Russell Knox ‘Roos’ Indifferent East Lake Driving & Short Iron Display.

9 years ago by Comments Off on Russell Knox ‘Roos’ Indifferent East Lake Driving & Short Iron Display.

East Lake, Atlanta, GA …  Lone Scot Russell Knox was naturally disappointed after an indifferent driving and short-iron display on the opening day of the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake here in suburban Atlanta.

Knox, with the Twitter account @rooknox , was left shaking his head in some disbelief after a three over 73 that included three birdies, four bogeys and a seventh hole double bogey on the par 70 layout.

It left the Scot trailing seven shots behind the leading trio that included current FedEx Cup No. 1 Dustin Johnson.

Knox, who played in the company of last year’s FedEx Cup champion Jordan Spieth, hit eight of the 14 fairways but then just six of the 18 greens in regulation that left him T29th in that area of the game among the just 30 players in the field.

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Scotland’s Russell Knox on route to a 73 on the first day of the 2016 Tour Championship in Atlanta.

“I played terrible as I made two or three bogeys with 8 or 9-irons in my hand and I never miss a green with an 8-iron in my hand,” he said.

“I bogeyed the first hole straight out of the gate and while I must have hit five or six good drives there was a few also that got severely punished, too for only being a couple of yards off the fairway.   In this Bermuda rough you either get lucky and you get a flat lie or you get a dreadful lie, and I had kind of bit of everything today.

“So it was disappointing including taking the double at seven where I got a massive flyer that flew the green and I just made a mess of it at that hole, so I just wasn’t able to keep any momentum going.

“The good thing is that I felt good with the putter.”

In fact, Knox at the end of the round he was ranked No. 2 in putting.

And in speaking to Knox right out in front of the East Lake scorer’s hut it was at the same time Rory McIlroy was making his way to the hut to hand-in his card and with McIlroy clearly showing some fondness for the Scot by patting his on the back.

However what was a downer for Knox was playing poorly in the company of Spieth, and even though the Texan was overall No. 4 in putting at the end of this first day.

“I watched Jordan hole everything today and that guy has to be the best putter in history,” he said.

“So hopefully, I can get out of the gates early and post a few early birdies,” he said.

 

 



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