More Scottish Success in USA

Knox wins in Florida to top US PGA q-school standings

The Scotsman : 26 October 2009

By Nick Rodger

RUSSELL Knox scored the second Scottish win on American soil in a week when he topped the standings in stage one of the US PGA Tour's qualifying school in Florida.

The Inverness golfer followed up Martin Laird's maiden tour triumph in Las Vegas last Sunday by powering to victory at the St Johns club with a six-under 66 as his bid to join his fellow Scot on the main circuit next year got off to a flying start.

Knox, who has earned over £60,000 on the third-tier NGA Hooters Tour this season, finished with a 15-under aggregate of 273 and won by three strokes from Chris Kirk and Irishman Chris Devlin.

The Jacksonville University graduate had been four shots off the lead with a round to play but he surged to the front with a five-under outward half to lead the 22 qualifiers into next month's second stage.

"I'm more prepared for q-school than I was last year, where I didn't play well at stage two," said former Scottish youths' cap Knox, who fell at the second hurdle in 2008.

"I've got a great support group behind me and I've been playing better in every part of my game this year."

While Knox passed his first test on the road to the lucrative PGA circuit, there was disappointment for Cardross-born Ross Bain who missed out at Dayton Valley in Nevada.

The Dubai-based Scot needed to mount a final round charge to force his way into the top 22 but he could only muster a one-under 71 for a four-under 284 and finished seven shots outside the qualifying zone.

Elsewhere, Gary Nicklaus, son of 18-time Major winner Jack, failed to make the grade at Port St Lucie in Florida with a 285.

And New Zealand's Danny Lee, the winner of the European Tour's Johnnie Walker Classic as an amateur earlier this year, missed out at Stonebridge in Texas with a four-round aggregate of 295.