Look at Jordan today, his name popped up, I don’t even know where he started and he was on the leaderboard.

“Just keep making birdies is what I’m going to try to do. I’ll look up on about 15 and 16 and see if I need to change my game plan.”

The start was delayed by 30 minutes due to dangerous weather conditions and a near 45 minute stoppage was to follow shortly after play did get under way.

Knox had been two clear of the field with a handful of holes to play but with darkness falling quickly he elected not to tee off down the last and instead will resume his round 7.45am Sunday morning Shanghai time.

Notes on Russell Knox

Scotland’s Russell Knox is in a three-way tie for second one shot off the lead with one hole remaining in his third round. Playing in the final group, Knox, along with his playing partners Kevin Kisner and Branden Grace, were given the option of finishing the 18^th hole due to darkness. Knox deciding not to play the hole while Kisner and Grace continued on. Knox, currently at 15-under-par and one shot off the lead, will return at 7:45 a.m. to finish his round. Should he record a birdie or eagle on the par 5, 18^th hole, when he returns on Sunday morning, it would be the first time in his career that he has led or shared a lead heading into the final round on the PGA TOUR.

Knox, playing in his fourth full season on the PGA TOUR, finished 34^th in the 2014-15 FedExCup standings. His season included two 3^rd-place finishes (Shriners Hospital Open for Children, The Honda Classic).

Knox is one of 15 players making their World Golf Championships debut this week. Aside from Jeff Maggert, who won the very first World Golf Championships at the 1999 Accenture Match Play Championship, no player has won a World Golf Championships in his first start in the series.

Knox would be the first player from Scotland to win a World Golf Championships event.

Knox is no stranger to low scores having shot 59 on the Web.Com Tour’s Boise Open in 2013.

This is his fourth start of the 2014-15 season. His best finish thus far is a T21 at last week’s CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Knox was born in Aberdeen but has long lived in Jacksonville, Florida, and after playing collegiately at Jacksonville University.