Gordon Bowley, the grandfather of Jake Knapp, died in April of last year at the age of 85. As a youth athletics champion, Bowley had a direct and profound influence on Knapp, who last summer inked his grandfather’s initials on his left arm as a memorial.
Their bond was unique. So unique in fact that Knapp continues to text him following each round.
“Knapp will lead by four shots going into Sunday’s final round at the Mexico Open at Vidanta after shooting an 8-under 63 on Saturday. After adhering to his regular schedule of dinner, the gym, and a respectable sleep, he will write a note to his grandfather tonight and attempt to win his first PGA TOUR title the following day.” Knapp said through tears.
Ben Silverman and Knapp’s 8-under par effort was matched for the lowest round of the day. He leads Sami Valimaki by four strokes, and Silverman, Henrik Norlander, and Chan Kim are even at 12-under, seven shots behind Knapp.
“He has been at his best over the past few years. His game appears solid as he can hit the ball a great distance and maintain control of his irons.” Silverman said of Knapp.
This season, PGA TOUR 54-hole leaders are 5-for-7 in turning their leads into victories, and Knapp’s four-shot lead is the largest of any 54-hole leader so far in 2024.
Knapp stated that he only wanted to “see a few go in” before the third round because, following Friday’s round, he felt the ball was beginning on the proper line on the putting green. That small mental technique, whatever it was, appeared to be effective. On Saturday, Knapp ranked first in Strokes Gained: Putting, an improvement from his position of 81st the day before. He shot 7-under 28, the lowest nine-hole score in tournament history, in the third round, he made just 25 putts and finally got out to a fast start.
Through three rounds, Knapp’s 19-under 194 total tied the Vidanta 54-hole scoring record.
“Clearly, I can’t complain. I had the impression that my ball strike rate was similar to the previous few days. Simply driving it and hitting it extremely nicely. I made a few more putts that went in. It seemed as though everything was going in for a little while there after I was fortunate to watch a handful enter early.” Knapp stated.
Despite being a multiple winner on the PGA TOUR Canada, Knapp has never held a post-round lead in any of his starts on the Korn Ferry Tour. On Saturday, he will hold his first-ever day-ending lead on the PGA TOUR. Knapp finished last month’s Farmers Insurance Open in a tie for third place.
“All of that material undoubtedly has a role to play. I think I’m capable of handling the issue, myself, and everything else. Of course, being in the middle of things at Farmers Insurance (Open) didn’t hurt either. It’s really just going out there and hitting golf shots; there isn’t really much more to it than that.” Knapp said.
After just three days in Mexico, Knapp’s fluid movement and ability to generate seemingly effortless force have immediately captured the attention of social media. That, according to Knapp, is a result of him continuing to work with his childhood coach, who “never wanted to change anything.”
It’s also easy to see how crucial Knapp’s on-course effort has been to his fitness. He’s enough of a gym-goer that he worked as a bouncer at The Country Club, a restaurant turned nightclub, in between stints on the PGA TOUR Canada and attempts to climb back up the golf ladder. When Knapp was attempting to reassemble his game in order to contend at the greatest levels, those late hours allowed him to still put in some practice on the golf course. And it made him realise how unique his professional journey has been up to this point.
“I think you kind of realise how lucky you are to get to travel and play golf for a living when you’re standing there at one in the morning every Friday and Saturday night. Additionally, I appreciate a little grit, and I don’t necessarily want to have to go back to that. I believe it was a variety of factors, but ultimately, I believe it just helped me become more resilient and enabled me to reach my current position.” Knapp said.
He has also benefited from his grandfather’s backing. He can see the tattoo while he swings because it is prominently displayed on his arm and can be seen in most pictures as well. Knapp reached this position thanks to a variety of variables, including her silky swing, positive self-talk, family support, and employment doing late shifts.
He’s also about to win his first-ever PGA TOUR event at this moment.
