Russell Knox knows he has to win the Valero Texas Open to earn an invitation into next week’s Masters.
A tall order, indeed.
Sort of like climbing Mount Everest, if you will, considering how tough it is to win, period, and considering his history in the event. He missed his last three cuts at the Valero and his best finish in six starts was a tie for 26th.
And the Scot hasn’t won since the 2018 Irish Open and hasn’t tasted victory on the PGA Tour since the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, his second title.
So, of course, Knox, ranked 169th in the official world rankings, went out and shot a bogey-free, 7-under-par 65 Thursday in the first round on the Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio. It was the first time in 19 rounds he’s broken 70 in the event.
“Obviously thrilled with the round,” Knox said. “I took care of business off the tee, which was nice. Obviously, this course, if you get offline, it can be very penal. So I drove the ball well, iron play was solid again and just a couple of those good luck moments starting the round kind of got my momentum nice.”
Those would include a chip-in on the seventh and superb up-and-downs on the sixth and ninth holes.
“Those were kind of the key parts that allowed me to kind of settle into the back nine and have some easier birdies,” Knox said.
As the afternoon wave began play, Knox was the leader in the clubhouse. While he’s taken a significant fall in the world rankings from a career-high rank of 18th in 2017, he’s played well of late – a tie for sixth in The Players Championship and a tie for seventh in the Sony Open in Hawaii this year.
“It’s been more kind of the way I want to play golf. I’ve been a little more consistent tee to green. I’m back to kind of feeling like the way I should be playing, which has been nice,” he said. “Sometimes when you’re putting in work and you don’t get results, it’s very demoralizing. But it’s nice, I’ve practiced hard and I’m starting to see some benefits.”
And he has an envied temperament.
“I would love to win and get to play next week, that’s obviously why I’m here,” said Knox, who missed the cut in 2016 and 2017 in his only Masters appearances. “I know my game is good so I’ve got to keep playing and see if I can have a great finish. It would be the biggest bonus of the year, obviously, if that happened, but no, I’m quite happy to sit on the couch with my dog next week, too.
“But I mean, I’m going to try my hardest to finish first this week.”
