Yet there’s more work to be done for Knox to regain full status on the big tour, which is why he was getting his first look Tuesday at the Deer Creek Course for his debut in the Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club.
“I would obviously love to be on the PGA Tour, but this is the next-best thing, I guess, over here,” Knox said.
Asked what it will take to get back on the PGA Tour, he said, “That’s a good question. I ask myself that every day.”
After cracking a few jokes, the native of Inverness, Scotland said, “For me, it’s mostly in the head. Have a clear mind and off I go. The good thing is I’ve been able to do it before. At least I know it’s in there somewhere.”
It’s not that long of a journey literally to Savannah from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., where Knox resides after making the jump from Scotland to Jacksonville University, where he played golf and earned a degree in business management.
It’s also not that much difference in the level of play on the Korn Ferry and PGA tours, pro golfers routinely say, though crossing that path is extremely challenging.
“There are a lot of people here I don’t know, but the standard of golf on every tour has gotten so much higher year after year,” Knox said. “Sure, on the PGA Tour there are 20 guys that are better than everyone else. But for the most part, you’ve got the next 300, 400 players in the world that are all separated by one shot a day. There will be plenty of guys playing in this tournament that in three, four years’ time (will be on the PGA Tour, and) there will be a couple of guys that might be superstars in that top 20.”
“It happens, and it’ll happen again and it will continue to happen.”
Knox has seen it happen since turning pro in 2007. In his career, he rose from what is now called the Korn Ferry Tour (2009-13), making 35 of 46 cuts, including a victory at the 2011 Chiquita Classic, and $474,394 in official earnings.
He also played on the European Tour, winning in Dubai in 2018.
After earning his PGA Tour card for 2012, Knox became a staple on tour, making cuts in 201 of 307 events played. Victories came at the 2015 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, China, and then at the 2016 Travelers Championship.
Last season, he made 23 of 37 cuts and earned $692,454 in official money. Knox finished just inside the top 150 in the FedExCup points standings to receive conditional instead of fully exempt status, meaning his playing schedule is limited on that tour in 2024.
So he plays where he can this year, which so far includes one PGA Tour event (Puerto Rico Open) and now four on the Korn Ferry Tour.
His first PGA Tour win was his WBC debut, after gaining entry late as an alternate. He played only one practice round, which he can apply to situations such as this week after arriving in Savannah on Tuesday.
Thursday & Friday tee times at The Club Car Championship
[KORN FERRY TOUR]
Knox has a very professional approach that won’t let circumstances get in his way. He’s competing against the field and playing the course, but most of all he’s trying to control what he’s doing out there, mentally and physically.
“I’ve played professional golf for 15 years now,” he said. “I’ve won a couple of tournaments where I’ve played only one practice round beforehand. Sometimes it can be a good thing. As long as your mind is fresh and your game is good, it doesn’t matter what the course looks like.”
