Russell Knox … With His WGC – HSBC Champions Triumph.

10 years ago by Comments Off on Russell Knox … With His WGC – HSBC Champions Triumph.

by Bernie McGuire

• His first European Tour International Schedule victory in his eighth European Tour event.

• Could move into the top 30 of the Official World Golf Ranking, from 85th.

• This victory beats his previous best European Tour performance of tied tenth in the 2015 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.
Russell Knox with HSBC Champions trophy
• Becomes the 13th first-time winner of the 2015 European Tour season. They are: Andy Sullivan (South African Open Championship Hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni), Gary Stal (Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship), Anirban Lahiri (Maybank Malaysian Open), Trevor Fisher Jnr (Africa Open), Jordan Spieth (Masters Tournament), Wu Ashun (Volvo China Open), Byeong Hun An (BMW PGA Championship), Rickie Fowler (Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open), Roope Kakko (Madeira Islands Open – Portugal – BPI), Thomas Pieters (D+D REAL Czech Masters), Rikard Karlberg (72º OPEN D’ITALIA presented by DAMIANI), Matthew Fitzpatrick (British Masters supported by Sky Sports) and Russell Knox (WGC – HSBC Champions).

• Victory comes in his first appearance in the WGC – HSBC Champions.

• Victory also comes in his first career appearance in a WGC event.

• Becomes the first player to win a WGC event on their debut appearance since Jeff Maggert at the 1999 WGC Cadillac Match Play, which was the very first WGC event.

• Becomes the fourth European to win the WGC – HSBC Champions since the event became part of the WGC series in November 2009. He follows: Francesco Molinari (2010), Martin Kaymer (2011) and Ian Poulter (2012).

• Becomes the first Scot to win a WGC event.

• Becomes the second consecutive WGC first-time winner, following Shane Lowry at the 2015 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational.

• Becomes the 32nd different player overall to win an individual WGC event.

‘I always thought I would win a big one’ – Russell Knox

OTHER FACTS

• Becomes the sixth different player from the United Kingdom to win a WGC event, following: Darren Clarke (2000 WGC – Cadillac Match Play and 2003 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational), Luke Donald (2011 WGC – Cadillac Match Play), Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC- Bridgestone Invitational and 2015 WGC – Match Play), Ian Poulter (2010 WGC – Cadillac Match Play and 2012 WGC – HSBC Champions) and Justin Rose (2012 WGC – Cadillac Championship).

• Becomes the second British player to win the WGC – HSBC Champions since the event became a WGC event in November 2009. They are: Ian Poulter (2012) and Russell Knox (2015). (David Howell won the event in the 2006 season prior to the event being part of the WGC series).

• Becomes the first player to make a WGC event their first European Tour victory since Patrick Reed at the 2014 WGC – Cadillac Championship.

• Becomes the seventh different winner of the WGC – HSBC Champions since the event became a WGC event in November 2009.

• Joins Francesco Molinari (2010), Martin Kaymer (2011), Dustin Johnson (2013) and Bubba Watson (2014), to make the WGC – HSBC Champions their first WGC victory.

• Becomes the 136th Scottish victory in European Tour history.

• Becomes the 23rd different Scot to win in European Tour history.

• Becomes the second Scottish victory on the 2015 European Tour. They are: Richie Ramsay (Trophée Hassan II) and Russell Knox (WGC – HSBC Champions).

• Gains a European Tour exemption until the end of the 2018 season, should he take up European Tour membership.



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