Makena White, Jake Knapp’s girlfriend, was jokingly told that he would fly her down to see the Mexico Open final round if he had a three-shot lead going into Sunday.
As it happened, the lead was four.
When they chatted over FaceTime on Saturday night, Makena showed him the booking. She travelled on her own dime and arrived on Sunday at noon. Knapp approached her and planted a kiss on her. He waved to her, and it was a cute moment captured on video for the show.
In Costa Mesa, California, Knapp’s entire family was present at a viewing party; but, one notable guest was his grandfather Gordon Bowles, who passed away in April ; he was not present in person. On Sunday, though, Knapp was with his grandfather, heavily on his thoughts and tattooed on his arm.
Knapp went on to win the Mexico Open by two strokes over Sami Valimaki, tying the record number of rookie winners from the previous season. Although his even-par 71 on Sunday wasn’t particularly nice, it was good enough.
It was, of course, a victory for him. When you’re 29, you can’t expect to make decisions for yourself, like working as a nightclub bouncer to supplement your income, if you want to play on the PGA TOUR for the first time. However, Knapp makes the victory much more memorable by sharing it with individuals who are dear to him.
“I kind of did it for (my grandfather) and everyone else who has been a part of my team, my family, and everything for so long, even if I didn’t have my best stuff on Sunday. I’m going to keep them in the back of my mind and refuse to give up and simply grind it out.” Knapp said.
Playing bogey-par-bogey on Sunday, Knapp began with “the three worst holes” he could have played. Still, there was a two-shot lead. The data indicates that he simply lacked his ball-striking and, more importantly, his putting from the previous round, which were his strong points from the first 54 holes of the week. But he more than made up for it with his skill in the short game. Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green on Saturday had him rated 56th in the field, but in the last round, he was 13th. On Sunday, he only made two fairways, which is a record for a winner of the Tour. However, he was the week’s top performer in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green, missing only one putt inside five feet. That will work.
On Sunday, Knapp added just one more circle to his scorecard on the 14th par-5 after making his first birdie on the 7th par-4. His final four pars were more than enough, and when Valimaki’s tee ball on the 72nd hole bounced into an out-of-bounds fence, forcing him to take an unplayable, Knapp was able to take it all in on the walk up to the 18th green.
“I would have said, “Yes, the course is very gettable,” if I had seen many of the men who started the day at 12 (under) get to 17 under after nine holes, but I felt like a lot of them were at 12, 13, and 14 (under) and not really moving. Pins were in difficult locations; the game was playing tough and blustery. When we reached about hole 14, I glanced at the scoreboard and realised that it was a two-man race. I simply needed to concentrate on Valimaki’s play and proceed as if it were a match from that point on.” Knapp stated.
Knapp jumped up to seventh in the FedExCup rankings after finishing third at the Farmers Insurance Open last month. In April, he will make his Masters debut in addition to participating in the last few Signature Events of the season.
“It’s funny to think that two years ago, when I was working security at a bar, my life was very different from what it is now. I joke about it with (my caddie) and my family when all these people ask me for autographs, pictures, questions, podcasts and all that stuff.” Knapp said smiling.
While skillful play has contributed to his success, good fortune also played a part. Many years ago, the veteran Anaheim Ducks supporter and longtime Ducks executive Tim Ryan went for a casual nine-hole round of golf. With Knapp, the team forged a relationship, and that conviction was very important during difficult times. The Ducks club president, Aaron Teats, is ecstatic with Knapp’s success on the PGA TOUR.
“We are ecstatic for Jake’s accomplishment today and are aware that his time on the PGA TOUR is only getting started. Since Jake and his family have been longtime Ducks supporters, we are aware of the effort and tenacity they have put forth. The whole Knapp family has the Ducks organisation beaming with pride and excitement.” Teats said.
Even while it was wonderful to have his girlfriend fly down and to have the backing of a Stanley Cup-winning team, Knapp’s winning combination came from his loving and spiritual relationship with his grandfather.
Wishing Bowles could have been around to witness and take in everything, Knapp reported having “a little conversation” with his grandfather on Sunday morning. Knapp grinned and added that his grandfather would always advise him to get back to work when he was feeling low. Even though Knapp wasn’t feeling well on Sunday, he still went to work. His grandfather’s favourite line was, “Winner, winner, chicken dinner.” Knapp is aware that the initial message of congratulations would have likely started with that, followed by an offer of cigars upon his arrival at home.
A moment to commemorate a moment would have existed. For everyone who has consistently supported him.
“At twenty-nine years old and my first victory, many people have supported me.” Knapp said.
