Scotland’s Russell Knox produced the ‘flop shot’ of the season midway through ‘The Snake Pit’ on day two of the Valspar Championship at Palm Harbor, Florida.
Knox dropped his only shot, in a two under par 69 for a two over par total, at the par three 17th and eighth hole of his day on the Copperhead course.
But after finding a green side bunker, and the second of the three closing holes that make-up ‘The Snake Pit, the Scot horribly ‘thinned’ his 30-yard wedge shot some 56 yards, and 27 yards beyond the flag and lying in thick rough on the pathway to the 18th tee.
However, Knox then played a magnificent lob wedge ‘flop shot’ to just five feet and then holing the putt for his only bogey.
Russell Knox heads to the scorer’s hut.
“It was an epic flop shot from pretty close to the 18th tee, and that was a very good bogey as it had double written all over it after that awful bunker shot,” he said.
“So to get away with a bogey there was very pleasing and then at ninth, and my last hole, that birdie putt was hanging right on the lip and how it didn’t drop I don’t know.
“Conditions-wise it was another tricky day as there was times out there today there was no wind, and then it was blowing about 25 mph, so it made it hard pulling the right club.”
It left Knox tied with World No. 1 Jordan Spieth on two over par and seven shots adrift of the 40-something pair of Steve Stricker (66) and his fellow American Will MacKenzie (67) who head the event by a shot at i
Knox is this week celebrating his 100th PGA Tour event with a fourth appearance at the Valspar with a best finish of 25th two years ago.
This is also the third week in succession for the 30-year old Inverness-born Scot and he’s hopeful of maintaining his energy levels over the closing two rounds ahead of skipping next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.
“I am feeling a little tired from competing the last two weeks but then that is no excuse, but I am looking forward to having next week off,” he said.
“And I am pretty good at doing nothing as my wife is leaving me on the weekend, so I will really do nothing.”
But while Knox continues to celebrate his 100th Tour appearance, Martin Laird’s 200th tournament showing ended with rounds of 72 and 75.
Laird had holed a 60-foot birdie putt to end his round on day one but then posted three bogeys within a four-hole stretch mid-round ahead of seven closing pars.
The current World No. 192nd ranked player will head to next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational in suburban Orlando at least with some spring in his step as a past winner of the event.
