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Jake Knapp had the dream start of his career on the PGA Tour as he won the Mexico Open at Vidanta on Sunday, February 25, beating Sami Valimaki by a two-stroke margin. Besides bagging $1.45 million, he also received 500 FedEx Cup points for his first win on the PGA Tour.
The Mexico Open was Knapp's fifth start of the rookie season. It's not that this win has come for him out of the blue, as he has had a solid start to his season so far. He began his season as a PGA Tour member with the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he finished T70 after averaging 3-under.
The next event was the American Express, where he missed the cut by 16 strokes. This is his worst performance so far and the only cut he has missed in five appearances this year. Knapp's third event was the Farmers Insurance Open, where he made his career's first top-10 and finished joint third after shooting 11-under, just two strokes behind the winner, Matthieu Pavon.
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The 28-year-old golfer then headed to the WM Phoenix Open, where he gave another solid performance as he finished T28. This week, Knapp started with 97 at the Vidanta Vallarta but then raced ahead of the field with 64 and 63 in the next two rounds. The 54-hole, four-stroke lead was enough for him to remain at the top despite shooting an even-par 71 on Sunday.
Last year, Jake Knapp earned the PGA Tour card after finishing 13th on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List. Before becoming a PGA Tour member, he had made just one cut in four starts and was still looking for a top-20 finish. Two years ago, he was even working as a guard at the nightclub to make ends meet. Now in five starts, he has two top-fives, including a win on the Tour.
In his post-round interview on Sunday, Knapp reflected on the rollercoaster of his career in the last two years. He said:
"I jokingly talk about it with Mike [Knapp's caddie] and my family when all these people ask me for autographs and pictures and questions and podcasts and all that stuff, it's hilarious to think two years ago I was working security at a bar and it was a much different scenario in my life.
"I'm very appreciative of being out here, being able to play golf professionally and just this entire atmosphere. It's what I practice and work for every single day.
When will Jake Knapp play next?
Jake Knapp has entered this week's Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, which is set to take place from Thursday, February 29 to Sunday, March 3 at PGA National Resort’s Champion Course.
Following his Mexico Open win, Jake Knapp also received an invitation to the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, and the remaining Signature Events.
