Scot Russell Knox wins the Chiquita Classic on Nationwide Tour
Scotland’s Russell Knox pulled in an amazing six-under, 66 on the final day of the Chiquita Classic on the Nationwide Tour, to post his maiden tour victory at the TPC River’s Bend, Cincinnati, Ohio.
The rookie carded seven birdies and dropped just one shot at par-three, 5th to clear the rest of the field by a convincing three-shot lead. The player, who turned professional some three years ago, has been looking to bag his first high profile
title for a long time, trying to edge up on the money list on Nationwide Tour.
"This is the best day of my life, 100 times over," said Knox. "This is very exciting for me because it's my first trophy. On the mini-tours we just get a check. I knew this was possible. I've played well the last three years since turning pro. I've worked
hard and dedicated my whole life to playing professional golf."
The 26-year-old, who hails from Inverness, went into the final round with a one-shot lead and capitalized on his early success to make it all the way to the summit. He finished for an aggregate of 25-under, winning the prize share of $99,000. He has not
only soared up in the Money List but will also be one of the major contenders for a PGA Tour card at the end of the season. Top 25 players on the Money List will be able to reserve a berth on the PGA tour next year.
"I always like to get under par before I get over par," he said. "I think I was fortunate that the other guys didn't shoot good scores today. I thought they were all coming at me."
Knox’s overall performance in the tournament speaks volumes of his improved form and putting. He did not drop a single shot in his third round, carding nine whopping birdies on the third day. He had posted a solid second round on Friday as well, pulling
in six birdies in his bogey-free round.
After many of the top players on the Nationwide circuit failed to make the cut on Friday, the field was left wide open for the rest of the contenders and Knox moved over to take full advantage of the same.
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